Southern Piauí in Brazil

Oeiras

The old capital of Piauí, 320 km from Teresina, is a pretty colonial treasure almost completely unknown to most Brazilians - let alone international tourists. The state government is restoring some of the colonial buildings, such as the bishop's palace and the church of Nossa Senhora da Vitória. There are some impressive celebrations during holy week, including a huge fireworks display and costumed parade on Maundy Thursday, serenaded by local mandolin players.

Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara

About 500 km south of Teresina is this 130,000-ha park, on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Some 30,000 prehistoric rock paintings on limestone have been found, dating from between 6000 and 12,000 years ago. The paintings are of daily life, festivities and celebrations, as well as hunting and sex scenes. Excavations by Brazilian and French archaeologists have uncovered fossilized remains of extinct animals such as the sabre- toothed tiger, giant sloths larger than elephants and armadillos the size of a car.

Nearly 400 archaeological sites have been identified in the park since research began in 1970. About 22 of them have been set up to receive tourists. Roads and all-weather paths allow visitors to view the sites with ease. Specially trained guides are available. The area is good for hiking in the

caatinga

, with its canyons and mesas. It is also possible to see much of the

caatinga

wildlife, in particular the birds.

Much investment has gone into the park, not just for visitors' facilities, but also to

educate the local population about protecting the paintings and to establish a bee-keeping

project to provide income in times of drought.

São Raimundo Nonato

São Raimundo Nonato is best known as the administration centre and access point for the Parque Nacional Serra Da Capivara. The Fundação Museu do Homem Americano (Fundham), www.fumdam.org.br, has a fascinating collection of artefacts found in the serra. These are well displayed, though the information in English is poor. In September, the city hosts the Festival Internacional Serra da Capivara with music, theatre and parades.

There are bus connections with Teresina (a bumpy 540-km journey) and Petrolina in Pernambuco (300 km away).

Parque Nacional Serra dos Confusões

The largest and most remote national park in northeastern Brazil covers over 5000 sq km of rugged weather-beaten sandstone escarpments and towering crags surrounded by

cerrado

and

caatinga

forests. Like the Serra da Capivara to the north, its canyons and caves are covered in rock art. The park is replete with rare and endangered wildlife - particularly birds. Species include puma, jaguar, pampas deer, red-handed howler monkey yellow-legged tinamou and black-fronted piping-guan,

The park is 640 km south of Teresina. There is currently no administration or infra- structure. Although it is not officially open to tourism, visits are possible. Guides can be organized in the nearby

sertão

town of Caracol.

Parque Nacional das Nascentes do Parnaíba and hyacinth site

This huge 733,162-ha park in the far south of Piauí, straddling the border with Tocantins, Maranhão and Bahia, preserves pristine areas of

cerrado

and

caatinga

forest. Ochre table- top mountains covered in waterfalls form part of the ancient rocks of the Brazilian shield. The wildlife is exuberant, including more than 60 mammal species and 211 birds - many of them endemic or endangered.

In the far southwest of the park, 20 km from

São Gonçalo do Piauí

, is the best place in the world for seeing the very rare

hyacinth macaw

. The hyacinth site is on private land in a region of

cerrado

with red sandstone cliffs where the macaws nest. An illegal bird trade used to flourish in the area, but local people now guard the site, which is supported by the

Kaytee Avian Foundation

and others. Many other

cerrado

birds may be seen, together with black-and-gold howlers and, less commonly, maned wolves and giant anteaters.

Accommodation is in very simple huts with mosquito nets, sand floors and shared bathrooms. Meals are served at the site. Access is via the airport at

Barreiras

in western Bahia, 340 km south, and a five- to six-hour drive. Currently tours are only possible through

Focus Tours

, www.focustours.com.

This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF

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