Trilha do Carteiro
Wide views.
Moronifilho — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Eduardo Vieira Neto — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pedroluand — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Eduardo Vieira Neto — CC BY-SA 3.0
The Serra de São José is the long quartzite ridge rising behind Tiradentes, running north-east to south-west like a natural wall between the basins of the Rio das Mortes and the Carandaí and reaching about 1,300 to 1,430 metres. It mixes Atlantic Forest and Cerrado: woods in the valleys, and rocky high fields on top where many plants grow nowhere else. Gold was mined on its slopes in the 18th century, and stretches of old stone paving, known locally as the Calçada dos Escravos (Slaves' Causeway), still cross parts of the range. Its trails include the Trilha do Carteiro, an old mail route with wide views, and the easy Trilha da Biquinha close to town. The range is protected by an environmental area and a wildlife refuge of about 3,700 hectares created in 2004, famous for its dragonflies: about half of all species known in Minas Gerais live here.
Wide views.
Old stone paving.
Rare plants.
Behind the town of Tiradentes, Minas Gerais
Yes, the short Trilha da Biquinha near town; the Trilha do Carteiro is longer, with wide views.