Carste de Lagoa Santa Environmental Protection Area

The Carste de Lagoa Santa extends across 39,957 hectares of land, featuring limestone caves, underground rivers, and diverse geological formations within the Cerrado biome.

Peter Wilhelm Lund conducted extensive research in the area during the 1800s, documenting biological characteristics and discovering significant paleontological remains in limestone caves.

The region contains numerous archaeological sites within limestone caves, including the Sumidouro State Park, which holds evidence of early human settlements from 12,000 years ago.

The protected area spans across six municipalities - Confins, Lagoa Santa, Matozinhos, Funilândia, Pedro Leopoldo, and Prudente de Morais, located 30 kilometers north of Belo Horizonte.

The karstic landscape harbors specific plant adaptations, underground water networks, and provides habitat for protected species like the fossorial giant rat and orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat.

Location: Minas Gerais

Inception: 1990

GPS coordinates: -19.53400,-43.98600

Latest update: March 5, 2025 02:24