Guartelá State Park, State park in Tibagi, Brazil.

Guartelá State Park is a 798-hectare protected area in Tibagi featuring a deep gorge carved between towering rock walls. Waterfalls flow through the canyon, surrounded by native forest and home to animals like giant anteaters and maned wolves.

The park was created by decree 1,229 on 27 March 1992, under Governor Roberto Requião, covering 4,389 hectares. A 1996 decree cut the area by about 90% to 798.97 hectares, and the park was implemented in 1997. Its canyon and caves hold rock paintings roughly 7,000 years old, plus traces of Jesuits and colonial cattle drovers.

The park's name comes from the Guartelá canyon, and its rock paintings, about 7,000 years old, were made by prehistoric inhabitants. Visits to the archaeological site require a licensed guide hired in Tibagi, with daily visitor limits and fixed times. Traces of Jesuits and colonial cattle drovers also remain in the area.

The park opens Wednesday to Sunday and on national holidays; the rock-painting trail closes when it rains. The basic 5 km trail takes two to three hours and reaches the belvedere, Ponte de Pedra waterfall and the Sumidouro pools, where swimming is allowed. The full 9 km route requires a guide and adds the Portal de Pedra, Gavião trail and rock paintings. The belvedere is wheelchair accessible and a support vehicle serves elderly, pregnant and disabled visitors.

This protected area holds one of the world's largest canyons, distinguished by the fact that it remains completely covered in original forest vegetation. This combination of vast scale with untouched plant cover sets it apart from other major canyons around the globe.