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Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara
Serra da Capivara National Park
São Raimundo Nonato, Piauí

15 July 2003

Serra da Capivara National Park:
Information for Visitors

A casual journal of my last visit to Serra da Capivara National Park is in the Brazil Journal section of Rock Art of the Americas. I mention a few of the quirks visitors might experience. If you have traveled in Brazil, you probably know that the roads can be a bit unpredictable and English is not a widely spoken language in the interior. The prices here are estimates, and are obviously at the mercy of economic fluctuations.

From major cities like São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Recife, and Belo Horizonte, you can get a Varig or Nordeste airlines flight to Petrolina, Pernambuco (airport code: PNZ). In the Petrolina Airport, FUMDHAM (Fundação Museu do Homem Americano) has a little information booth / gift shop. If you have made arrangements with FUMDHAM (see below) you might find someone waiting for you at the airport. They will help you arrange transportation to the park, and would probably call the hotel and re-confirm your arrangements.

From the airport, take a taxi to the rodoviária (bus station). From Petrolina, take a bus (ônibus) to São Raimundo Nonato, in the state of Piauí (US$15 or less). It is only 300 kilometers. A taxi will take you from the bus to the hotel of your choice. I try to take the bus as much as possible. From Salvador, Bahia, it is an all-day ride to Petrolina and from there (usually the next day) only a six hour ride to São Raimundo Nonato in Piauí.

I highly recommend the Hotel Serra da Capivara (info below). There is another hotel which is very inexpensive. Again, I say a few things about the Hotel Serra da Capivara in the Brazil Journal. Every arrangement you will need to make for visiting the park can be taken care of at the hotel. The rooms are great. The food is EXCELLENT! The rooms run about US$40 /day for a single. A large tasty breakfast is included. The dinners are multi-course delights and run around US$15. It is only a 1.5 km walk back into town where there are a few launchonettes, restaurantes and bars. If you do not eat meat, please excuse (or skip) the next suggestion: ask around for the man who cooks the best "bode" (goat) in town. He serves an all-you-can-eat meal most nights that is super!

There are three primary requirements for touring the park and the rock art:

1) IBAMA Authorization (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis). A simple form to fill out, and a very inexpensive charge (R$3 for the entire duration of your stay). Researchers are required to get prior approval to conduct work in the park, but the archaeological sites (hence the rock art) are under the direct authority of FUMDHAM. Visitors don't need to do anything else but register with IBAMA at the Hotel Serra da Capivara. Your "papers" will be held by your daily guide and presented at the park entrances. These folks are very serious about protecting their resources!

2) GUIDE: Guides are mandatory and charge R$25 a day. If you arrive in town at the same time as other tourists you may all be grouped together. Some bi-lingual guides are available— ask well in advance. Guides for research visits to remote regions of the park require special arrangements through FUMDHAM and IBAMA.

3) VEHICLE: If you do not have your own car, you will need to hire a driver. I paid between R$30 and R$100 a day for drivers (based on kilometers traveled). The park roads along the primary tourist circuits are in fairly good condition. A passenger car with moderate tires and clearance will suffice. The roads on the northern circuit (through the abandoned hamlet of Zabelé) can get rather thick with sand or loose gravel, and some require a pick-up truck with good traction. All travel through the remote Serra Branca and Serra do Gongo regions requires a good truck (4-wd strongly recommended) and special written permission from FUMDHAM and IBAMA.

Everybody is treated basically as an eco-tourist upon arrival as far as park tours are concerned. There is a four day "package" of tours that will basically give you a thorough introduction to the rock art, archaeology and natural resources (emphasis on rock art, several sites a day). A couple of hikes do not include rock art, and it is your decision if a vigorous climb is worth nothing more than a beautiful vista (for me it was).

Some climbs are rugged, and there are signs warning those with heart problems or vertigo to reconsider the trail. There are a lot of Africanized ("killer") bees in the park (make sure you try the honey) and you will meet them (especially in the dry season, May-September). The locals know how to deal with them, but if you have a serious allergy make sure you come prepared! The trick is to ignore them and never swat or act aggressive if they land on you. They are only looking for water (perspiration) and they soon "think you are a dog," as the guides say, and leave you alone.

Pedra Furada is the highlight of the four day package. If you ask for other open sites, arrangements can be made. You could probably organize your own itinerary if you were the only one(s) in the group. The Museu do Homem Americano is included in the standard tour.

If you would like to know a little more about Pedra Furada, see the online bibliography I provide.

The contact information below was taken from the web and from the arrangements I have made in the past. I'm not 100% positive that all the numbers are still the same.



Contact Information:


Parque Nacional da Serra da Capivara
Caixa Postal 21
São Raimundo Nonato - Piauí
CEP: 64770

Hours: 6:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Tours: Trilhas da Capivara
ph: (86) 582-1798
trilhascapivara@uol.com.br

Trails:
Desfiladeiro da Capivara
Veadinhos Azuis
Boqueirão do Paraguaio
Baixão da Pedra Furada
Alto da Pedra Furada

Alto dos Canoas e Caldeirão do

...
Rodrigues
Sitio do Meio
Baixão das Mulheres
Caldeirão do Boi
Baixão do Perna
Sport Circuits (strenuous):
Baixão da Barriguda, Pedra Preta &

...
Jurubeba
Caldeirão do Rodrigues
Serrinha, Pitombi, Perigoso &

...
Caldeirão do Boi



Museum Hours: Tue-Fri 9:00-16:00, Sat & Sun 9:00-17:00
Fundação Museu do Homem Americano
Centro Cultural Sérgio Mota
Bairro Campestre
Rua Abdias Neves, 551 — Centro
São Raimundo Nonato, PI, BR
CEP: 64770-000
ph: (86) 582-1612; Recife: (81) 326-7189
fax: 582-1656; Recife: 325-2014


Hotel Pousada Serra da Capivara
Rodovia PI 140, Bairro Santa Luzia
São Raimundo Nonato - Piauí
CEP: 64770
phone/fax: (86) 582-1389
18 rooms, air conditioning, mini-fridge (frigobar),
excellent restaurant: Umbuzeiros, credit cards: all

Camping: Sitio do Mocó
ph: (86) 582-1100




Selected Serra da Capivara Links:


FUMDHAM - Fundação Museu do Homem Americano
http://www.fumdham.com.br

IBAMA: Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis
http://www.ibama.gov.br

IPHAN - Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional
http://www.iphan.gov.br

IPHAN: Serra da Capivara
http://www.iphan.gov.br/bens/Mundial/p9.htm

CNPq - Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico: Serra da Capivara
http://www.cnpq.br/areas/pronex/resumos/humanas/069_98.htm

Instituto Socioambiental
http://www.socioambiental.org/

Ministério da Cultura
http://www.minc.gov.br

ICOMOS Brasil - Conselho Internacional de Monumentos e Sítios
http://www.geocities.com/RainForest/9468/icomembr.htm

UNESCO World Heritage List: Serra da Capivara
http://www.unesco.org/whc/sites/606.htm

Estado.com: Cientistas Brasileiras: Niède Guidon (Português)
http://www.estado.com.br/edicao/especial/cientis/niede.html

Estado.com: Brazilian Scientists: Niède Guidon (English)
http://www.estado.com.br/english/cientis/niedev.html


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