Created in 2000 and certified in 2006, the Tourist Circuit Serras de Ibitipoca (opens in new window – in portuguese), comprises the Serra da Mantiqueira region where the Ibitipoca State Park (opens in new window – in portuguese), Serra Negra da Mantiqueira State Park (opens in new window – in portuguese), Boqueirão da Mira APA (opens in new window – in portuguese), Alto Rio Grande Plateau, Rio Preto Valley and Rio do Peixe Valley are located.
Currently the circuit covers the municipalities of Rio Preto, Lima Duarte, Bias Fortes, Santana do Garambéu, Santa Rita de Ibitipoca, Olaria, Santa Rita de Jacutinga, Arantina and Bom Jardim de Minas. Among these cities, Lima Duarte has a greater importance for having a greater variety of hotels, inns, restaurants, in addition to having a more consolidated structure in relation to tourism and the presence of two state parks in its territory: the Ibitipoca State Park and the Serra Negra da Mantiqueira State Park.
The Serras de Ibitipoca Circuit is privileged for its natural beauty that provides unforgettable landscapes. It is a perfect place for contemplation, adventure, rest and beautiful photographs. The entire region that makes up the circuit is full of attractions that provide contact with nature and history, providing visitors with a unique opportunity to enjoy trekking, mountaineering, caving adventures, mountain biking and canoeing. Like any good mining region, the Serras de Ibitipoca Circuit offers authentic cuisine, history, talented artisans, and traditional religious festivals, and music festivals (Blues, Jazz, Forró).
Janela do Céu – photo by O Turisteiro View from Ibitipoca – photo by Inova Rumos
One of the main attractions of the Circuit is the Ibitipoca State Park, which concentrates great biodiversity and unique natural attractions. In the park, there are three different circuits, where the visitor can make his “journey” to discover the attractions. The first and easiest to access is the Water Circuit (opens in new window – in portuguese) (Circuito das Águas). Along the trail there are lookouts that were installed as a way to promote safety and comfort to the visitor, enabling a better experience, in addition to caves, several waterfalls and lakes. The circuit is about 5 km long with medium to low degree of difficulty, depending on the attraction and the physical conditions of the visitor.
Pião Circuit (Circuito do Pião) has a medium degree of difficulty, as it is a long circuit, with many steeps. This circuit is approximately 10 km long and can be visited together with the Janela do Céu Circuit (Circuito da Janela do Céu). The biggest attraction of this circuit is precisely Pico do Pião (Pião’s Peak). With 1720 meters of altitude, visitors will be able to have a beautiful view of the region and contemplate the Minas Gerais’s sea of mountains.
Finally, we have the Janela do Céu Circuit (opens in new window – portuguese) that has a higher degree of difficulty because it is the longest in the park, totaling a 16-kilometer route. This circuit, in addition to having Janela do Céu, which is one of the most sought-after attractions in the park, has several caves and Lombada, the highest point in the park at 1784 meters.
A curiosity of the Serras de Ibitipoca Circuit is that in 2016, it held Volta das Transições (opens in new window – in portuguese), the 1st cycling tour in the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais. Volta das Transições is divided into 7 stages, over a 400km extension , covering 10 cities in total. The complete itinerary can be covered in several modalities in addition to the activity of bicycle tourism and started at the stage of your preference. In addition, the tourist can purchase a passport that, upon completion of a stage, is stamped. After finishing all of them, he gets a certificate of completion.