At a Glance

Quartzite peaks and cola-colored rivers.
White sand waterfalls and rupestrian fields.
Winding historic trails and little-traveled backroads.

The highlands southeast of Diamantina are the backbone of the range: physically demanding, historically layered, and still closely tied to the region’s colonial past.

Some of the Espinhaço’s most storied paths criss-cross the Serra.

If your Journey passes through here, expect big views, effortful trails, and evenings in villages where conversations start easy and wood-fired meals make the long miles worthwhile.

Sempre Vivas is one of the most pristine stretches of Cerrado in Brazil and among the country’s least-visited National Parks.

Here the trails narrow, vegetation thickens, and the terrain changes quickly without warning.

This is protected, unmanicured high savannah: sparsely inhabited, ecologically rich, and politically complex.

Should your Journey pass through this wild part of the range, expect our movement to slow and our attention to sharpen.

Few places in Brazil feel this remote.

In the lowlands west of the range, the horizon widens.

Distances stretch. Rivers bend gently through pasture and shade. Dirt roads run long between small towns where hospitality comes easily.

Waterfalls descend from the escarpment above. Front porches and long conversations replace peaks and razor-sharp grass.

This is the range’s interior: less dramatic, more lived-in, equally memorable.

Few places in the Espinhaço are better suited for catching your breath and taking in the good life.

Northwest of Diamantina, the range is at its most ruminative. Landscapes grow quieter, villages turn inward, and history sits just below the surface.

Some of the Espinhaço’s most profound scenes are found in this corner of the range: exuberant river valleys and weathered quilombola communities, slave-built roads and abandoned diamond corridors.

The Berço reveals itself through contrast: austere yet welcoming, layered yet intimate.

Journeys that pass through here often return with a different understanding than when they began.

Sometimes having a roof overhead trumps all other considerations.

Set atop lonely high campos, tucked deeply into forests, or blending into quiet river valleys, these remote, barebones structures offer both refuge from the outside world and a glimpse into it.

Most sit on private land and are used seasonally by the people who work these landscapes. When we pass through, we’re simply borrowing space along the way.

Refuges are the most basic shelters on a Journey, and often among the most memorable.

Location is the luxury.
Peace and quiet comes standard.

Homestays are one of the defining experiences of traveling in the Espinhaço.

We arrive dusty and tired and are received with warm smiles, hot plates, and the kind of hospitality that doesn’t require explanation.

Life is already unfolding here, often far from tourism. Rooms are modest. Meals are generous. In some homes, you may be the first foreign traveler they’ve ever hosted.

For many families, welcoming someone from a distant land is an honor.

For those of us being received, these evenings tend to linger long after the trail ends.

Small family-run inns are synonymous with travel in Brazil—the rare institution that transcends age, class, and generation.

Some of these establishments are simple and homey. Others are more extravagant affairs. Nearly all reflect the personality of the people who built them.

Expect strong coffee in the morning, practical comfort, and hosts who take real pride in their work.

After a long day on the trail, a hot shower, a soft bed, and the chance to sleep without setting an alarm is sometimes all the luxury we need.

Sometimes the landscape itself becomes home for the night.

When the route calls for it, we pitch tents beside rivers, in quiet clearings, or in rock shelters that have been used for centuries.

There’s nothing theatrical about these camps. We cook simply, share a drink by the fire, and watch the light leave the mountains.

Longer wilderness crossings may mean several nights under canvas.

It’s a privilege we never quite get used to.

You can’t understand the Espinhaço without noticing its contrasts.

At times the route brings us to guest ranches, historic vilas, or rural retreats shaped by another vision of leisure.

Pool bars. Private waterfalls. Hot springs. Well-dressed weekenders.

These places have long been part of the landscape’s fabric. Experiencing them after weeks in working communities rarely dulls the senses; if anything, it sharpens perspective.

Should your Journey pass through one, we recommend doing as the locals do: rest, relax, and enjoy it while it lasts.

Occasionally the route gives us a house of our own.

It might be a historic home in a small town or a quiet weekend retreat tucked into the hills.

Amenities vary, but the gift is space: room to spread out, wash clothes, and enjoy a rare evening without formalities.

After days of being received in other people’s homes, it can be refreshing to just close the door and exhale.

In certain conservation areas we overnight inside park boundaries.

Facilities vary, and comfort tends toward the practical.

That said, proximity is the point: few experiences compare to waking up inside the landscape you came to walk.

Some parks take real pride in their lodges and visitor areas. When the opportunity is there, we make the most of it.

The Espinhaço is dotted with working fazendas that long predate tourism.

These are not curated guest ranches. They’re functional homes and compounds shaped by labor, weather, and time.

Meals are cooked the way they’ve always been cooked, and stories are part of the architecture. The sense of continuity is unmistakable.

If we stay in one, you’ll feel the lineage long before you notice the décor.

Expedition Leader + Translator (Full-Time)

The bumper sticker on his ‘89 Toyota Bandeirante (Brazilian Land Cruiser) may read “Lost Texan”, but don’t be fooled: Dallas-born Eddie has dedicated himself to the study of Brazilian history, society, and geography for over two decades. He first stepped foot in the Serra do Espinhaço in 2018, and has been exploring its labyrinth of lost trails and documenting its resilient inhabitants and landscapes ever since, becoming arguably the region’s most well-versed foreigner in a century during the process. The only thing he enjoys more than exploring this spectacular and little-known part of the world is bringing it to life for other adventurous & culturally curious travelers.

Expedition Leader + Translator (Full-Time)

The first time Elisa encountered the daunting “roads” of São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras during a fateful weekend getaway in 2019, she swore to her mom she would never come back. These days, she can’t seem to leave the Espinhaço, having spent the better part of her life since then driving all manner of backroads—usually with various drones, satellite devices, emergency contacts, and communications equipment in tow—in a gangly leaf-sprung 4x4 named “Gaucha”. Bringing itineraries of this scope to life in this part of the world requires steadfast determination, impeccable planning, outstanding communication, and (lots of) patience. The rest of us just require Elisa.

Regional Guide + Naturalist (Full-Time)

The difference between a good guide and a great one is the calling, and in Julio’s case, there was never a question. Passionate, dedicated, and bursting with the knowledge, energy, and conviction necessary to make the world a better place, he’s both a natural-born mountain guide & a natural-born man for others. You’ll get to witness him put both of these callings, as well as his prolific knowledge of the flora, fauna, and geography of the Espinhaço, to use throughout our Expedition. When the brush is thick and snakes abound, the sunlight is dimming and there are still long kilometers ahead, there’s no one on earth we’d rather have by our side.

Driver + Support Guide (Full-Time)

The eldest son of Diamantina’s most celebrated 4x4 dynasty, Xaxau, like his brother André, is adventure nobility without the pretension. In addition to being one of the region’s most seasoned mechanics & welders, he happens to be an expert rider of horses, motorcycles, and (lucky for us) old 4x4s. As our Expedition’s full-time support driver, we’ll hope not to see too much of Xaxau or “Gaucha” (our primary support vehicle) during our days on the trail, but it’s the moments when you don’t see him—when he’s driving parallel to our route—that puts our minds to ease. There aren’t many folks on earth we would trust with our lives. We trust Xaxau.

Driver + Support Guide (Full-Time)

A soft-spoken, big city-loving motorcycle enthusiast born into (decidedly small town) Diamantina’s most celebrated family of 4x4 mechanics, “Dezinho”, like his brother Xaxau, is adventure nobility without the pretension. He’s also a remarkable motorcycle pilot, as well as a devoted part-time P.E. teacher(!). As the official dirt bike support driver of our Expedition, we’ll hope to not see too much of André during our days on the trail, but it’s his constant, reassuring presence along the roads parallel to our route that allows us to push forwards with confidence. In the unlikely event of an emergency, there isn’t anyone we’d rather have close by.

Local Guide / Horseman / Mule Driver (Chapter I)

A local legend on par with the iconic mountain that towers above his remote abode, Santo has become synonymous with the spectacular crossing from Bica d’Agua to Rio Preto State Park. Stoic & hardened, yet soft-spoken & graceful, his backcountry skills are second to none (and his camp grub isn’t half-bad, either). There’s nothing on earth—let alone in the Espinhaço—like arriving at he & his wife, Dona Maria’s, beautiful, humble abode in paradisical Bica d’Agua after climbing (and descending) Itambé on Day 5. We’ll then trek (or ride) alongside him during Day 6 as we make our way to the region’s 2nd highest peak. If you see the man break a sweat, please let us know.

Local Guide (Chapter I)

On expeditions as in life, you should always seek to surround yourself with resilient, kind-hearted souls who have done it themselves and want to see you succeed. This is especially true when summiting foreign peaks, and when said souls have the kind of legs capable of powering up & down said peak 1,000+ times per year for two decades. Hailing from a family of Itambé guardians in nearby Capivarí, and now a full-time ranger in the State Park himself, it’s fair to say that Genésio knows Itambé better than anyone on earth. We’ll have the pleasure of walking alongside him on his home turf during Day 5 of our Expedition.

Local Guide (Chapter II)

One of the kindest, open-hearted souls we know, Barbosa grew up in a tiny quilombola community on the edge of civilization, where the lush Cerrado meets the river, the palms tower over once-diamond-rich sand banks, and money was (literally) unheard of. Today, he & his gracious wife, Lúcia, reside in nearby Inhaí, where they’re excited to receive the community’s first international visitors and share the incredible true stories of their upbringings. We’ll have the privilege of hearing those stories first-hand—both at their home in Inhaí on Day 10, and on Days 11 as we begin our ascent into Sempre Vivas.

Local Guide (Chapter II)

Few rivers on earth are at once as pristine, gorgeous, and little-known as the Inhacica Grande, and few know the “Inhacicão” or the flower-bearing campos above it as well as Gomercindo. Thoughtful & soft-spoken, yet famously adventurous & fun-loving, the former miner turned farmer has spent a lifetime on the river & its white sand banks, cultivating a symbiotic relationship with it in the process. His knowledge of the winding, overgrown eastern wildlands of Sempre Vivas is incredible… and so is his sense of humor. You’ll get to see for yourself on Days 11 & 12, as our Expedition heads into the wilderness.

Porter (Chapter II)

Esdra had never been to the flowery fields atop Sempre Vivas where his father, Gomercindo, spent summers as a child—nor had he ever hiked anywhere with a pack on—until he accompanied our Crew last-second as a porter in early 2024. He had his doubts as to whether he’d enjoy the experience (and rightfully so: how much fun does 48 hours of sweaty bushwhacking really sound to a 20-year-old?), and we had ours, too (how much weight can a rookie 20-year old really carry uphill though the wilderness?). Luckily, the experience was enlightening for all of us, and not only do we now have a new porter to help us trudge uphill on Days 11 & 12, but Esdra recently became one of the Park’s newest guides.

Porter (Chapter II)

In a remote, risk-averse farming community historically dominated by beans (with the occasional corn crop), Deraldo zagged and grew… broccoli? His successful harvests have not only improved the diets of elementary school children in nearby Diamantina, they’re disrupting long-held beliefs about the region’s agricultural potential. But Grade A broccoli isn’t the (only) reason that Deraldo is on our Crew—having grown up along the banks of the Inhacicão, he knows the eastern lands of Sempre Vivas NP like few do. We’ll trek alongside him as we journey into the high savannah hinterland on Days 11 & 12.

Local Guide (Chapter II)

The lone resident of a storied, abandoned ranch situated in one of the wildest stretches of Cerrado in Brazil—a full day’s trek through untamed brush from his closest neighbor—Levi has become something of a living legend among the folks living in the borderlands; the mere mention of his name eliciting reverence, sympathy, gossip, and outcry in short order. He is a man with stories to tell, and precious few visitors to tell them to. Spending time with him, and sharing the story of our own journey to his home, is a highlight of any trip to the region, and the stuff that lifelong memories are made of. A day with Levi is a day for the ages. We’ll have the privilege on Day 12.

Local Guide + Horseman (Chapter III)

There’s an undeniable energy born from living out one’s dream, and Tau beams it in spades. Born & raised in the impossibly quaint lowlands village of Curimataí, he spent decades as an entrepreneur in the big city rat race before finding his way back home. Today, he & his equally enterprising wife, Gilma, run our favorite pousada west of Sempre Vivas, where we’ll very happily find ourselves sleeping & dining on the evening of Day 13 (you’ll see what we mean when we get there). An avid outdoorsman & expert horseman, Tau will ride alongside those who choose to hoof it on the sun-kissed road to Santa Bárbara on Day 14.

Local Guide + Horseman (Chapter III)

Stoic, courageous, and eminently courteous, Alvimar is, in many ways, the embodiment of the idealized sertão man. A lifelong cowboy, he spent years fighting remote wildfires in Sempre Vivas, ascending & descending the Espinhaço’s rugged western escarpment and criss-crossing the Park’s little-known campos by foot & horse. Today, he wears a different hat, tending to livestock & crops on his small ranch north of Curimataí. His familiarity with the Park’s rugged western frontier and expert riding skills make him the man for the job when it comes to leading our Expedition into the lowlands on Days 12 & 13.

Local Guide + Horseman (Chapter III)

Confident, charismatic, and cool in a way that only a natural-born cowboy can be, Pê & his lovely wife, Nica, have been housing, feeding, and guiding our Crew since the early days of our explorations in the Espinhaço. Born & raised in tiny Santa Rita, on the windswept southern frontier of Sempre Vivas, Pê spent years leading firefighter crews in the Park before returning full-time to ranching, and is renown across the region for his riding—and driving—acumen. We’ll be relying on the former during our Expedition, as he leads us along the gorgeous labyrinth of trails & backroads around Cachoeira Santa Rita on Day 17.

Local Guide + Horseman (Chapter VI)

There are only 3 are residents left in Sempre Vivas National Park, and (as one might imagine) all are courageous, resilient, and remarkable. Of them, we humbly submit that Dorico may be the most sage. Hailing from the “nearby” (3-hour round-trip trek) flower-picking quilombola village of Macacos, he’s spent the past 30 years living alone in his rustic pau-a-pique home at the foot of Serra da Gamba. Warm-hearted & soft-spoken, with a striking lightness of being, he is completely, impossibly at home in a place & circumstance in which few other humans could fathom spending a single evening. We’ll have the privilege of riding alongside him during our crossing of the surreal Vale do Rio Preto on Day 18. It’s an experience to cherish.

Local Guide + Horseman (Chapter VI)

It is said that there are more former residents of Sao João da Chapada (pop. 2,000) living in a single suburb of Sao Paulo (pop. 22,000,000) than in Sao João itself, and we believe it. The creation of the Parks and subsequent prohibition of traditional ways of life—particularly, mining, hunting, and flower-picking—in their vicinity sent many able-bodied residents afar in search of jobs. All of which makes João’s decision to return to his life as a subsistence farmer in the Espinhaço so fascinating. Adventurous & well-traveled, considerate & wise, he’s a unique & compelling figure in the region, and wonderful company on the trail. Riding alongside of him & Dorico through the Vale do Rio Preto on Day 18 is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Local Guide (Chapter VI)

At first glance, Poliana makes for an unlikely Crew Member. Born & raised in the quilombola hamlet of Quarteis do Indaia, her most pressing duties have long included raising children and tending to crops. If there’s one thing that all of our Crew Members have in common, though, it’s a passion for bringing positive change to their communities, and in that light, Poliana couldn’t be any better suited for the job. She’s also bold. In 2023, after repeated fruitless efforts by our Crew to locate the historic trail leading from her hometown to neighboring São João, she shrugged, threw on a pair of flip-flops, and led us through the overgrown brush herself. You’ll have the pleasure of walking with her—and possibly an entourage of jubilant village kids—on the same trail on Day 19.

Support Driver (Full-Time)

A year abroad in Australia taught Michel—then a biology undergrad—the power of travel, and convinced him that his hometown of Diamantina deserved to be rediscovered by the world. Since then, he’s become one of the Espinhaço’s most renown photographers, documenting its storied history and sharing striking portraits in publications like The Guardian, National Geographic Brazil, and more. You’ll get to experience his passion for cultura mineira and the good life in the Espinhaço throughout our Expedition as he transports supplies & gear to our front-country accommodations.

Transfer Driver (Days 1 & 21)

When we meet at Tancredo Neves International Airport (the rendezvous point for all of our trips in the Espinhaço) on Day 1, you’ll be forgiven for thinking we’ve brought along a personal security detail. Towering, stoic, and probably wearing a sharp pair of aviator sunglasses, our Crew’s official overland Driver, Caio, was formerly a professional mixed martial artist in his hometown of Montes Claros. Now the proud owner of a local taxi service, he is exactly the kind of serious, enterprising, and (most relevantly) punctual individual that this city—er, our Crew—needs. We’ll have the pleasure of riding with Caio (in his vehicle) to & from the airport to bookend your trip.