Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó in Brazil

www.ibama.gov.br

The Serra do Cipó, 100 km northeast of Belo Horizonte, protects 33,400 sq km of important

and gallery forest, which provide a home for ultra-rare bird species like

and grey-backed tachuri. Endangered mammals are also found here, including one of the more wimpy carnivores, the maned wolf, looking like a giant fox with overly long legs, which hunts small grassland rodents with its feet. There are also masked titi and brown capuchin monkeys and a number of endemic carnivorous plants. The walks that cut through the park pass through some of the most beautiful rugged grassland country in the state, leading to waterfalls and strands of tropical forest.

At least eight buses daily run from Belo Horizonte along the MG-010 to Serra do Cipó town. There are

all along the MG-010 and the bus will stop at them on request. The road through the park has been newly paved and runs through Conceição do Mato Dentro (36 km) and Serro (99 km) and on to Diamantina.

can organize guides for

the park. There is excellent walking and many trails. For tourist information see the websites: www.guiaserradocipo.com.br, www.serradocipoturismo.com.br and www.serra

docipo.com, all of which have details of tour operator and accommodation.