In the month in which it celebrates its 85th birthday, and at the beginning of the official trail season in the country, the PNI (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia) has prepared a varied program that aims to cater to mountaineers, occasional hikers and those curious about what is one of the most the country’s beautiful biomes —and it’s not limited to the month of June.
With an estimated public of 150,000 visitors by the end of the year, of which 30,000 will be in next July alone, the country’s first national park expects to once again beat its visitation record, which had been interrupted by the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic. 19. And, to meet this contingent, a series of improvements are in progress, according to Luiz Aragão, head of the PNI. Among them, we highlight the implementation of the environmental surveillance system by cameras, for the detection of forest fires, environmental crimes and visitation control, in parallel with the Parque Limpo program, of an educational nature.
Because it is never too much to remember that the park is nobody’s land and has a series of rules that must be followed, such as not uprooting plant species, carrying firearms, alcoholic beverages or animals, not making fires or not taking your trash. It should also be noted that access to the park requires the visitor to take, on all 1, 2 or 3 day trails, the so-called KDs, kits to store personal waste so as not to contaminate trails and water courses.
Whoever goes to the PNI this season will find more than 60 kilometers of improved and signposted trails, and can be guided by the digital map prepared for mobile navigation that can be downloaded from the ICMBio – Itatiaia National Park – PNI Maps link. If the citizen is less familiar with geolocation by cell phone, he can use the printed maps that indicate all the attractions and trails of the PNI, distributed free of charge to visitors.
all connected
Another important improvement that helps ensure the safety of hikers and visitors is the installation of an open satellite internet connection at two points in the upper part of the park, as part of the “Conecta Parques” program of the Ministry of the Environment. “It is a great support not only for the visitors who can communicate with the base or their families in case of need or emergency, but for the park’s own brigade members and for the inspection”, explains Aragão.
For those who like the coldest days, the four high-precision weather stations installed at different points in the upper part of the park guarantee: the hiker can obey his mother and take his jacket — as well as an extra scarf. At dawn on June 14, the station on the banks of the Campo Belo River recorded the lowest temperature in the country, with -11° Celsius. And it just didn’t go further because the equipment stopped transmitting when the cold damaged the antenna. “We believe that the temperature reached close to -13° Celsius”, evaluates the head of the PNI.
In the cultural area, the PNI prepared some surprises, such as the exhibition “Winged Beings of the Agulhas Negras Region”, which brings together photos taken by Luiz Carlos Ribemboin of birds, butterflies and moths that inhabit the top of the park. The exhibition is open to the public at the Visitors Center, at the entrance to the park. It is worth remembering that more than 300 species of birds are already cataloged in the PNI, and 740 species of butterflies, according to a survey recorded by naturalist José Francisco Zikan. All this variety can be observed on the morning of the 24th of July, a Sunday, when there will be an observation walk guided by photographers Jorge Lucas and Karol Zamluti.
Service
The PNI, located in Serra da Mantiqueira, covers the municipalities of Itatiaia and Resende (RJ) and Bocaina de Minas and Itamonte (MG), with altitudes ranging from 600 to 2,791 meters above the sea, with its highest point being the Pico das Agulhas Negras. .
It is open every day of the year and tickets can be purchased at the box office on site or through the website. The values vary according to the part to be visited (the lower part charges from R$4 to those who live around the park up to R$20 for Brazilian citizens, R$30 for Mercosur residents and R$40 for others, children under 12 and over 60 do not pay).
In the upper part, spaces are limited and the values vary according to the number of days you intend to stay in the place, the number of people and the reservation of an area for camping or collective accommodation.
Access is via Estrada do Parque Nacional, BR-485, Km 8.5, Itatiaia (RJ)
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