Serra da Canastra: Casca d'Anta falls and cheese country

Serra da Canastra National Park covers 197,971.96 ha (about 1,980 km² or 764 sq mi) of Cerrado in western Minas Gerais. It protects the source of the São Francisco River, high grassland plateaus and dozens of waterfalls. Its four gates are open daily from 8:00 to 18:00, with last entry at 16:00, and ticket sales are suspended at the main gates. The Casca d’Anta waterfall drops about 186 m (610 ft) and is the headline sight.

Why go to Serra da Canastra

Canastra combines big open landscapes, waterfalls and some of Brazil’s most famous cheese. It is far less visited than the coast, and you can spend days on dirt roads with few other travelers.

The park was created on 3 April 1972. Its name comes from the shape of the main ridge, which looks like a canastra, a large chest. The plateau on top is covered in Cerrado grassland and rocky outcrops. Rivers fall off its edges in long cascades.

Wildlife is part of the draw. The open grassland makes animals easier to see than in forest. Visitors often spot giant anteaters, and the park is one of the best places in Brazil to look for the maned wolf, a long-legged wild canid of the Cerrado. Birdlife is rich, with seriemas, rheas and many raptors.

Around the park, family farms produce Queijo Canastra, a cured raw-milk cheese prized across Brazil.

Getting there

The park office is in São Roque de Minas, the nearest town to gate 1.

• From Belo Horizonte: São Roque de Minas is 320 km (199 mi) by road.
• From São Paulo: São Roque de Minas is 518 km (322 mi) by road.
• Other gates: gate 2 is by the district of São João Batista da Serra da Canastra, gate 3 is in Sacramento, and gate 4 is near São José do Barreiro and serves the foot of Casca d’Anta.

A car is the practical way to visit. Distances inside and around the park are long, and the attractions are spread out. Internal roads are unpaved, and many need a 4x4 in the rainy season. There are no fuel stations inside the park, so fill up in town. See car rental in Brazil for driving basics.

Without a car, take a bus from Belo Horizonte toward the gateway towns, then book a 4x4 tour with a local operator. Pousadas can usually connect you with authorized drivers and guides.

Check before you go: Bus routes to São Roque de Minas, Vargem Bonita and Delfinópolis change and often need a connection. Ask at the Belo Horizonte rodoviária or the municipal tourism offices for current departures.

When to go

Visits are spread through the year. They peak in January and July, the school-holiday months, and are lowest in May and June.

May to September is the dry season. Roads are safer, water is clearer and skies are blue, which suits hiking and wildlife spotting. Nights on the plateau are cold, so bring warm layers. October to April brings rain. Falls are fuller and more dramatic, but water turns muddy and some roads need a 4x4. Casca d’Anta gets direct sun only from November to March, which matters if you want photos.

Drone flights over watercourses are banned from May to August.

Where to base

There are three main bases.

São Roque de Minas has the most pousadas and restaurants. Vargem Bonita is smaller and quieter. Delfinópolis sits on the southern side of the range and suits travelers who want waterfalls more than the plateau. Capitólio, on the edge of the range near Furnas lake, is a separate destination known for canyons and boat trips.

Lodging is mostly pousadas and farm stays, with some campsites. Book early for January, July and long weekends.

What to do

Casca d’Anta from below. Enter through gate 4. A flat trail of about 3 km (1.9 mi) round trip leads to the base of the falls. Visitors with an authorized guide may enter from 7:10 to 17:00 and leave by 18:30. Without a guide, last entry is 16:00.

Casca d’Anta from above. The upper part is 26 km (16 mi) from gate 1, with a trail of about 300 m. Without a guide, you must be out of the attraction by 17:00 from gates 1 and 2. The trail linking the upper and lower parts is closed for now. The Poço Profundo area is closed indefinitely because of rockfall risk.

Nascente Histórica do Rio São Francisco. The historic source of the São Francisco River is about 5 km (3 mi) from gate 1. It is one of the park’s most visited sights. Be out by 17:30 if you entered at gate 1.

Cachoeira do Fundão. This waterfall is about 17 km (11 mi) from gate 2, with a trail of 1,800 m (1.1 mi). In a regular car you face a longer walk, while a 4x4 shortens it.

Wildlife drives. Drive the plateau road slowly in the early morning or late afternoon. Watch the grassland for anteaters, deer and, with luck, a maned wolf. Bring binoculars.

Cheese. The seven municipalities of the Canastra cheese indication are Piumhi, Vargem Bonita, São Roque de Minas, Medeiros, Bambuí, Tapiraí and Delfinópolis. The geographical indication was granted on 13 March 2012. The cheese is made from raw whole cow’s milk with natural starter, rennet and salt. Each one is about 15 to 17 cm across and weighs 1.0 to 1.2 kg. The producers’ association, APROCAN, is based in Medeiros.

UNESCO inscribed the traditional ways of making artisan Minas cheese in 2024. Small rural producers, mostly family operations, pass the knowledge on orally. Treat a farm visit as a visit to a family business. Buy cheese, ask before you photograph people, and keep to the paths.

The state’s Canastra cheese route links about 800 producers, who make more than 6,000 tonnes of cheese a year. Curing time varies by farm and by style, from about two weeks to several weeks, so ask each farm what you are tasting. See comida mineira.

Complexo Paraíso, Delfinópolis. This waterfall complex has its own rules. It is open daily from 8:00 to 18:00 with entry until 16:00, and it may close on Mondays or Tuesdays for maintenance, except on holidays. It is the one park area that sells tickets. Cachoeira Grinaldinha, near the road to Canteiros, is closed for now.

Park rules

• Do not leave trails or step on native vegetation.
• Bring all your trash out. There are no bins at attractions.
• Grills, stoves and gas cylinders are not allowed in visitation areas.
• The speed limit on MG-341 is 40 km/h (25 mph), or 30 km/h (19 mph) during special hours, and 10 km/h (6 mph) at the lower part of Casca d’Anta.
• Do not feed or approach wildlife.

Costs

ICMBio publishes lists of authorized guides and vehicles on the park page. Waterfalls outside the park sit on private land and set their own fees, which can change. Cachoeira da Chinela opens 9:30 to 16:30 and is 7 km (4 mi) from Vargem Bonita.

Check before you go: Ask the park office (parnacanastra@icmbio.gov.br) for the current Complexo Paraíso ticket price, and agree guide and farm-visit prices in advance.

For national-park fees elsewhere, see Brazil national parks fees.

Practical tips

• Allow at least three days. Distances are long, and roads are slow.
• Carry cash. Small towns and farms may not take cards.
• Bring water, snacks, sunscreen and a hat. There is little shade on the plateau.
• Download offline maps. Phone signal is weak inside the park.
• Pack warm clothes for the dry-season nights.

Skip it if

• You have no car and no budget for a 4x4 tour. Public transport to the gates is limited, and distances inside the park are long.
• You want a short stop. Travel from Belo Horizonte is 320 km (199 mi) one way, so a day trip is not realistic.
• You visit in January or July and want a quiet park. Those are the peak months.
• You dislike dust and dirt roads. Most driving here is unpaved.

For a base with more sights, pair this trip with Tiradentes and the Estrada Real or read the Minas Gerais hub.