Lagoa Dom Helvécio
Largest lake.
Rio Doce State Park lies in the Vale do Aço region of Minas Gerais, some 248 kilometres from Belo Horizonte, across Marliéria, Dionísio and Timóteo. It protects 35,970 hectares, one of the largest remnants of Atlantic Forest in the state. The Doce River forms its eastern boundary and its tributary the Piracicaba its northern edge. The park holds part of Brazil's third-largest lake system after the Amazon and the Pantanal: about forty natural lagoons, the largest being Lagoa Dom Helvécio, 6.7 square kilometres in area and up to 32.5 metres deep, rich in native fish. The Archbishop of Mariana first proposed the park in the 1930s, and it was created on 14 July 1944 as the first state-level reserve in Minas Gerais; tourist facilities followed in the 1970s. Visitors come for forest walks and outings around the lakes; check opening times and available activities before going.
Largest lake.
Large remnant.
Park boundary.
Marliéria, Dionísio and Timóteo, Vale do Aço, Minas Gerais
One of Brazil's largest natural lake systems set in Atlantic Forest.