Serra Pelada, Former gold mine in Curionópolis, Brazil
Serra Pelada is a former open-pit mine in Pará state, Brazil, now visible as a huge crater. The mine walls drop steeply and form terraces that descend to the bottom, where a lake has since formed.
The deposit attracted tens of thousands of prospectors from 1980 onward, who removed the soil by hand and broke the rock with simple tools. After a few years the deposit was exhausted and the prospectors left the site.
The location deep in the Pará rainforest became known worldwide through images showing people digging for gold in mud and smoke. Today only the empty crater remains as a witness to that time, while nearby villages carry memories of the rush.
To reach the crater you need to drive unpaved roads in a remote area of Pará, with a four-wheel drive vehicle recommended. Local guides often start in the town of Curionópolis and explain the mining history on site.
Anyone walking the edge of the crater can still see the irregular steps that formed when thousands of people dug in all directions at the same time. No machine shaped the walls, only shovels and human strength created this chaotic structure.
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