Itatiaia National Park
Itatia is Brazil's oldest national park. The park was founded on June 14, 1937 on the basis of Federal Decree 1713, signed by President Zheetuliu Vargas. Currently, the park is about 300 km2.
Itatia Park is located in mountainous terrain at the junction of the states of Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, on its territory are one of the highest mountain peaks in Brazil. Because of this, the park has a rich and diverse flora and fauna, and also has a wide variety of climate. The park is located in the mountain system of Serra da Mantikeira, the highest point of the park, Agulias Negras, is located at an altitude of 2,878 m above sea level. The very name of the Brazilian park – Itatia, in translation denotes « rocks with a large number of points », and it comes from the Tupi language.
The highest sections of Itatiaya National Park are strewn with giant boulders, turned by rain and wind into strange non-manufacturing sculptures over millions of years. Here, streams are buzzing in the meadows, turning in the warm forests below into fast clean rivers, sometimes forming waterfalls. There are many monkeys on the trees around. Often there are curious brown capuchins. Less commonly - charming, timid mask monkeys of the tit, a species on the verge of extinction. The park has a very rich world of birds, here there are up to 350 species, many disappearing. Park plays an important role in their conservation of rare species. Bright seven-tone and black-gold ringtones and toucans flutter in the air, the voices of dozens of songbirds ring the early gloom. Tucan is a bright bird, similar to a lively toy. The length of his body is 56 cm, the length of the beak is 22 cm. With his giant beak, he will finish off the fruit and catch small animals. A toucan can throw the fruit upside down so that it falls directly into the open throat.
On weekends, itatiaya Park is crowded, Brazilians splash in numerous waterfalls, so animals hide. However, on weekdays, the park is quiet and calm. The park is open to tourists and is divided into two territories, the upper and lower. The entrance to the lower territory is located directly near the city of Itatia. On the lower territory there is an information center with a museum. The upper territory is not connected to the lower road, and is available through another entrance. From the back of the territory begins a trail for lifting to Agulias Negras.
