Lapa do Sumidouro
Caves and art.
Thiago S. Silva — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mayra L. Carvalho Marques — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vivianefontenele77 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Ronaldo1jrb — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Rafael Rodrigues Camargo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Vivianefontenele77 — CC BY-SA 4.0
Sumidouro State Park was created on 4 January 1980 as the Sumidouro Valley Ecological Park, covering 2,004 hectares in the municipalities of Pedro Leopoldo and Lagoa Santa north of Belo Horizonte, and is considered the first cerrado park in Minas Gerais. Its best-known feature is the Lapa do Sumidouro, a cave area with 157 archaeological sites, 35 caves and rock paintings about four thousand years old; some have suffered from weathering and vandalism, so visits are banned at certain points. Otters, anteaters, wild cats and birds of prey live in the park. The park's temporary headquarters is the Casa Fernão Dias in the village of Quinta do Sumidouro, starting point for trails and guided visits to the caves and the lagoon. The area is part of the history of Brazilian archaeology, and booking guided visits ahead is advisable.
Caves and art.
Park base.
Savanna plants.
Pedro Leopoldo and Lagoa Santa, north of Belo Horizonte
Some on guided visits; other spots are closed to protect them.