The Secret Mecca
AN Introduction to Trekking, Riding, and Overlanding in The Serra do Espinhaço
Trekking, Riding & Overlanding with Gift of Go
In our minds, there’s no better way to immerse deeply in the nature, culture, or history of a place than by traveling slowly through it, and in the Serra do Espinhaço, this means there’s often no better—or healthier—way of traveling slowly than with our own two feet.
We divide the Serra do Espinhaço into 4 distinct Circuits, which you can explore in detail on this page, below. In the meantime, here are the important (non-fine print) bits to know about trekking, horseback riding, and overlanding with us:
- Each & every one of our private treks is custom-built for the travelers who come with us;
- All are intended to be as all-inclusive as possible from the moment you touch down in Belo Horizonte (the capital of Minas Gerais, and the rendezvous point for all of our trips in the Espinhaço) until your departure, meaning all ground transportation, accommodations, meals, safety & rescue contingencies, and crew members are included;
- Most of our treks include at least portions of our Serra Circuit, with longer treks incorporating additional Circuits as time allows;
- All of our trips require a minimum length of 10 days on the ground in order to encourage a baseline of immersion. There is no maximum number of days for a trip;
- We craft & guide a limited number of private trips each year, on select dates from April 1st to September 31st. We also offer a handful of small group (max. 8 travelers) Expeditions, including various treks, which you can see here.
If you’d like to come do a trip with us, send us a message and we can set aside your date & begin your application asap.
It’s as simple as that.
Trekking in the Jequitinhonha River Valley
Trekking
Getting from Point A to Point B has always been an adventure in the Serra do Espinhaço, and nowhere is this more evident than along the region’s spectacular—and viturally empty—network of historic trails. While urban footpaths, game trails, sparsely used dirt roads, former railways, and newly created interpretive trails abound, 3 types of trails continue to predominate the backcountry: 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; more on them in a bit) during expeditions across the Cerrado in the 19th century.
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.
Horseback Riding
Festive cowtowns, mystical railway settlements, and far-flung single-family outposts. Ice-cold cervejas & oasis-like hot spring resorts. Legendary waterfalls. Legendary hospitality. And miles (& miles) of open dirt road.
The water-blessed lowlands that border the western escarpment of the Espinhaço, and the agrarian communities that inhabit them, lend themselves to a meditative, pilgrimatic style of trekking. Expect long days, festive nights, and an overwhelming feeling of peace, warmth, and joy.
Overlanding
As much as we love trekking & riding, sometimes you just need more torque (and/or a bit of “comfort”). This is especially true during shorter trips, when time is of the essence but the list of things to experience is long.
