Caminho dos Escravos

A stone-paved colonial trail built by enslaved workers through the cerrado

The Caminho dos Escravos is a 13 km stone-paved trail built in the 18th century to connect Diamantina with the surrounding diamond districts. The original paving — large irregular stones fitted together by hand — survives over long stretches, and walking it gives an immediate physical sense of the labour involved in the colonial economy that created Diamantina's wealth.

The trail passes through cerrado vegetation — the dry scrubland of the central Brazilian plateau — with good views across the Serra do Espinhaço range. It makes a fine half-day walk from the town; guides are available locally and are worth taking for the historical context. The trailhead can be reached on foot from the historic centre.

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A story
The Caminho dos Escravos (Slave Road) was built in the 18th century to move diamonds and other goods between Diamantina and the Serra do Espinhaço towns. Every stone in the path was hand-laid by enslaved workers under conditions of extreme hardship. The road remained in use until better routes were opened in the 19th century. The name by which it is known today was given to it in the 20th century as a deliberate act of historical memory.

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