The Pireneus State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual dos Pireneus, also called the ''Parque Estadual da Serra dos Pireneus''), erroneously spelled "Pirineus", is a
state park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the sub-national level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural ...
in the state of
Goiás
Goiás () is a Brazilian state located in the Center-West region. Goiás borders the Federal District and the states of (from north clockwise) Tocantins, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul and Mato Grosso. The state capital is Goiânia. ...
, Brazil. It protects an area of
cerrado
The ''Cerrado'' (, ) is a vast ecoregion of tropical savanna in eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District. The core areas of the Cerrado biome are t ...
that includes the highest peak in the region, the Pico dos Pireneus, on the watershed between the
Plata and
Tocantins
Tocantins () is one of the 26 states of Brazil. It is the newest state, formed in 1988 and encompassing what had formerly been the northern two-fifths of the state of Goiás. Tocantins covers and had an estimated population of 1,496,880 in 20 ...
river basins
Location
The Pireneus State Park is in the municipalities of
Pirenópolis
Pirenópolis is a town located in the Brazilian state of Goiás. It is known for its waterfalls and Portuguese colonial architecture, and a popular festival involving mounted horses called Festa do Divino Espírito Santo which takes place 45 day ...
,
Cocalzinho de Goiás
Cocalzinho de Goiás is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil.
Location and Geography
Cocalzinho, as it is known by the inhabitants, is located in the micro-region of Entorno do Distrito Federal, on highway BR-414, almost at the junction ...
and
Corumbá de Goiás
Corumbá de Goiás is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil. It is one of the oldest cities in the state and still preserves vestiges of its colonial heritage. The Areias River passes through the municipality.
Location and Geography
Loc ...
in the state of Goiás.
It has an area of .
The park is from the city of Pirenópolis by dirt road, and from the town of Cocalzinho de Goiás.
The park is in rugged terrain in the Alto Tocantins-Paranaíba Plateau, with altitudes ranging from .
There are dozens of small springs that feed the
das Almas River in the Tocantins basin and the
Corumbá River
The Corumbá River (''Rio Corumbá'' in Portuguese) is the most important river in the Central Plateau region of Brazil. Its source is in the Montes de Pireneus, near Pirenópolis, state of Goiás, near the boundary with the Federal District and ...
in the Plata basin.
The Pico dos Pireneus is the highest point of the region at .
There is a small chapel dedicated to the Holy Trinity at its summit.
Its slopes define the edge of the
Central Plateau of Brazil, and it forms the divide between the Plata and Tocantins river basins.
The Morro Cabeludo is over , with
quartzite
Quartzite is a hard, non- foliated metamorphic rock which was originally pure quartz sandstone.Essentials of Geology, 3rd Edition, Stephen Marshak, p 182 Sandstone is converted into quartzite through heating and pressure usually related to tect ...
rocks from the
precambrian
The Precambrian (or Pre-Cambrian, sometimes abbreviated pꞒ, or Cryptozoic) is the earliest part of Earth's history, set before the current Phanerozoic Eon. The Precambrian is so named because it preceded the Cambrian, the first period of the ...
period formed about 1 billion years ago.
Environment
The Pireneus State Park is classed as
IUCN protected area category
IUCN protected area categories, or IUCN protected area management categories, are categories used to classify protected areas in a system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The enlisting of such areas is par ...
II (national park).
The objectives are preservation of natural ecosystems of great ecological relevance and scenic beauty while enabling scientific research, education, environmental interpretation, recreation in contact with nature and ecological tourism. The park preserves the flora, fauna and water sources.
Average annual rainfall is .
Average daily temperatures range from and average .
The park is in the
cerrado
The ''Cerrado'' (, ) is a vast ecoregion of tropical savanna in eastern Brazil, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins, Minas Gerais, and the Federal District. The core areas of the Cerrado biome are t ...
biome.
The park holds ''cerrado rupestre'' vegetation, which grows on rocks and includes endemic species of cacti, orchids and bromeliads.
There are also forests, grasslands and other types of cerrado vegetation.
History
A group of scientists who were demarcating the quadrilateral of the
federal district
A federal district is a type of administrative division of a federation, usually under the direct control of a federal government and organized sometimes with a single municipal body. Federal districts often include capital districts, and they e ...
of
Brasília
Brasília (; ) is the federal capital of Brazil and seat of government of the Federal District. The city is located at the top of the Brazilian highlands in the country's Central-West region. It was founded by President Juscelino Kubitsche ...
measured the altitude and coordinates of the Pico dos Pireneus on 8 August 1892.
A small wooden chapel was erected on the peak in 1927, and the first mass was held on 18 June 1927 attended by 35 people.
The chapel was destroyed by a gale in 1935 and a masonry chapel built the same year, which still stands.
The Pireneus State Park was created by law 10.321 of 20 November 1987 in the municipality of Pirenópolis, covering the area of the Picos de Pirineus, its mountains and slopes.
Law 13.121 of 16 July 1997 altered the wording to include the municipalities of
Corumbá
Corumbá is a municipality in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, 425 km northwest of Campo Grande, the state's capital. It has a population of approximately 112,000 inhabitants, and its economy is based mainly on agriculture, animal ...
and
Cocalzinho de Goiás
Cocalzinho de Goiás is a municipality in central Goiás state, Brazil.
Location and Geography
Cocalzinho, as it is known by the inhabitants, is located in the micro-region of Entorno do Distrito Federal, on highway BR-414, almost at the junction ...
.
Decree 4.830 of 15 October 1997 defined the boundaries, and gave an area of .
The park protects one of the highest ranges in the State of Goiás, the Serra dos Pireneus.
It is administered by the Secretariat of Environment and Water Resources (SEMARH) of Goiás.
Visiting
As of 2016 the park did not have a management plan, and there was no control over visits.
The park is open from 8am to 5pm, or from 9am to 8pm during daylight saving time.
Domestic animals are not allowed.
Hunting, fishing, fires and the use of alcohol are prohibited, and visitors must not collect specimens of flora, fauna or rocks, or cause any damage to the environment.
A local guide is advisable although not required, since there are no signposts or marked trails to the most attractive parts of the park.
The main attractions are the Pico dos Pireneus, the highest point in the region at , the rock formations near the Morro Cabeludo, which are used by climbers, the Pocinhos do Sonrisal and the trails that are used by ecotourists.
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Serra dos Pireneus State Park
State parks of Brazil
Protected areas established in 1987
1987 establishments in Brazil
Protected areas of Goiás