Serra da Canastra brings the source of the São Francisco River – 06/28/2023 – Tourism

From the balcony of the inn’s bungalow, it is possible to see, five meters away, schools of fish gliding through the clear and transparent waters of a small greenish stream. It is the São Francisco river, still young Chico, born in the heights of Serra da Canastra, about 40 km away.

We are in Vargem Bonita, a welcoming city in Minas Gerais, one of the first to be embraced by São Francisco. Along its 2,800 kilometer journey, the river will pass through around 500 cities in five Brazilian states before meeting the salt waters of the Atlantic Ocean, dividing the borders of Sergipe and Alagoas.

Called the “river of national integration”, the São Francisco awakens devotion both in Minas Gerais and in the Northeast, a region that earned it the affectionate nickname of Velho Chico.

In order for the river to be as clean as that in Vargem Bonita, the municipality first had to free itself from the dominion of mining, dominant in those lands in the 1930s.

Bruno Vilela Goulart, 36, is the owner of Pousada Vale dos Diamantes, located on the banks of young Chico. His father, a constant presence at the inn, from the arrival of the last guest, at night, to the preparation of the delicious Canastra cheese, served at breakfast, was once a prospector.

Goulart’s uncle also worked in the trade, as did his grandfather, who went as far as prospecting, but soon moved into commerce, which flourished in the region along with the discovery of diamonds.

After all, recalls the businessman, the city was home to 30,000 people around the exploration of stones. At that time, it was common for outsiders to carry their belongings inside leather suitcases, called canasta, the name given to the mountain precisely because of this format.

When mining was banned, Vargem Bonita appealed to agriculture, which is still present. For the time being, the expectation is to see tourism sprout as an economic source and for the preservation of nature. Young Chico, who we see running around today, only got clean, in fact, from 1995 onwards.

Currently with just over 2,000 inhabitants, the city already has a modest hotel offer. It lacks, above all, gastronomic options. The advantage is that it offers access to two of the four entrances to the Serra da Canastra National Park, the main one leading to the Casca D’Anta waterfall, 186 meters high, the star of the place.

Departing from Vargem Bonita, we pass by dairies that make the famous Canasta cheese, produced for over 200 years in that dirt-paved territory, until we arrive at entrance 4 of the park.

There are 22 km along a dirt road, passable even by common vehicles, without four-wheel drive, to reach the entrance to the park that gives access to the lower part of the waterfall. From there, the route must be done on foot. It’s about a 20-minute walk on a light trail, even for children.

It is up to the parents to pay special attention to the sections with stones. These are generally slippery, even on warm sunny winter days, because of splashing water blown by the wind.

The other entrance, number 1, is closer to the neighboring city, São Roque de Minas. It takes you to the well where the historic source of the São Francisco River flows and to the upper part of the Casca d’Anta waterfall, in routes of 12 km and 34 km, respectively, calculates guide Patric Oliveira, 32, from Canastra Extremo.

It is worth noting that there is a park gate in Sacramento, and a visitation area controlled by ICMBio, in Delfinópolis. Capitólio and São João Batista do Glória, other cities in Minas Gerais, also have part of their municipalities within the limits of the national park, but they still do not have visitation spaces controlled by the institute, only private ones.

With an area of ​​approximately 2,000 square kilometers (an area larger than the city of São Paulo), the park is located in the fragile and degraded cerrado biome. In it, it is possible to observe different types of formation such as savannas, fields and forests.

The Serra da Canastra National Park covers the watersheds of the São Francisco, Grande and Paranaíba rivers, in addition to being a refuge for endangered animals, such as the maned wolf, the giant anteater and the Brazilian Merganser.

The only fishing duck in South America, the grebe is a critically endangered species. Currently, it only exists in Brazil, and the Serra da Canastra is the territory where the most expressive population is found and also the most studied.

On the way to the historical source of the most famous river in the country, the journey is made in 4×4 SUVs, with stops to contemplate the view of the mountains.

At the top of Canastra, the Curral de Pedras, built manually, stone by stone, was used to contain cattle during the overnight stay of the tropeiros. This resting place is about 5 km from the historic source of the river, in an environment surrounded by cerrado trees, full of birds. There, there is also a chance of seeing mammals, such as the pampas deer.

Under the shadow, a break for regenerative tourism lovers to reflect on the importance of maintaining a park like that.

One of the greatest specialists in the fauna of the Serra da Canastra, biologist Sávio Freire Bruno, 62, explains: “The richness of animals contributes to tourism, consolidating the principle of conserving nature, which is essential for socioeconomic development.”

He continues: “In addition to contributing to the maintenance of ecosystems, it is a great example of an attitude focused on sustainable development”. To get an idea of ​​all this biodiversity, the biologist explains that 38 species of mammals weighing 2 kg or more have already been cataloged (in the entire cerrado, the total recorded so far is 46), and more than 400 bird species.

With a red crest, the rest of its body covered in black feathers, a little soldier makes his song echo through the riparian forest of young Chico. It is possible to see it when it goes down to the edge of the Rio Clarinho to quench its thirst, enhancing the bright colors of this species, also known as the King Tanager.

At the end of the afternoon, with the sun rehearsing its farewell, you can see the image of the bird reflected in the still calm and clear waters of the historic river.

Back in the cramped village, when the insect orchestra begins to play and the dogs fall silent, it’s time to retire after the nine bells of the central church. As the miners there like to say, the nights are short, the days are long, to be graced without haste.

For those looking for an immersion in water, stone, bushes and animals in this set of natural landscapes —and, come on, a bit of prose—, Serra da Canastra is a haven of serenity.