The Serra do Cipó is a national park in the southern Espinhaço mountains, about a hundred kilometres north-east of Belo Horizonte, and the city's favourite weekend escape. It protects campos rupestres — high rocky grasslands with an extraordinary number of plants found nowhere else, including many species of the everlasting flowers called sempre-vivas — cut through by rivers, canyons and waterfalls.
The main walks start at the park entrance near the village of Cardeal Mota. The Cachoeira da Farofa, a tall waterfall at the end of a long, flat trail, and the Cânion das Bandeirinhas, a narrow gorge with pools, are the classics; both can be done on foot or by bike. Outside the park, the Cachoeira Grande and the Véu da Noiva are easy swims.
Cardeal Mota itself is a strip of pousadas and restaurants along the road. It is busy on weekends with Belo Horizonte families and quiet midweek. The dry season, April to September, is best for walking.