An unfathomably large (New Jersey-sized) swath of protected wonderland gushing with green mountain vistas, white sand waterfalls, cola-colored rivers, one of the highest concentrations of species endemism on the planet, and a tantalizing lost network of historic trails… with virtually no tourism.

Welcome to the spectacular, undiscovered Mosaic of the Espinhaco: 19 adjacent conservation units (including one spectacular National Park, five State Parks, one Natural Monument, eleven environmental protection areas, an ecological reserve, and adjacent buffer areas) totalling 5 million acres of protected Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah) & Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Rainforest), with little to no tourism infrastructure.

For lovers of nature, culture, history, outdoors sports, and (let’s just say it) life itself, this is the stuff of dreams.

It’s difficult to overstate just how rich the Serra do Espinhaço is in terms of biodiversity. The range accounts for less than 1% of Brazil’s national territory, yet is thought to contain an astounding 7% of its species, including an estimated 3,000+ endemic plants & animals.

Unfortunately, the Cerrado (one of the 2 larger terrestrial biomes to which the Espinhaço Meridional belongs) is being deforested at a rate more than double that of the Amazon, and has experienced a pronounced decline in rainfall during recent decades.

Enjoy it while it’s here, like this, right now.

Getting from point A to Point B has always been an adventure in the Espinhaço, and nowhere is this more evident than along its spectacular—and viturally empty—network of historic trails.

While urban footpaths, game trails, sparsely used dirt roads, former railways, and even the occasional interpretive trail abound, 3 types of trails continue to predominate the backcountry here: remarkable, colonial-era stone pathways built by slaves to facilitate the diamond trade along the Estrada Real; winding historic trails used by mule-driving tropeiros to facilitate regional commerce until as recently as the 1980s; and centuries-old descaminhos blazed by diamond smugglers and later revisited by European naturalists (including the likes of Sir Richard Francis Burton & Augustin Saint-Hilaire) during the 19th century.

Our team has spent 3 years rediscovering this lost network, documenting its history, nature & inhabitants, and charting our expeditions. As much as we’ve loved having the trails to ourselves, it’s an even greater pleasure to share them with other curious, adventurous minds.

UNESCO World Heritage City; Terminus of the fabled Estrada Real; Bastion of Portuguese colonial architecture; former diamond-mining capital of the world; and shining exemplar of the “diamond in the rough” cliché. Somehow, little Diamantina (pop. 49,500) manages to be all this and more (burgeoning college town; “musical city of Minas”; hometown of Juscelino Kubisheck and Chica da Silva; etc.), while remaining virtually undiscovered even by mineiros.

Add it all up, and you have a bonafide world traveler’s dream: a tourist mecca without tourists, smack in the middle of one of the most enchanting settings on earth.

Take it from us: Attempting to count the waterfalls of the Espinhaço is an exercise in futility. Just as futile: trying to spend consecutive days on the trail without bathing in one.

Depending on the Circuit (the Serra & Sertão have more, the Garden & Berço have a bit less), we may cross paths with one, none, or as many as five per day during your trip, from soothing cascades to show-stopping masterpieces, and everything in between. “Ice-cold” has never felt so good.

Tropeiro. Torresmo. Frango com quiabo. If you’re unfamiliar with comida mineira, you will be by the end of the trip—and Brazilians everywhere will be jealous. Among the culinary treats unique to the Serra do Espinhaço: angu (think “polenta”), quitandas (lightly sweetened hand-crafted breakfast biscuits), samambaia (wild fern sprouts, usually sauteed with garlic & olive oil), and queijo do Serro.

We’ll have the privilege of arriving to piping hot plates of highly-caloric, lovingly-made meals—prepared by skilled hands & well-seasoned cast-iron pots over wood-fired stoves—throughout our Expedition, with a pair of more sophisticated offerings in Diamantina to book-end the trip. Throw in a few ice-cold Antarcticas (one of the more popular national beer labels) and, well, let’s just say we rarely meet our weight-loss goals during trips. It’s worth it. Bom apetit!

The trails will challenge us, and the peaks & waterfalls will leave us in awe, but in our experience, it’s the time we spend breaking bread with local families—sometimes well into the night—that provides the most enriching & memorable moments of our Expedition. It’s impossible to come away unimpressed by the foreign, often rustic conditions, and resilient, welcoming disposition of each of the many households we visit.

As if good company, unique accommodations, and home-cooked meals weren’t reason enough to embrace the experience, there’s this: our patronage provides precious income opportunities for each of the households we visit, and helps build a culture that values the region’s overlooked history & natural environment.

Of all of the unique & memorable places during our trips, from historic inns & fancy resorts to abandoned ranches & pristine wilderness campsites, we’re willing to bet that it will be the homestays that cross your mind daily years from now.

Minas Gerais is Brazil’s heartland, and mineiros (the state’s denizens) play the part of heartland hosts to a “T”. Easy-going, down-to-earth, and famously chatty, with a well-documented love of food (especially comida mineira, of course) & drink (some of Brazil’s best cachaça & craft brews come from Minas), mineiros are to “friendly” what paulistas (residents of São Paulo) are to “fast-paced” and cariocas (folks from Rio) are to “care-free”. Generally speaking, you won’t find a kinder or more welcoming bunch anywhere in Brazil.

Charming pousadas & heart-warming homestays connect us to the Espinhaço’s culture & history, but it wouldn’t be a GOGO trip without at least one night in the middle of nowher—er, the middle of nature.

We prefer starry nights, soft sand, warm fires, and gently rolling streams, but we gladly settle for a rocky overhang and the silence of the mountains.

From waterfall shores & riverside beaches to hidden rock shelters adorned with centuries-old paintings, there are no shortage of places we enjoy setting up camp in the wilderness. Here’s hoping we can gather by the fire during your trip.

If you’ve ever dreamed of steadying a sturdy steed through the brush, rivers, and rocky mountain passes of the Brazilian hinterlands, now’s your chance: the Serra’s sweeping high plains, bucolic dirt roads, and steep ascents can be done on either foot or horseback. Prefer to gallop? The Sertão beckons, with days & evenings of riding along open dirt roads between glorious, sun-kissed waterfalls.

Regardless of whose hooves are moving, we recommend you catch your breath, take in the scenery, and immerse in the region’s long & storied tradition of tropeirismo and cavalgadas.

The namesake flower of Sempre Vivas National Park is as inextricably linked to the history, economy, and identity of the Serra do Espinhaço as the diamonds that sustained the region before it. Sixty of the estimated 100 species in existence have been documented within the Park’s borders—eight of which are found no place else on earth. With enchanting shapes that range from tiny buttons & stars to tree-like stalks with giant globes, “flower-spotting” has a way of making even the most arduous days on the trail joyous. We dare you not to get excited each time we pass one up close.

The peaks & Parks get more glory, but nothing shaped this region or brought more fortune & glory more than the rivers that run through it, and none more so than the Jequitinhonha. Solemn yet dignified even after centuries of callous abuse, the river’s crystalline waters once ran rich enough with gemstones to both buoy a distant Empire and cradle a young nation. Today, irreparably scarred & forgotten, it remains forgiving enough to provide an economic lifeline for 500,000 Brazilians living downstream.

In theory, we cross enough rivers, creeks, and streams during our treks & rides for it to “get old”, but there’s something about gazing on the Jequitinonha from its banks, then stepping into it, that will always be special.

There’s “off-roading”, and then there is navigating the often-surreal backroads of the Espinhaço, where sun-scorched dirt roads intersect with rivers, potholes resemble craters, and harrowing bridges, devastating lombadas, and the occasional white sand beach are all just part of the daily commute.

The worst (or best, depending on your tolerance for adrenaline) of what the region has to offer are surely the “roads” of Sempre Vivas National Park (in the “Garden” Circuit), but no matter where we drive during your time with us, we’re confident you’ll come away with a new appreciation for the roads in your part of the world.

Our vehicle of choice, the legendary Toyota Bandeirante (a vintage, diesel-fueld Brazilian diesel Land Cruiser), ensures that our roadtrips in the region are as exhilarating & memorable as our time on the trail. As your captain speaking, we recommend you relax & enjoy the ride.

From diamonds & stately architecture to former presidents & raucous Carnaval celebrations, Diamantina has more than its fair share of claims to fame. It’s a bit ironic (and endearing?), then, that its most beloved tradition has become the humble Vesperata, a festive nighttime open-air serenade by the hometown band. (Plot twist: the musicians are the ones up in the windows & on verandas, while those of us getting serenaded are down on the street).

We don’t always have the pleasure of catching a Vesperata during trips (the event runs mostly bi-weekly from April to October), but if the dates line up, it’s an unmissable experience. Prepare yourself for an unforgettable evening of Beatles, samba & bossa nova, Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB), and sing-along wedding rock tunes. There isn’t a party on earth where we’d rather celebrate the final night of our Expedition together.

The discovery of diamonds in the Serra do Espinhaço directly and dramatically changed the fortunes of not only Europe, but of Africa. Quilombos—semi-autonomous backcountry communities founded by former slaves prior to the 19th century—bear witness.

The Jequitinhona River Valley administrative district (of which Diamantina is the capital) is home to more than 80 official quilombo communities (and many more unofficial ones), dozens of which dot the Espinhaço. Bucolic, unpretentious, and near-universally backdropped by stunning scenery (not coincidentally: the early founders were often rural workers on remote ranches, or runaways who sought to move as far from civilized areas as possible), they provide an unforgettable glimpse into the diverse cultural landscape of the Espinhaço and Brazil, at large.

Should we have time to stay the night at one or more during your Journey, it’s bound to be an unforgettable experience.