On the first day of the trip I did only the transfer from São Sebastião, the city where I live, on the north coast of São Paulo State, to Diamantina, in the central region of Minas Gerais State, starting point of the bike trip.

To get to Diamantina I would have to take 3 buses, in a journey that would take around 27 hours, counting time on the road and waiting at the terminals. But as I was lucky, I found out that a friend had quit her job, so I told her about Estrada Real and she decided to take the route by car and I got a comfortable ride. We made the 910 km (565 mi) route in just 12 hours, including stops to fuel up the car and the crew.

Arriving in Diamantina, I went straight to the Historic Center, where Pousada Acayaca is located. After leaving my bags and the bike safely in the room, I went in search of one of the most important goals of this trip: to eat a lot of food from Minas Gerais, one of the tastiest cuisines I know.

Even in safe cities, those traveling by bike understand how good it is to be able to keep the bike in the room.

The first of many dinners with typical food from Minas Gerais.

Distance: 36.3 km (22.5 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 751 m (2,464 ft)

After eating a in the breakfast of Pousada Acayaca, I finally started the cycle trip along the Estrada Real, a trip I had been planning for years.

In the spring of 2019 and autumn of 2020, I didn’t do it because I went to Patagonia, where I spent almost 6 months photographing for the book ‘The Most Beautiful Trails of Patagonia’ (click here to see photos and description of the book). In the spring of 2020 I couldn’t do it because of the pandemic, as well as in the fall of 2021. Now, finally, it’s time to start cycling, even though it’s just a day trip to Biribiri State Park, a very beautiful region north of Diamantina , with waterfalls and Biribiri Village, created in 1876 to house the employees of fabric factory. At its peak, the village was home to 1,200 people and, today, the movement is based on tourism.

I didn’t dedicate much time to the Historic Center of Diamantina because I already visited it in 2013, when I was photographing for the book ‘O Brasil da Copa’, but I recommend that you save one day for that because the city is well kept and there are several attractions. I also already knew Biribiri, but before starting to cycle from one city to another, I wanted to test whether the bike was working well because, from now on, it would not be easy to find bike shops and parts for the bike.

Cooling off from the intense heat at Cristais Waterfall.

Upper fall of Sentinela Waterfall.

Lower Fall of Sentinela Waterfall, seen from above.

Lower Fall of Sentinela Waterfall, seen from the base.

Vila Biribiri, created in 1876 to house employees of the fabric factory.

Biribiri Village.

Biribiri Village.

Walkway of Casa da Glória in Diamantina.

Municipal Market of Diamantina.

Sunset seen from Morro do Cruzeiro in Diamantina.

Distance: 41.5 km (25.8 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,027 m (3,369 ft)

Now I started the journey towards Paraty, more than 1,000 km (620 mi) ahead. The distance is long, but since I have a whole month to cover it, I didn’t have to hurry.

Another sunny day and very high temperatures. Unfortunately the battery of the GPS temperature sensor discharged and I couldn’t know hot it was, but I have no doubt that it was over 40 ºC (100 ºF) in the sun, as I like to ride in the heat but, today, I suffered.

The route, which is mostly done on dirt roads, has steep climbs but offers beautiful views of Serra do Espinhaço, also passing through pleasant villages where the cyclists can drink a cold drink and, of course, some delicacy from Minas Gerais to recharge the energies.

After leaving the bike at Pousada Cachoeiras de Milho Verde, I went to visit the small village, which has a few streets, all dirt, and which on weekdays is very quiet, with almost no tourists.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t visit any waterfalls because, of the three that are very close to the village, one was dry, the owner of the other was leaving the place and the third had a lot of cars in the parking lot, so as I wasn’t excited to see it full of people, I preferred to go back to the charming village to eat another good dish of food from Minas Gerais.

At the beginning, the road is paved and you can have high speeds on the steep descents. On this one, the Garmin GPS registered 86 km/h (53 mi/h)!

Village of Vau, with a little more than 100 inhabitants.

Bridge over the Jequitinhonha River, still close to its source.

View from Pousada Cachoeiras de Milho Verde.

Milho Verde.

Distance: 77.8 km (48.3 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 2,308 m (7,572 ft)

After a whole night with light rain the temperature dropped a lot, but the rain stopped just before I started pedaling. Exhausting day not so much because of the distance, but because of the long and steep climbs. In addition, the legs were still not used to the extra weight of the bags, since the training sessions were done without them.

The view was even more beautiful than the day before, but with the clouds covering the peaks and the fog blocking visibility, I couldn’t do good photos..

I made a brief stop in Serro and even shorter in Alvorada de Minas, where I ate a little of what I was carrying and moved on, as there was a long distance to Santo Antônio do Norte, a district better known as Tapera.

I arrived very tired in Tapera and the final kilometers, from Tapera to Pousada Recanto de Tapera, which is outside the village, I did with very low morale. But my spirits soon improved when I saw that the inn was located on a beautiful farm and, to top it all off, there was a cute pampeano puppy to play with, so I washed the bike and went to have fun with the little dog.

The inn’s owner arrived shortly after and took hospitality from Minas Gerais, which is already great, to another level. During a dinner with rice, beans cooked in an iron pot, chicken and Minas cheese from the farm itself, he told me his story as a photographer for 30 years and the plans for the inn, which is receiving new landscaping and some improvements.

Delicious breakfast at Pousada Cachoeiras de Milho Verde.

Serro.

On a dirt road, when I was about to go over another branch, the branch started “running”… It was a snake that almost got run over, barely escaped.

Santo Antônio do Norte, better known as Tapera.

Pousada Recanto de Tapera.

Pampeano puppy that lives in the inn.

Distance: 37.8 km (23.5 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 781 m (2,562 ft)

After a very good night’s sleep at Pousada Recanto de Tapera, I said goodbye to Nazaré, the owner of the inn, and his puppy, and headed to Conceição do Mato Dentro. Right at the beginning is the most beautiful view of the route, but again the clouds did not let the photos show the beauty of the place.

The climbs this day weren’t long or too steep, which helped as my legs were still a little tired from the previous day’s effort. At times the sun shone brightly, but it didn’t last. In the middle of the way is the charming village of Córregos, but the highlight of the day was seeing an owl catch a lizard and leave with it in its claws. I’m sure the lizard disagrees, but I enjoyed the scene and the owl enjoyed lunch.

In Conceição do Mato Dentro, I stayed for two nights at Átis Hotel to do some hiking.

Córregos.

Conceição do Mato Dentro.

Conceição do Mato Dentro is famous for its many beautiful waterfalls, especially Cachoeira do Tabuleiro, the highest in Minas Gerais State. But, with the severe drought, it was practically without water, so I thought it best to visit it on another trip to see it in all its beauty.

Following a tip from a friend, after having an excellent breakfast at Átis Hotel, I went to Peixe Tolo Canyon. Luckily, I was still able to leave the bike in the hotel because I had a ride with the same friend who took me to Diamantina, since she was also in the city.

Cloudy day and an almost dry river, but even so, the canyon is so beautiful that the walk was really worth it. We stayed in the lake for a very short time because it soon started to rain and, as a good part of the walk is done walking along the stones on the dry riverbed, we didn’t want to run the risk of taking a fall or, worse, of being caught by a flooding.

At night I went to La Fattoria restaurant, but the hamburger I ordered took so long that I canceled and left, seeing that the tables that had arrived after me had already received their dishes, finished eating and payed the bill. Nothing like a good hot dog and hamburger stand in the square to kill the hunger and anger I was at the waiter of La Fattoria.

Peixe Tolo Canyon.

Half of the hike is done walking on the rocks.

Look carefully and you will see a trickle of water falling where the Bocaina Waterfall would be, 200 meters high. On the edge of the lake there is a person, so it is easier to understand the size of this wall.

Distance: 63.0 km (39.1 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,870 m (6,135 ft)

After a day off from the bike, I cycled again and with no destination set, as I had no reservation at any inn between Conceição do Mato Dentro and Mariana. So, I could only stop when I got tired or found a place that made me want to stay.

The path to Morro do Pilar is 27 km (17 mi) long, passing through small hills and farms. Honestly, there are no very beautiful landscapes between Conceição and Morro and, since I started the trip, it’s the first stretch I wouldn’t miss if I hadn’t passed. In addition to the lack of beauty, at the end of a descent, when I was between 40 and 50 km/h (25 and 31 mi/h), I came face to face with a cattle guard with the bars parallel to the road, instead of being perpendicular. Both braking and passing diagonally were impossible at that point, so I tried to align the wheels on one of the bars and, luckily, it worked, otherwise the bike would get stuck and I would go flying over it. After I commented about it on social medias, I received several messages from people who had suffered bicycle or motorcycle accidents. You have to be really dumb to design a cattle guard like that and, even more amazing, they don’t fix the problem. To exemplify, below there are pictures of the problem and the solution, which is very simple.

From Morro do Pilar onwards, the path becomes more beautiful, especially the 10 km (6 mi) before Itambé do Mato Dentro, with the view of the mountains surrounding the road. It was not a very tiring day, with pleasant temperature, cloudy skies and light rain at many times.

Arriving in Itambé, I decided to look for an inn and then visit Vitória Waterfall, which is reached by a short trail. Even with the light rains that started in the last few days, the volume of water remains small, but even so, it is a very beautiful waterfall.

Road between Morro do Pilar and Itambé do Mato Dentro.

Violeiro Statue and the first two cyclotourists I met on my trip.

Itambé do Mato Dentro.

Taking advantage of the absence of tourists, I took the chance to take a naked bath at Vitória Waterfall.

At night, on weekdays and out of season, the only places to eat in Itambé do Mato Dentro are the sandwich stands. In one of them, they also made fried pasta, which may not look pretty, but it was very tasty.

On the day I almost fell on the cattle guard, I didn’t stop to take pictures because 3 dogs came after me, but as I found several, I put the bike on one of them to show clearly what could happen.

Here, an adaptation has already been made so that motorcycles and bicycles can safely cross the cattle guard. It’s not difficult, just need a little bit of good will from the municipalities.

The forecast was confirmed and the rain, which in the last 4 days happened many times, but almost always weak, now was pouring. Today it even took a break and I did a quick walk to Lúcio Waterfall, the closest to Itambé. I also managed to go out for lunch at one of the few open restaurants, which is inside a campsite, but the food was bad and the price was high. I missed the fried pasta I had the night before, made in a stand but much tastier and cheaper.

After lunch, I played a little with the dogs at the inn and then spent the whole afternoon reading, watching movies and resting my legs.

Lúcio Waterfall.

Curious cow that was grazing in the neighboring land of the inn.

A dog at the inn.

Another dog at the inn.

Pouring rain all night and also during the day. Today there was no break, not even to go out for lunch, so I went to the nearest bakery and ate some pieces of cake and pão de queijo, a kind of bread made witch cheese, typical from Minas Gerais State.

Another day laying in bed with Kindle and Netflix, but if tomorrow the rain continues, I’ll move on anyway. Of course, it is possible to ride with the rain, but in addition to the physical wear being greater, the bike also suffers from a lot of mud on the chain and, worst of all, is that I do not see the landscapes that are the reason of my trip.

Distance: 91.6 km (56.9 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 2,128 m (6,981 ft)

Overcome with boredom, I was determined to keep going even in the pouring rain, but I was lucky and it stopped. It still drizzled at times, but nothing that would make the condition of the roads much worse, which in some places were impassable due to the very thick and sticky mud, which stuck to the chain, cassette and brakes.

I had decided to go to Cocais but I had already arrived and seen its small Historic Center at 2:00 pm, so I continued on for another 22 km (13.6 mi), stopping in Santa Bárbara.

Long day, but after two days resting at the inn, I was in the mood for a long riding and my legs were ready for it.

On the day of Nossa Senhora Aparecida, the saint who is the patroness of Brazil, the churches were full in all the cities I visited.

In Cocais Village, this is the only 17th century house that resisted the time.

Distance: 24.0 km (14.9 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 515 m (1,689 ft)

As yesterday I rode more than I was planning, today the ride was short, since I would not go straight through Catas Altas, a village that has aroused my interest for some time. On the way, I stopped to visit Bicame de Pedra, which are the ruins of an aqueduct built in 1792 to collect water at the top of Serra do Caraça and take it to Brumado, where the extraction and washing of gold took place. Today, only 100 meters (328 ft) of this structure remain, which at the time cost around 15 kg (33 lb) of gold. Converting to 2021, this comes to 1 million American dolars and, it is worth remembering, at that time the workforce was slave.

Shortly after leaving Bicame, I found a marmoset that was peacefully eating some kind of fruit or nut that it picked up on the road. I stayed a few minutes watching and photographing, until a car scared it and I hit the road again.

I arrived in Catas Altas in the early afternoon, found an inn and still had time to go to Maquiné Waterfall, which is very beautiful but, from where I was, the branches made it difficult to photograph. So, I just took some photos in the ponds above the waterfall and of the village of Catas Altas seen from the trail..

Bicame de Pedra, aqueduct built in 1792.

Upper part of Bicame de Pedra, where the water flowed from the top of Serra do Caraça to the village of Brumado.

Marmoset near Bicame de Pedra.

Marmoset near Bicame de Pedra.

River above Maquiné Waterfall.

Catas Altas.

Catas Altas.

Distance: 58.4 km (36.2) – Accumulated ascent: 1,112 m (3,648 ft)

Catas Altas has attractions to make me busy for several days, but when traveling by bike or kayak I like to keep moving, so I cycled to Mariana, one of the most famous historic towns in Minas Gerais.

On the way, I passed through Bento Rodrigues, the village that was buried when Samarco dam broke in 2015. It is sad to see the destroyed houses and remember so many deaths, not only of people but also of animals. In fact, 312 families still haven’t been compensated, more than six years later, can you believe it? Yes, you can, Brazil is the country of impunity.

Almost arriving in Camargos, I saw a waterfall on the side of the road and, of course, I stopped for a bath and a snack. Refreshed, I headed to the beautiful Ouro Real Inn, which is next to Sé Cathedral, one of the oldest buildings in Mariana, more than 325 years old.

After a good and needed shower, I went out on foot to discover the Historic Center and it was great to see that the buildings are almost all in good condition.

At night, one more walk and a big dish of food typical from Minas devoured with the clear conscience of someone who spent thousands of calories during the day.

In the mining region, it is common to find signs with indications of escape routes in case of a dam failure. Until then I had only seen this type of sign in regions with the possibility of a tsunami, such as Hawaii and Chile, but here, so far from the sea, it is disturbing that there is a need for such a warning.

One of the many homes destroyed by the dam failure. Notice that the mud has dried and is still covering part of the building. If it’s an impactful scene for me, I can’t imagine how it can be for those who experienced it.

I followed the path provided by the Estrada Real Institute, but it is outdated and took me straight to a lake that did not exist before the dam broke. It took me a while looking for the right path, until a security guard from the mining company found me and guided me to the exit of the company’s area.

Camargos Waterfall.

Camargos Waterfall.

Having a snack after a refreshing bath.

Mariana.

Gomes Freire Square in Mariana.

In the pillory of Mariana, notice that there are a scale, the symbol of justice, and a sword, the symbol of condemnation. Condemnation I’m sure slaves received, but justice…

Sé Cathedral in Mariana.

After an excellent breakfast at Pousada Ouro Real, I let the bike rest and hiked to Serrinha Waterfall. The trail is short and has few climbs, leading to a sequence of low but very beautiful waterfalls. The one I liked the most was this one in the photo, too bad the sky was very cloudy and I only took a quick dip.

On the way back to Mariana, another hearty dish of food from Minas Gerais, because I didn’t cycle but I deserve it anyway. At the end of the day, I followed Alex’s tip, from Pousada Ouro Real, and went to Cartuxa Peak to photograph the sunset and see the cities of Mariana and Ouro Preto in the early evening.

Serrinha Waterfall.

Sunset at Cartuxa Peak.

Mariana and Ouro Preto (top left) seen from Cartuxa Peak.

Distance: 14.7 km (9.1 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 602 m (1,975 ft)

This was the shortest cycling day but, even so, it was remarkable because I completed the Caminho dos Diamantes (Diamond Path), which goes from Diamantina to Ouro Preto. I rode, in nine days, 445.1 km, with 11,102 m of accumulated elevation.

In addition to the nine days of cycling, two days were dedicated for hiking, one day I rested almost all the time, except for a short hike and the other day I spent the whole time in my room, reading and watching movies, since it was raining too much..

Leaving the numbers aside, when I arrived in Ouro Preto, I did some photos in front of Inconfidência Museum, cycled to the inn and returned to the Historic Center to walk through its streets.

Ouro Preto has imposing buildings and many are in excellent condition, but others urgently deserve restoration or, at least, a good paint job. Unfortunately, the museums that most interest me, including the Inconfidência Museum, were still closed due to the pandemic, so the visit was shorter than I imagined and I used the free time to sit at the feet of the statue of Tiradentes. There, I watched the tourists come and go and, for half an hour, I did this hearing an accordion being played by a gentleman who said he had always dreamed of playing in Ouro Preto. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one to complete a wishlist goal today.

Arriving in Ouro Preto.

Inconfidência Museum.

Distance: 62.3 km (38.7 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,370 m (4,494 ft)

After studying the Caminho Velho path, which is the one that leads to Paraty, I decided to change the initial day to include the Itatiaia Waterfall (not to be confused with the Itatiaia National Park, far away from here), which is part of the Caminho Novo.

Despite the bad weather, the short, steep and dangerous trail to the base of the waterfall yielded a great swim and some reasonable photos. I wrote that the trail is dangerous because at some points you have to pull yourself over branches, roots or ropes and a slip would result in a big fall. Therefore, the bicycle was in a house a little far from the beginning of the trail.

Then I headed to Ouro Branco, had a snack in the square in front of the main church and returned to the road, stopping only at Lobo Leite to discover the tiny village. From then on, I left the Caminho Novo and followed the Caminho Velho to Congonhas.

In Congonhas I went to the basilica to see the statues of the 12 Prophets, sculpted by Aleijadinho and his assistants and then I had a reasonable dinner at the restaurant at the Museum of Congonhas, which is very close to the basilica. Finally, a good rest for my knees because, today, I started to feel a new pain , despite the fact that the ride was not very hard.

Ouro Preto seen from the beginning of the road to Ouro Branco.

Itatiaia Waterfall.

Lobo Leite.

Cow taking a look at the bike.

Senhor Bom Jesus de Congonhas Basilica.

Senhor Bom Jesus de Congonhas Basilica.

Senhor Bom Jesus de Congonhas Basilica.

Distance: 75.3 km (46.7) – Accumulated ascent: 1,599 m (5,246 ft)

After having an early breakfast at the Hotel dos Profetas, I left Congonhas and headed towards Pequeri along a paved road that, after a few kilometers, turned to dirt and then turned to mud, which was very sticky. In some stretches, cars would get stuck and the bike’s chain began to suffer from the mixture of mud and sand. So, upon arriving in Pequeri, I preferred to save the bike, which is already in need of maintenance, and take the asphalt to São Brás do Suaçuí, where I had my second breakfast: a salty snack and a generous and delicious piece of Swiss pie. . By the way, I need to learn how to make this pie.

From São Brás to Entre Rios de Minas I continued on the asphalt, but from there on, just dirt and a some mud until Casa Grande, a city with just over 2,000 inhabitants. On this stretch, the only stop was to photograph the Estrada Real landmark that is in front of Olhos d’Água Chapel. There are hundreds of these landmarks signaling the path and, since the first day, I was looking for one that had a beautiful background… Today I found it! At the end of the photos, hunger was getting big and the clouds were getting darker. One of the many things I don’t like is being hungry and I like being cold even less, so I went a little staggered to Casa Grande, even because, in very small towns, restaurants close early.

I arrived at the only restaurant in town at 1:30 pm and… Guess what? Closed! On the good side, a small town has no bureaucracy and they let me in to eat what was left of the buffet: beetroot, tomato, lettuce, rice, beans and two chicken fillets. Need more than that? When I started to eat the first dish, the rain started. When I finished the second dish, the rain stopped and I went to the inn, which is very nice and I’m the only guest, total peace! When I arrived at the inn, the rain started again and stayed strong until at least 10:00 pm, when I slept after eating some snacks and sweets that I always carry with me for moments like this, when it would be unpleasant to go out in heavy rain to look for an open bakery or cafeteria, even though they would probably be closed.

Entre Rios de Minas.

Olhos d’Água Chapel and Estrada Real landmark.

Distance: 72.4 km (44.9 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,549 m (5,082 ft)

As I was the only guest at Pousada Casa Grande, I was able to choose the time for breakfast and Dona Madalena, always very friendly and helpful, had breakfast ready at 6 am. I started riding at 07:00 and, after an afternoon and night of heavy rain, of course the road was pure mud. I even had to stop to remove, with a branch, the mud that was already blocking the bike’s gear.

The first stop was in Lagoa Dourada, which is famous in the region for its cake. As I am not a man that refuse sweets, I ate a generous piece of dulce de leche roll with coconut. It was good, but for so much fame, I assume I expected a little more. On my next visit to Lagoa Dourada, I’ll try it at another bakery.

From Lagoa Dourada to Prados the road had more liquid mud, which hinders less, so I could ride faster. In Prados, a cliché photo of a stone church and I headed to Bichinho, a village close to Tiradentes that is famous for its handicrafts and restaurants. Nice place, but I didn’t stay long as the clouds were getting heavier and heavier. Shortly afterwards I caught up with Ícaro, a cyclotourist I met in Ouro Preto. We chatted a little while riding, but as I had less luggage, I soon distanced myself from him to escape the rain. An attempt that almost worked, as the heavy rain caught me a few kilometers before arriving at the beautiful Pousada Travessias, in Tiradentes, and being very well received by Marco and Adriana.

With a few free hours, I went to São João del-Rei to see its historic center and, of course, to eat.

Lagoa Dourada.

Bichinho.

São João del-Rei.

After a delicious and hearty breakfast at Pousada Travessias, I left the bicycle and walked through the Historic Center of Tiradentes, which is very well preserved. In some cities, there are buildings in good condition among others that need renovation, but here, almost all buildings in the Historic Center are well maintained.

Of course, I couldn’t miss a good lunch with food from Minas Gerais, so I followed Marco’s recommendation, from Pousada Travessias, and went to Restaurante do Celso: simple atmosphere, hearty food, good price and very tasty! At least the dish I ate (Tutu à Mineira), I can recommend. Then I went to eat dessert at a bakery where I had seen beautiful sweets, but they were more beautiful than delicious.

On every trip I make canine friends and I’ve played with many these weeks, the difference is that here in Tiradentes they have a free pass: they enter stores, restaurants, bakeries… One of them adopted me and, when I entered a museum, followed beside me. If I stopped for too long he would lie down and wait for me. When I walked, he walked beside me. Until I climbed a ladder, he reluctantly went to the middle, got scared and went down. But, after a while, a tourist came to tell me that he had gone upstairs and was crying to call me. I went there, he wagged his tail, went down the stairs and we left the museum, as the employee was embarrassed to put the dog out in front of me. Good thing my dog doesn’t use the internet, he would be jealous.

Breakfast at Pousada Travessias with regional products made by small local producers.

Tiradentes.

Tiradentes.

Tiradentes.

Dog that followed me even inside the museum.

Distance: 87.0 km (54.0 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,727 m (5,666 ft)

As I had already visited São João del-Rei two days ago, today I rode straight through the city towards Carrancas, my next destination. The path only got really beautiful in the last 28 km (17 mi), starting from the ferry crossing between Caquende and Capela do Saco. The ferry, by the way, is very interesting because they adapted a tractor to serve as an engine and control the direction and speed. Very friendly, the ferryman didn’t want to charge for the crossing, but I insisted, after all, it’s his job.

While waiting in a bar for the crossing time, I met Sebastián, a cycle traveler from Ecuador who has been cycling through South America for 16 months. Fun talk, I also found out that he is also a photographer and has already cycled with a Brazilian woman that I hosted a few years ago. When I went to say goodbye to Sebastián, the bar owners said they had made lunch and invited us to eat. In fact, the invitation was for the Ecuadorian, who had been there the day before and knew the couple better, I was invited out of politeness. I thanked him but declined because I didn’t want to miss the ferry, otherwise I’d have to wait another hour to cross. Turning down food isn’t something I do often, but today, it was necessary. While waiting for the ferry, a kitten was meowing and, when I crouched down, she came running to rub against me. Poor cat, I think she’s licking herself clean until now. I thought she was hungry but she didn’t want what I gave her, I think she was just trying to adopt a human. Good thing I’m on my bike, otherwise it’s quite possible she would have gone home with me.

Returning to the path, after the ferry the landscape becomes more and more beautiful, as you approach the beautiful Serra de Carrancas, which looks like a plateau. Carrancas has several restaurants that look good, but today I didn’t just need tasty food, it also had to be hearty, because the ride was long and I was very hungry. On the recommendation of a friend, I had dinner at Roda Viva, a per kilo restaurant with excellent food. By the way, I ate almost one kilo, I’m getting good at it!

Oh, today I saw some more toucans, in the last few days they are always present. My question is if I’m seeing many because there are so many or if it’s because we’re invading their habitat even more.

At the inn, I made friends with another dog and it decided to spend the night lying on the doormat of my chalet, it’s very easy to make friends in Minas Gerais!

Sebastián, the Ecuadorian cycle traveler who has been on the road for 16 months.

The cat I met on the ferry crossing in Caquende.

The cat I met on the ferry crossing in Caquende.

Ferry on the Camargos Dam.

The ferry is controlled by an adapted tractor.

Estrada Real landmark and Serra de Carrancas, which you have to cross to get to the city.

Finally, sun! After two weeks of rain and mostly cloudy days, today the sun reappeared, especially in the afternoon. A perfect moment because the best thing about Carrancas is its waterfalls and, following a friend’s recommendation, I went to Complexo da Zilda. In a private area with paid entrance, the trail follows the river and, at times, you have to cross it. After 1.5 km (0.9 mi) the trail ends at the confluence of two rivers: in one, there is a waterfall about 8 meters (26 ft) high and, in the other, there is a beautiful rapids, forming an incredible view! From there, for those who are accompanied by a local guide and a buoyancy vest, it is possible to climb a small waterfall and continue swimming through a canyon, until reaching the last waterfall in the complex, which has between 6 and 8 meters (19 and 26 ft).

Afterwards, a quick stop to see Fumaça Waterfall, which is beautiful but it’s not a must see.

Finally I went back to the cottage, sat on the porch and played with the dogs and cat until sunset.

Dinner was at the number one restaurant on Trip Advisor but, honestly, yesterday’s per kilo restaurant was much better!

Anjos Waterfall.

Racha da Zilda.

Waterfall in the end of Racha da Zilda.

Sunset in Carrancas.

Distance: 89.5 km (55.6 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,589 m (5,213 ft)

Back on the road, the path between Carrancas and Caxambu is long, but the climbs are not steep, so it was an easy day.

Without toucans as on the previous days or remarkable landscapes as in almost the entire trip, I only stopped to photograph a hawk and the Traituba Farm, which unfortunately is not open to visitors. According to what they say, D. Pedro I (king of Portugal and Brazil) stayed at this farm when he passed through the south of Minas Gerais, but it’s hard to know if it’s true, everywhere they say that Dom Pedro I stayed or was going to stay but he didn’t show up.

It is worth mentioning that I passed through eucalyptus plantations and the dirt road was full of trucks measuring 20 meters (65 ft) in length. What surprised me is that almost all truck drivers slowed down when passing me. One of them even stopped and waited for my passage to move on. As the road was quite wide, they didn’t do that because of the danger of running over me, it was to avoid making too much dust. Respect and empathy should not surprise us, but since this is a rarity, I think it’s nice to praise and, of course, I thanked everyone when we crossed paths.

In Caxambu I didn’t stay at a hotel, better than that, I was hosted by a couple of hiking friends. In addition to being excellent hosts, they have 3 dogs, so I had fun with them while we chatted.

Saying goodbye to Negão and Gris.

Traituba Farm.

Hawk posing for a photo between Traituba and Cruzília.

Distance: 63.5 km (39.4 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 941 m (3,087ft)

I woke up at 06:00 with cloudy skies, but no rain. Soon, everything changed and the rain came, despite the forecast saying that it would only rain in the afternoon. My friends even said I could stay one more day, but as the forecast was for it to get even worse, waiting wouldn’t solve it. A little after 09:00, the rain turned to drizzle and I left. Of course, as soon as I turned the corner, it came back, it was just a truce to fool the dumb cyclist. Fortunately, in a short time the rain stopped and I continued until the end of the ride without rain, what luck!

Easy route, without any steep climbs, just having to be careful on the asphalt stretches because of the trucks. By the way, yesterday I wrote about the respect and empathy of truck drivers who carried wood, but it was only yesterday, today everything is back to normal and most drivers, whether amateurs or professionals, continue to pass by very close.

On the way, I passed through São Lourenço, a very touristic city where I only took a photo at the train station. Then Pouso Alto and, finally, Itanhandu, where I decided to spend the night.

By the way, Itamonte is also part of the Estrada Real, but I would have to do a big detour to get there before arriving in Itanhandu. As I have already been to Itamonte several times, I cut it out of my itinerary without mercy.

Pouso Alto.

Today, in two different cities, I found maps of the Estrada Real in public places. It was the first time I saw it during the trip, and it would be interesting if other cities adopted this practice to help publicize the itinerary. This one is in Pouso Alto.

Distance: 82.2 km (51.0 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 838 m (2,749 ft)

Day to leave Minas Gerais State and enter São Paulo, the state where I was born, grew up and got old. Before anyone wants to be kind and say that I’m not old, when I was walking through Guaratinguetá, passing by 3 people in their 18 year old range, one of them said “hi uncle”. Man, in Minas people just said “hey” or “hi”, none of that “uncle” stuff, I think I need to go back there.

Talking about the path, now nothing is new, because Mantiqueira Range, which is beautiful, is already an old friend. The cities where I passed today and the ones I will pass until the end of the trip, too. I confess that this makes the ride lose much of its charm, as I prefer to cycle in places I don’t know.

The day dawned cloudy (as usual!), but without rain, so I soon took the road to cross Mantiqueira. Arriving in Passa Quatro, I saw that the clouds were covering the pass through which I would cross and I was curious to know what the weather would be like on the other side of the mountain range. The climb is not hard and, even with a strong headwind, I was soon at the state line and stopped to decide whether to take a 3 km (1.8 mi) trail or continue downhill on the asphalt. According to a cyclist I spoke to in Passa Quatro, the rains must have turned the trail into pure mud. Adding this to the fact that, whenever I passed this stretch by car I kept thinking how cool it would be to go down with a bike, I had no doubts about what to do. I put on the windbreaker because the cold was big and I let gravity work for me.

At the end of the descent, a flat road for more than 30 km (18.6 mi) until Guaratinguetá. Upon entering the city, I saw that almost all businesses were closed and I asked a resident, who then explained that it was Frei Galvão Day. Then I asked Google and it explained to me that, on October 25, 1988, Frei Galvão was beatified by Pope John Paul II and is the first Brazilian saint.

I tried to have lunch at a restaurant, but the receptionist’s distaste for the bike made me leave, so I stopped at a pastry shop. The owner was rude, but at least there I could look at the bike while I ate.

It was still early (1:30 pm) and I felt like moving on, but since I couldn’t find a good place to stay halfway to Cunha, I stayed in Guaratinguetá. After two terrible services, I was very well received at the hotel, nothing like talking to people who are not angry about their work.

Time to rest my legs because the next day the climbs will be hard, none of the easy things I did the last two days.

Great attitude I saw in Passa Quatro, house and food for street dogs.

Crossing Mantiqueira in heavy fog.

Distance: 98.7 km (61.3 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 1,840 m (6,036 ft)

The Estrada Real is over!

I left Guaratinguetá at 07:10 with the plan to arrive in Cunha, have lunch and head to Pousada Cantinho do Céu. But I arrived in Cunha at 10:10 am, too early for lunch and thought I could go straight to Paraty. I’ve been to Cunha other times and I love the city, but considering that after Paraty I have two days to cycle home and the forecast is for the weather to get even rainier, I decided to go ahea. The sky was overcast until about 9:30 am, when the sun finally returned, but it didn’t last long. By the time I was leaving Cunha, the clouds were already dark again.

From the articles, I thought that the climbs to Cunha would be hard, but they are not so difficult compared to the climbs of the Caminho dos Diamantes. After Cunha, the legs are more demanded to reach the highest point of the entire journey, at 1,450 meters (4,757 ft), when crossing the Serra do Mar. Interestingly and logically, the lowest point of the entire trip comes next, at sea level in the ever-charming Paraty.

In the middle of the last climb, it was a relief to find a waterfall right next to the road and, of course, I stopped for a well-deserved bath. Already on the descent, the fog was strong and the cold was worse than on the descent from Mantiqueira. At least in Paraty the temperature was good, despite the cloudy weather, and shortly after I arrived, it started to rain.

Estrada Real ended but I still didn’t have the feeling of having completed this project. Maybe because I still had two more days to ride to my house… Could it be?

Just like the day before, fog during the ride and it wasn’t the only moment of the day.

The familiar and beautiful landscape of the Cunha region.

Mato Limpo Waterfall, on the side of the road.

Cunha’s rural area.

The strongest fog on the trip was on the descent of Serra do Mar. Pay attention and you’ll see me in the picture.

Distance: 75.6 km (46.9 mi) – Accumulated ascent: 833 m (2,732 ft)

If it was raining heavily today, I would abort the ride and take a bus, I think it’s too risky to ride on Rio-Santos Road in this condition, it’s asking to be run over by a careless driver. But as the rain stopped, I left after a bad breakfast. Also, for what I paid for the inn, I couldn’t expect anything better.

I’ve done this path hundreds of times since, for several years, I was a diving instructor and Paraty is the preferred place for schools to the basic course. But on a bicycle, it was my first time and I thought it would be fun. Yeah, maybe it would have been if the weather had been nice, but the shoulder was so dirty with the mixture of sand, dirt and broken bottles, all sodden from the previous days’ rain, that I’d cycle onto the curb and go to the shoulder only when a vehicle approached. It is a bit tense to do this, but the expectation of stopping at the Ubatuba waterfalls that are on the side of the road, cheered me up, as well as knowing that I would soon be at my house, just two more days cycling.

The first waterfall I stopped at was Escada Waterfall, which even though it was only 250 meters above sea level, was shrouded in mist, which didn’t stop me from taking a quick bath. The second stop was at the famous Prumirim Waterfall, but I didn’t dare to take a bath there and soon headed towards Ubatuba. Shortly after I left, the rain started and, when there were about 10 km (6 mi) to my Airbnb, I had the first flat tire of the trip. It’s been over 1,100 km (680 mi) to get here and it’s no coincidence that it happened right on Rio-Santos Road, where idiots throw beer bottles out of car windows. Those who ride on the side of this road know that this is not an exaggeration, there are dozens of broken bottles that, for vehicle tires, do nothing but puncture bicycle tires, apart from the obvious environmental impact.

I stopped on the side of the road in heavy rain to change the tire and, when it was time to fill up the spare chamber, I took my brand new Park Tool pump and saw that a piece had come unscrewed and fallen somewhere between Diamantina and here. Without this part, the pump don’t work. Imagine a guy cursing a lot… So, it was me! Hell, I bought the pump for this trip because my old one sucked to use, but at least it would work. I tested the pump before the trip but, apparently, whoever assembled it at the factory did a pretty poor job. I thought about how to make it work, I tested it and it worked! Tire was not well inflated, but it was enough to arrive in Ubatuba. As soon as I was ready to start pedaling again, two cyclists passed by, oh if they had passed earlier to lend me a pump. About 300 meters (1,000 ft) later, I meet the cyclists again and what were they doing? Changing the tire on one of the bicycles.

Upon arriving at the D&K Suites, very close to Itaguá beach, I didn’t even think about cleaning the bike’s gears and fixing the punctured camera, I went straight for a well-deserved hot shower. In the afternoon the rain continued to pour and, again, I was thinking that I might need to catch a bus the next day.

Escada Waterfall in Ubatuba.