Nucleo Caboclos

Useful Information

Location:	In the center of the park, accessible only by foot. (-24.434611, -48.584779)
Open:
Fee:
Classification:	Karst cave
Light:	bring torch
Dimension:
Guided tours:	mandatory
Photography:	allowed
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	no address, no GSM, no wifi, no phone at all
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

Description

Nucleo Caboclos is located in the center of Petar, right in the middle of all surrounding villages. And while there is a really bad road to the Nucleo, it is not allowed to drive to nucleo. In other words, you have to walk for hours to reach the Visitor Center. That's the reason why this Nucleo is the least visited of the park, despite being the oldest nucleo.

In a way, you have to organize this trip like an expedition, not like a tourist visit. Fortunately, you are not the organizer. There are mandatory Monitor Ambiental, you must hire one of them, and he will organize anything. First of all, he will do the bureaucracy, because he knows the locals. Then they will help you with the equipment, tell you were the starting point is, and he will accompany you during the whole trip. He is earning his living with this, so you have to pay him a decent fee, like you would do any consultant or craftsman. That's quite expensive, but worth every cent, and as you go in a small group (3 to 6 is ideal) you can split the cost. And if you missed it the first time: its mandatory, because one of his jobs is to look that you do not litter or destroy anything.

The Nucleo Caboclos is the only center that allows tourists to camp. You have to stay at least one night. In other words, you go there to see all caves, which will take at least a full day and there is the hike to the nucleo and back. It makes no sense to do the long walk for less, except if you are actually a birdwatcher or nature lover and not interested in caves.