Parque da Cascata


Useful Information

Location: Serra Santa Helena, 3 km from the centre of Sete Lagoas, Minas Gerais.
Open: No restrictions.
[2009]
Fee: free.
[2009]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst cave
Light: bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:
Address: Parque da Cascata
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
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History

1986 Parque da Cascata established.

Description

Parque da Cascata (Waterfall Park) is a nature park located on the Serra Santa Helena. It is a karst area covered by the limestone of the Sete Lagoas Formation and is heavily karstified. There are numerous karst caves, and the cascata which gave the park its name, is actually a collapsed cave. The waterfall was once underground inside the river cave, but now after the roof is gone, it is gorge with numerous cave entrances leading to the not collapsed part of the cave.

The park is easy to visit, there is a well developed road leading to the park. Unfortunately this does not apply to the collapsed cave. The vegetation is home to various poisonous snakes, spiders, and scorpions, so we recommend great care when walking in the park. There is a possibility to follow an erosion gully down to the gorge, whiich is relatively safe. The visit is still demanding, strenuous and dangerous, and we recommend to never go alone and leave a notice about where you go and when you intend to come back.

The gorge is easy to understand as a cave, as walls are covered with stalactites and stalagmites. The walls of the gorge and the adjoining caves differ only slightly, the gorge is subject to different weathering because there is no roogf any more. There is especially the influence of the vegetation. The floor around the gorge is full of stalactites and stalagmites. Some are twisted by the forces of the wind, which causes them to grow with the wind instead of simply downwards. The speleothems of the adjoining caves are unfortunately vandalized, despite the difficulty of access.