Estrada Real - Carrancas

Surrounded by mountains and waterfalls, Carrancas is a small agricultural village. In the early 1700s a number of families, hailing from São Paolo headed into the interior looking for gold. Arriving in the region of Carrancas they found the land fertile and hoped to discover gold. Settling down, the first structure built was a chapel, and the village was named Nossa Senhora do Rio Grande. The village went through several name changes until it settled on Carrancas. As the village grew, agriculture developed, including bananas, corn, coffee and beans, as well as dairy and cattle farming.

The gold rush era passed and although gold was never found in the area, Carrancas gained its reputation as the land of waterfalls drawing visitors to its crystalline waters. A large number of waterfalls are located close to each other, making planning essential. 

When narrowing down my options, I chose Esmeralda Waterfall for its clear, emerald-green pool. Another must-do experience was the natural slide at Zilda Waterfall. At 20ft (6m) long and about 6.5ft (2m) wide, the slide was accessible by ascending a stone trail. Slippery at times, a hand rope for balance was installed beside the trail. This was not an opportunity I was going to miss. After carefully navigating my way to the top, I let out a joyful “Woo-hoo!” as I slid down into the refreshing pool.

After many more turns on the slide, I packed up and returned to the village to fill my belly with pururuca queijo, a cheese crackling dish that was made famous by a local restaurant in Carrancas.

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