Meet the Sierra Capybara Park, the Greatest Archaeological Treasure of Brazil

05/10/2013 - 08h19

In 2012, only 11,655 people visited the Sierra Capybara National Park in Piauí, most of them students from the region. From outside the Northeast, there were 1,500 visitors.

For comparison, the archaeological site of Tulum, Mexico, received 1.2 million visitors in the same period.

Why, after all, is there such low visitation to the most important archaeological area of Brazil?

The main hypothesis is the difficulty of access for those coming from outside of Piauí. From São Paulo, the traveler needs to combine a flight with a layover and a drive, a total of ten hours of travel.

It is not easy to reach, but those who go on this adventure rarely regret this trip into Prehistory.

Studies indicate the presence of man about 50,000 years ago - the oldest man in the Americas.

Made up of four hills, the park has the postcard perfect Boqueirão da Pedra Furada farm, with over a thousand petroglyphs. To see some of the petroglyphs, it is necessary to face heat up to 45°C and climb steep cliffs.

Translated by DAVE WOLIN

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Panoramic view on a trail on the Sierra Talhada