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 a National Park, multiple State Parks, and Municipal Parks, and other reserves) 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, outdoor sports, and (let’s just say it) life itself, this is the stuff of dreams.

It’s difficult to overstate just how rich the Espinhaço is in terms of biodiversity. The range accounts for less than 1% of Brazil’s national territory, yet is thought to contain over 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. 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 18th century naturalists (including Richard Francis Burton & Augustin Saint-Hilaire).

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. We’ll cross paths with at least 18 (and as many as 26, time allowing) named falls during our Expedition, from soothing cascades to show-stopping masterpieces, and everything in between. “Ice-cold” has never felt so good.

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.

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 (on Day 3) is one of the most satisfying & memorable moments of our journey, as is the golden hour descent. And then there’s the wild night hike that follows…

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.

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’ll visit.

As if good company, unique accommodations, and home-cooked meals weren’t reason enough to embrace the experience, the knowledge that our visits provide precious income opportunities for 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, makes each homestay feel even more special.

We’ll be staying in an incredibly diverse array of fun & memorable places during our Expedition, from historic inns and fancy resorts, to picturesque mountain refuges and pristine wilderness campsites. We’re willing to bet that it will be the homestays that cross your mind daily years from now.

So much about Sempre Vivas is about the journey, the feeling, and the remoteness. It’s fitting then, that even the journey to get there—in our case, a 2-hour jeep ride along dusty backroads, followed by a brisk 5-km hike through gorgeous groves of buriti palms, and a jon boat ride up one of the Jequitinonha River’s most pristine tributaries—is spectacular.

While there are multiple points of entry (and no official entrance) to the Park, none is more dramatic than the Inhacica Grande River, whose nutrient-rich waters & powder-sand 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 just the starting point for perhaps the most epic stretch of our expedition: a 48-hour crossing of Sempre Vivas.

We’ll be sleeping underneath the stars tonight, on soft white sand, next to the fire. Welcome to Chapter II.

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 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 the Expedition, we’ll be about an 8-hour bushwhack away from the next closest human.

The ranch house (not pictured) could use a good cleaning, but we think it’s best appreciated in its natural state. You’ll have a chance to see it for yourself on Day 8. If you’ve never bathed in a horse trough, now’s your chance.

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) old middle-class homes? A bonafide oasis (replete with hot 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 we’ll be grateful to have the time to do so on the evening of Day 9 and the morning of Day 10.

Pousadas & charming homestays connect us to 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, & gently rolling streams, but we gladly settle for the silence of the mountains. With 2 evenings of wilderness camping (and 2 other tent nights in wilderness refuges) on the itinerary, 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’ll spend 2 glorious days (Days 4 & 5) traversing the Park, from its hauntingly beautiful & little-visited southern reaches to its spectacular, water-blessed north, passing along sweeping canyons, steep escarpments, fast-moving rivers, 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 for an epic Chapter I.

If you’ve ever dreamed of steadying a sturdy steed through the brush, rivers, and rocky mountain passes of the Brazilian hinterlands, Days 4, 8, and 9 are your chance: our epic traverses across the steep & spectacular Mato dos Crioulos region (Day 4) and the enchanting Vale do Rio Preto (Days 11 & 12) can be done on ither foot or horseback.

Prefer to gallop? Chapter III beckons, with back-to-back days (Days 8 & 9) 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 often surreal backroads of the Serra do Espinhaço, where washboarded dirt roads, jagged rocks, seasonal marshes, harrowing craters, and white sand trails 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 known for its backcountry prowess as it is its rough ride and good looks.

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

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.

Even in a region chock-full of charming colonial-era towns, São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras manages to feel special. Serro’s largest district is rustic, yet elegant; simple, yet mysterious; with a tranquility that lends itself to restful healing and a vibrance that beckons further exploration. There is magic in the air here, and its residents know it.

There are dozens of amazing settings to choose from when it comes to selecting the first evening of our Expedition. None bring us into the enchantment of the Espinhaço quicker than São Gonçalo.

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.

We’ll have the privilege of walking part of the Caminho on Day 13 to conclude our trek. It’s difficult to imagine a more profound or perfect way to end any journey in this part of the world.

Twin peaks, attached at the hip, tower over the wind-swept high plateau at the southern edge of Rio Preto State Park, diving the Black and Araçuai 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, but (unlike arduous Itambé) a pleasure to summit, with a long and gradual approach giving way to a refreshingly short ascent and a stunning 360-degree view that more than makes up for the effort. If our timing is right, you’ll have the chance to take it all in during Golden Hour on Day 5.

Nestled tightly against the water-flowing (& water-falling) western edge of the Espinhaço, snuggled gracefully between deep & gentle river bends, unassuming Curimataí (pop. 1,500) is the kind of Place that calls little attention on the itinerary, but lingers on the mind endlessly afterward as a feeling of peace, warmth, and tranquility. And after 48 hours in the harsh conditions of Sempre Vivas, we’ll sop up all of the low-key goodness that we can: soft pillows; full bellies (oh, the meals!); cold, flowing beverages; and a bit of conversation. In the morning, we’ll saddle up (literally) for the long & dusty road ahead.

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 like it.

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.

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’ll have the immense privilege of catching a Vesperata on the evening of Day 13. Prepare yourself for an unforgettable evening of Beatles, samba & bossa nova, Musica Popular Brasileira (MPB), and sing-along wedding rock tunes. There literally isn’t a party on earth where we’d rather celebrate the final night of our Expedition.