Mounted stone
Striking balance.
Leandro da Fonseca — Public domain · Thiago A. from Brazil — CC BY 2.0 · Leandro da Fonseca — Public domain · Leandro da Fonseca — Public domain · Thiago A. from Brazil — CC BY 2.0 · nardo73 — CC BY-SA 2.0 · nardo73 — CC BY-SA 2.0
Pedra Montada Municipal Park in the town of Guararema, in the Paraíba Valley between São Paulo and São José dos Campos, is known for its «Mounted Stone», a curious pair of stacked boulders on a hillside. The upper one is about six metres long, three wide and two and a half high, and weighs roughly fifty tonnes. The lower stone is partly buried and is estimated at seven metres long. Because the two touch over only a small surface, visitors feel the top one could fall at any moment. Some compare it to megaliths around the world, but nothing certain is known about the origin of the stones. The park holds about fifty other huge boulders, the largest over ten metres long and weighing around ninety tonnes. A short climb up the trail leads to the Pedra do Tubarão, a rock shaped like a shark, with a view over the winding, greenish waters of the Paraíba do Sul River valley. It is a short outing that pairs well with central Guararema.
Striking balance.
Odd shape.
River view.
Guararema, Paraíba Valley, São Paulo state
Nothing certain is known about the stones' origin, though some compare them to ancient megaliths.