Today, we’re going to return to our “Off the Beaten Path” series to discuss less known tourist attractions in Brazil. We’re going to look at Serra da Capivara National Park, located in the northeastern state of Piauí.

An UNESCO World Heritage site, the park is home to cave paintings dated up to 25,000 years old, evidence of one of the oldest civilizations in South America. The park encompasses 319,000 acres, and features not only the paintings, but also the Pedra Furada, numerous hiking trails, rappeling and rock climbing.

Niede Guidon is the park’s head archeologist, who also runs the Museum of the American Man, located in the park. The park is thought to have been home to one of the largest farming communities in prehistoric Latin America.

The park is currently struggling with financial issues, so it is hoping to expand tourism in the area to attract much-needed funding.

For useful travel information to the park, click here.