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 Espinhaço: 20 adjacent conservation units (including 1 spectacular National Park and 3 State Parks) and buffer regions totaling 5 million acres of Cerrado (Brazilian Savannah) & Mata Atlântica (Atlantic Rainforest), with little to no tourism infrastructure.

For lovers of nature, culture, history, 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. Brazil is the planet’s most biodiverse country, and the range is thought to contain over 7% of its species (3,000+ of which are endemic)… while accounting for less than 1% of the national territory.

Sadly, the Cerrado (one of the 2 larger terrestrial biomes to call the Espinhaço Meridional home) 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. 3 types of trails predominate the backcountry here: remarkable, colonial-era stone pathways built by slaves to facilitate the diamond trade along the Estrada Real; an extensive network of bush trails pioneered by mule-driving tropeiros to facilitate regional commerce; and centuries-old descaminhos blazed by diamond smugglers (and later revisited by the likes of Sir Richard Francis Burton & Augustin Saint-Hilaire).

Our team has spent 3 years rediscovering this lost network, documenting its history, geography & 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.

We typically cross paths with an average of at least one named falls per day (and sometimes many more) during our Journeys, from soothing cascades to show-stopping masterpieces, and everything in between. “Ice-cold” has never felt so good.

Larger than Greater Los Angeles, with just 3 residents (down from 4 in 2022), thousands of endemic species, and no tourist infrastructure to speak of, Sempre Vivas National Park is, without exaggeration, one of the wildest & most fascinating places in Brazil.

In 2021, our crew undertook the most extensive Expedition ever made within the Park, and we’ve been in love with it ever since. Long days of bushwhacking, trekking, canoeing are par for the course—and necessary, in order to cross. From the lush palm groves of the eastern borderlands to the wind-swept campos of the west, sleeping in caves, flower-picker shelters, and hauntingly isolated ranches along the way.

Pointy grasses, ticks, snakes (including several deadly species), and lack of shade are harsh realities of the trail here—as are large felines.

Few places on earth manage to feel this magical, this wild, and this overlooked. Each day here is truly an adventure; each moment a privilege.

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”.

We won’t be coming across too many humans during your Journey, but there’s a good chance the ones we meet will be Mineiros. You won’t find a kinder or more welcoming bunch anywhere in Brazil.

The incomparable “vila” of Santa Bárbara is full of contradictions. A partially restored historic textile mill that doubles as a chic hot springs resort town? A chic hot springs resort town with “chalets” that look like (and, in fact, are) aging middle-class homes? A bonafide oasis (replete with said springs, swimming pools, crystalline creeks, and a resplendent waterfall) in the middle of the dusty sertão?

Quirky, a little unorganized, and more than a little self-important—yet undeniably gorgeous & gostoso—Santa Bárbara is as much of an experience as it is a place, and honestly, its unmissable & unforgettable as both. There’s a lot to take in and, itinerary permitting, we’re always grateful to do so.

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, quitanda, samambaia, and queijo do Serro.

Spoiler alert: Regardless of where your Journey leads, you can be sure you’ll experience the privilege of arriving to many piping hot plates of highly-caloric, lovingly-made meals—prepared by skilled hands & well-seasoned cast-iron pots over wood-fired stoves—throughout, sometimes with a pair of more sophisticated offerings to book-end the trip. Throw in a few ice-cold Kaisers, Originals, or Antarcticas (three of the more popular national beer labels in the Espinhaço) and, well, let’s just say we rarely meet our weight-loss goals during trips. It’s worth it. Bom apetit!

So much about Sempre Vivas is about the stillness, the feeling, and the remoteness. It’s fitting then, that even the journey to get there feels daunting & other-worldly.

While there are multiple points of entry (but no official entrance) to the Park, none is more dramatic than the Inhacica Grande River, whose nutrient-rich waters & powder shores comprise the Park’s wild eastern border. Here, amidst the rocks & palms, white sand & birdsong, even Diamantina (a measly—but brutal—3 hours away overland) feels a world away. And yet this is often just the starting point for the most epic adventures in the region.

We don’t always make it to the Inhacicao durlng Journeys, but when we do, we prefer to sleep underneath the stars, on soft white sand, by the fire. There are few places on earth we’d rather be.

The region’s undisputed icon, Pico do Itambé (elev. 2,052 m) towers over the region like a citadel, living up to its billing as “the roof of the Espinhaço”. Protruding over 1,102 meters over the surrounding peaks, it draws a hard line between the Rio Jequitinhonha & Rio Doce river basins and a soft line between the Atlantic Rainforest & Cerrado biomes.

Taking in the views after a challenging climb is one of the most satisfying & memorable moments to be had anywhere in the Espinhaço, and the descent is (pardon the pun) just as breathtaking. Should we decide to continue north from there, the Journey just gets wilder.

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 evening—that provides the most enriching & memorable moments of our Journeys. It’s impossible to come away unimpressed by the foreign, often rustic conditions, and resilient, welcoming disposition of each of the many households we’ll visit.

As if good company, unique accommodations, and home-cooked meals weren’t reason enough to embrace the experience, there’s this: your visit provides precious income opportunities for each of the households we visit—several of whose livelihoods changed dramatically in recent decades with the decline in mining—and helps build a culture that values the region’s overlooked history, culture, and natural environment.

We often stay in an incredibly diverse array of unique & memorable places during our Journeys, from historic inns and fancy resorts, to rustic wilderness refuges and pristine wilderness campsites. We’re willing to bet that it will be the homestays that cross your mind daily years from now.

The namesake flower of Sempre Vivas National Park is as inextricably linked to the history, economy, and identity of the Serra do Espinhaco 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.

No place embodies the deeply paradoxical existence of Sempre Vivas National Park more than the decadent main residence of Fazenda Arrenegado (literally, Forsaken Ranch). Cast away in one of the most inhospitable stretches of the Park, and camouflaged by the surrounding vegetation, “Taquaral” has become synonymous with the untamed wilderness, land disputes, and predatory fauna that the Park is known—or rather, unknown—for.

Its lone inhabitant for the past two decades, Sr. Levi, is a living legend around these parts, and for good reason—at this point in your Journey, we’d be an 8-hour bushwhack away from the next closest human (who might or might not be home that month).

The ranch house (not pictured) could use a good cleaning, but we think it’s best appreciated in its natural state. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a chance to see it for yourself during your Journey. If you’ve never bathed in a horse trough, this is your chance.

Historic pousadas & charming homestays do much to connect us to the culture & history of the Espinhaço, 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, & gently rolling streams, but we gladly settle for the silence of the mountains. With the potential for multiple nights of “wild camping” during your Journey, we’re hoping for all of it.

The region’s first & most celebrated conservation unit, Rio Preto State Park harbors over 26,000 acres of immaculate cerrado, including a pristine stretch of its namesake river & a pair of striking waterfalls. We often spend days traversing the Park, from its hauntingly beautiful & little-visited southern reaches to its spectacular, water-blessed north, passing through sweeping canyons, steep escarpments, and fast-moving rivers, and alongside funky hoodoos and all manner of rocky outcrops along the way.

If it weren’t for the flowing fields of campo limpo and sparkling groves of sempre-vivas, you might swear we were in the U.S. Southwest. It’s a feast for the senses, and a fitting finale to any epic jaunt through the southeastern portion of the range.

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: epic traverses across the steep & spectacular Mato dos Crioulos region, the stunning high plains of Vargem Grande, and the wet-and-wild Vale do Rio Preto beckon.

Prefer to gallop? The Sertao beckons, with days of optional riding along open dirt roads between glorious, sun-kissed waterfalls.

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

There is off-roading, and then there are the surreal (and surreally beautiful) backroads of the Serra do Espinhaço, where washboarded dirt roads, human-sized potholes, and the occasional stunning water crossing are all just part of the commute.

Our vehicle of choice? Why, Brazil’s legendary Toyota Bandeirante, of course. Produced from the early 1960’s until 2001 (a full 15 years longer than its more famous Land Cruiser brethren overseas), this diesel-powered torque machine is as famous for its backcountry prowess as it is for its (rough leaf-sprung ride and) good looks.

As your captain speaking, we recommend you relax & enjoy the ride.

During our first research trip to Sempre Vivas National Park in 2018, we destroyed just about everything that could be destroyed on our Toyota Bandeirante.

It turns out, there’s a reason the Park is so empty—particularly the vast expanses located on either side of the main road running north-south. Navigating its surreal backroads, where jagged rocks, forest-shrouded mud pits, deep seasonal marshes, harrowing craters, and white sand trails is certainly not for the faint of heart.

While we’re hardly faint of heart, we also now carry rescue equipment and satellite devices just in case. If you’re a fan of the literal roads less traveled on this planet, you’ll never forget Sempre Vivas.

Located just a stone’s throw (and a wild hair?) away from 50,000 lively residents, with 42,000 acres of lush cerrado, dozens of miles of well-kepttrails, a pair of highly Instagrammable (and swimmable) waterfalls, and a historic textile mill-turned-gated community of the same name, it’s no wonder that Biribiri State Park is the most visited conservation unit in the Espinhaco. While its location adjacent to Diamantina can make the Park (& the community pub) a bit of a hotspot for locals during weekends & holidays, the vast majority of visitors tend to stick to the road & roadside waterfalls, meaning there’s a good chance we’ll have one last day (Day 13) of gloriously empty trails before making our descent into Diamantina.

Historic yet modern, urban yet rural, rustic yet comfortable, and surrounded by agua, serra, and cerrado, the community of Biribiri is an unbeatable place to spend the penultimate night of our journey, and our final evening on the trail together.

If it starts to feel like every other community in the Espinhaço is a vista-blessed colonial-era mining hamlet, your math isn’t too far off. From elegant São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras to rustic Inhai, postcard-perfect Capão Maravilha to soulful São João da Chapada, festive Milho Verde to somber Mendanha, the region is chock full of these historic mountain settlements, yet each manages to feel unique, secret, and compelling.

There’s magic in the air in these communities, and the locals know it. Few places are capable of bringing travelers into the enchantment of the Espinhaço quicker.

Most of Brazil’s colonial-era roads—and certainly the most visually arresting ones—were built by slaves, but in the Espinhaço, there is only one “Caminho dos Escravos” (literally, Slave Way): an impressive 20 km stone cascade leading north from Diamantina to Mendanha (pop. 639).

As notorious for its steep trajectory as it is for its checkered history (slave-drivers, bandits, and miners comprised most of its foot traffic), the Caminho stands as a stark reminder of what Brazil was—and how it got there—and features numerous stretches of remarkably well-preserved roadway.

There are lots of ways to enter Diamantina, and nearly and all are beautiful, but there may not be a more profound way to end a Journey in the Espinhaço.

Twin peaks, attached at the hip, tower over the wind-swept high plateau of the Chapada do Couto, dividing the Black and Araçuai River Basins in the process. Known for centuries by locals as Serra Grande (Big Mountain; residents from the valley below could only see the taller of the twins), “Two Brothers Peak” (1,825 m) is not only the 3rd highest in the Espinhaço Meridional, it is a true pleasure to summit, with a long and gradual approach that gives way to a refreshingly short ascent. The stunning 360-degree view atop more than makes up for the effort, especially during Golden Hour. Here’s hoping your Journey passes this way.

Cowboys, red dirt roads, and the occasional cactus aside, the Espinhaço’s version of “the Sertão” sure doesn’t look much like the thirsty badlands of Brazilian northeastern lore. Nestled tightly against the water-flowing (& water-falling) western edge of the Espinhaço, snuggled gracefully between deep & gentle river bends, these lowlands are the kind of Place that call little attention on the itinerary, but linger on the mind endlessly afterward as a feeling of peace, warmth, and joy.

If we’re here during your Journey, it’s likely we’ve just come from a long day (or 5) in the harsh conditions of Sempre Vivas to the east, so we’ll sop up all of the low-key goodness that we can get: soft pillows; friendly folks; full bellies (oh, the meals!); cold, flowing beverages; and top-notch people-watching from shaded front porches.

Even as we saddle up & head south & west towards greener pastures (and… hot springs?!), we usually do so with heavy hearts: few places are harder to leave. One thought that helps us get through the heartbreak: you can always come back.

Ah, Santa Rita: the Espinhaço’s Rorschach test. Come for the mythical waterfall, stay for… the gentle breeze rolling over the pastures? We’re not sure what it is about tiny Santa Rita (pop. 12?) that makes it linger on our minds and calls us back time & again, but whatever it is, we can’t seem to get enough.

Cast away on an impossibly privileged patch of windswept, high-altitude campos between the mountains of the Espinhaço and the sweltering lowlands below, this remote ranching outpost inhabited by a clan of likable, hard-drinking, larger-than-life cattlefolk is either the beginning of the Sertão or the last stand of the Espinhaço… or both.

Pristine, majestic, and appropriately daunting to get to, Santa Rita Waterfall marks the grand western entrance to Sempre Vivas NP, and to the western slopes of the Espinhaço, in general.

Known to only a handful of folks on the planet—nearly all of whom lived or worked in the surrounding area—prior to the Pandemic, the falls continue to be more of a rumor than an attraction thanks to the lack of an easily-navigable trail and/or climbing ropes.

Should we find ourselves in the vicinity, we’ll need to engage in a fairly intense descent to reach the base. The view, alone, makes the excursion worth it, but the swim takes it to a whole new level…

It doesn’t matter how you get there or from which direction you come, the Serra da Maravilha (literally, Marvelous Mountain) is a sight to behold. Strikingly similar to Rio’s Sugarloaf Mountain—but with 1,000,000 less visitors per year—the postcard-perfect mountain and tiny hamlet of the same name (pop. < 10) are little known even in the immediate region. It’s a rest stop with a view, and should we decide to make the epic trek from Curralinho to Sao Goncalo do Rio das Pedras during your Journey, we’ll have the privilege of taking it in from a variety of angles.

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’ll cross enough rivers, creeks, and streams during our trek 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.

One of the ironies of summiting mighty Itambé is that the epic view on top lacks Itambé itself. Meanwhile, just some 20 km away, the much smaller & more approachable Pico do Raio (literally, Lightning Peak; 1,387 meters) presents an unbeatable view of not only Itambé, but of the nearby colonial hamlets of Sao Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras, Milho Verde, and Capivari. When you consider that its base lies on one of the most beautiful stretches of trail in the region and includes a white sand beach, gently flowing cascade, and natural infinity pool… well, it could at least be argued that the experience gives Itambé a run for its money. If time allows, you can see it for yourself.

A series of tiny settlements that time forgot, strung along an old railway cutting through lush mountain vegetation. From dusty, rough-around-the-edges (but only the edges) Conselheiro Mata (pop. 200) to picturesque Mendes (pop. 2) and serene Barão de Guaicui (pop. 50), this microregion’s unique (and uniquely diverse) residents, crystal-rich inselbergs, fertile soil, and location halfway between Diamantina & the lowlands to its west make for a fascinating case study in regional cultural identity: nowhere else do ambitious miners, idealistic mystics, hardened flower-pickers, and rowdy cowboys unite with such conviction.

The future of the Green Line’s identity may not be its residents’ to make: the region is blessed with dozens of named waterfalls that range from thunderous (Cachoeira do Trombador) to magical (Cachoeira das Fadas; pictured) to downright world-class (Cachoeira do Telesforo), and social media influencers & mountain bike-toting Belo Horizontinos have begun taking notice. For our money, the Green Line is the Espinhaço’s next (first?) big ecotourism destination—it just doesn’t know it yet.

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 quilombos, 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, its bound to be an unforgettable experience.

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).

Vesperatas are a (mostly) semi-weekly affair, so the dates don’t always line up (a good reason to book quickly!). If we happen to be in towncto atch one, you should 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 what is often the final night of our Journey together.