This is a mountain range (with fields of iron, manganese, bauxite and gold) in Atlantic plateau, extending along Minas Gerais and Bahia States, up to the northern boundary with the State of Piaui, in Northeast region.
Its width is about 100 km, and the sierra is the boundary between Sao Francisco river and the rivers flowing directly to Atlantic Ocean.
It is considered a world`s biosphere reserve, for being one of the richest regions of the planet, thanks to its great biological diversity and its geographical location in Minas, which allows the junction of three of the greatest Brazilian biomass, Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga.
The relief of the sierra has an altitude usually exceeding 1,000 m, reaching a maximum of 2,000 m altitude in Pico do Itambe, located about 30 km southeast of Diamantina, a small town.

The Cordillera do Espinhaço covers 11 conservation units and environmental protection (APA - Área de Proteção Ambiental or Environmental Protection Area) in the state of Minas Gerais which are:

You can found the influences of Cerrado biomass or Mata Atlantica based the geographical location in the park (west area or zone),
State Park of Serra do Ouro BrancoSee information
State Park of ItacolomiSee information
Parque Estadual da Serra do Ouro Branco Voir Informations
Parque Estadual do Itacolomi Voir Informations
Estação Ecológica Estadual de Tripuí Voir Informations
Estação Ecológica Estadual de Fechos Voir Informations

Sob a influência do bioma Cerrado
Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó Voir Informations
Parque Nacional das Sempre Vivas Voir Informations
Parque Estadual do Biribiri Voir Informations
Parque Estadual da Serra do Rola Moça Voir Informations
Parque Natural Municipal do Ribeirão do Campo Voir Informations(Conceição do Mato Dentro)
Parque Natural Municipal do Salão de Pedras Voir Informations(Conceição do Mato Dentro)
Parque Estadual do Pico do Itambé Voir Informations
Parque Estadual do Rio Preto Voir Informations.

The mountain has two peaks, Pico da Lapinha, from an altitude of 1686 m and its neighbor, the Pico do Breu at an altitude of 1679 meters.
(Click on the image to see more photographs.)

The Peak of Itacolomi (elevation 1772 m) was a point of reference for travelers at the time of the Estrada Real located in the south of the Minas Gerais state.
See information.

Serras of Conceição do Mato Dentro (Mountains of Conceição do Mato Dentro)

The small comune of Conceição do Mato Dentro is known for its waterfall called Tubuleiro. It is located in the Natural Park of the district of Tabuleiro, itself integrated into the State Park of the Serra Geral do Intendente depending on Conceição do Mato Dentro.
It is an important tourist point of the region, being the third highest waterfall in Brazil (273 meters high). The river Ribeirão do Campo, which gave its name to the park, stretches a number of natural pools of water of somewhat obscure color (loaded with decaying organic matter) until they meet the river Rio Preto, close to the district.
(Click on the image to see more photographs.)

State Park of the Peak of Itambé

The park of Itambé Peak (2060 meters) is part of this mountain range located in the north of the Minas Gerais state. The village of São Antonio do Itambé lies at the foot of the summit, the sud.
Du hand side north is the village of Capivari and the village of protected Milho Verde.
It was created the 21 January 1998, including the municipalities of Serro, São Antonio Itambé and Serra Azul, roughly 4,700 hectares, this in the Alto Jequitinhonha region, which has a particular vegetation.
(Click on the image to see more photographs.)

State Park of the Rio Preto


Distant 80 km from the historic city of Diamantina and located in the north of the Minas Gerais state, the park was created in 1994 and covers an area of 121 km².
Located in the Espinhaço mountain range, in the valley of the Jequitinhonha, which takes its source nearby, the park offers many sources and many natural water reservoirs and waterfalls, and on the other hand, has many plant and animal species at risk of disparition.
The vegetation is characteristic of the cerrado.
More Information : http://www.descubraminas.com.br/Turismo/ParqueApresentacao.aspx?cod_destino=804

Peak of Almas (State of Bahia)

The village of Rio de Contas remains the oldest village of these mountains (width the Almas peak(1958 m), near of the Itobira peak (1970 m) and near the Barbado peak (2033 m), and of the Chapada Diamantina (Bahia state), its foundation dating back to 1745.
The village lies south of the Chapada and is located a few kilometers from the Pico das Almas (1958 m) and massive Serra da Teixeira and the serra do Santana.
This place (the Peak and surrounding area), if it's not a protected area, however, is a flowering reference for its endemic species of orchids and carnivorous plants.

National Park of the Chapada Diamantina (State of Bahia)

The chapada is a rock formation from an altitude of over 600 meters, which has a flat portion at its top surface due to erosion.
Naturally, the flat surface courses meet all around at an altitude more or less equal, separated by the sources of many streams that have slashed the rocks over time.
The Chapada Diamantina is the largest in Brazil.
(Click on the image to see more photographs.)