Mount Pascoal National Historic Park, National park in Bahia, Brazil.
Monte Pascoal National Park covers 22,332 hectares in the municipalities of Porto Seguro and Prado, Bahia, and takes its name from the 536-metre hill that Cabral sighted in 1500. Its lowland dense ombrophilous forest receives 1,500 to 1,700 mm of rain a year, with restinga and mangroves along the coast. The terrain is flat apart from the Monte Pascoal elevation standing out in the landscape.
Monte Pascoal was the first land sighted by Pedro Álvares Cabral's fleet in 1500. The national and historical park was created by decree 242 on 29 November 1961, modified by decree 3.421 on 20 April 2000, and is administered by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. It became part of the Central Atlantic Forest Ecological Corridor in 2002.
The Pataxó and other indigenous peoples have maintained their way of life in this region for centuries and continue to use the forest according to traditional practices. Their presence shapes how certain areas of the park are managed and experienced today.
The park is open to visitors through marked trails and guided tours that help explore different areas of the reserve. Planning your visit in advance is wise since conditions vary depending on the season and weather patterns.
The park overlaps 8,627 hectares of the Barra Velha indigenous land, and about 8,000 hectares were set aside for a future indigenous territory. Its birds include the red-billed curassow and the ochre-marked parakeet, and the fish Mimagoniates sylvicola and the ant Dinoponera lucida are also protected.
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