Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse: A Stunning Trail

Despite covering 27 kilometers, we’d rate the Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse as easy difficulty. It also comes with absolutely breathtaking scenery, and it wraps up in style at Cachoeira do Tabuleiro.

Getting to the Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse from São Paulo

We flew to Belo Horizonte, landing at Confins airport. To save time, we rented a car and drove the following route: LMG-800 to the MG-010 turnoff (following signs for Estrada Real / Lagoa Santa / C. do Mato Dentro / Vespasiano).

Once you reach the outskirts of Serra do Cipó, after a sign for Santana do Riacho, follow LMG-816. That road turns to dirt for about 27 km — the drive took us 2h15m plus a 30-minute stop, 114 km total according to Google. We also hit traffic on the way back, since it was a Sunday. Google Maps route

How long to plan for the Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse

If you’re coming from outside Minas Gerais, we’d recommend doing this traverse over a holiday weekend, given all the logistics involved — and because there’s so much else to do in the area! Beyond the traverse itself, there are also waterfalls and peaks with beautiful mountain and city views. Entering the park and doing the traverse is free.

We went, once again, with the Trail Runners Brasil team (TRB), led by Marcelo Sinoca, and stayed together in a house we rented on Airbnb.

We grabbed coffee in town at a bakery that charged a flat rate for coffee, then set off running right from the start of the traverse in Lapinha.

The Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse

• Easy trail
• 27 km from one town to the other
• 1,161 m of elevation gain
• Cachoeira do Tabuleiro waterfall at the finish

On traverses like this, you run into every kind of terrain, and sometimes you have to wade through rivers and streams — which means wet shoes, since there’s rarely a chance to take them off on rough ground, and you might forget a towel to dry your feet. So you just accept the wet shoes and keep moving.

We were running ahead of the group but ended up getting separated in the first few kilometers, so we did most of the route on our own. The trail is well marked with signs, so we made it through without much trouble.

At the end of the trail, there’s a hostel selling juices, sodas, and sports drinks — a lifesaver for refueling. It really hit the spot! One thing I love about traverses like this, compared to races, is that you can go at your own pace, stop for photos, and take in the scenery. Races, on the other hand, have cutoff times and the pressure of competition, so you don’t get to stop for pictures or really enjoy the views.

Our recommendations

It’s a completely exposed trail, so:

• Wear plenty of sunscreen
• Wear a cap
• Bring anything else you normally use for sun protection

We got a cloudy day, so it wasn’t much of an issue for us, but if it rains — which happened to us too — bring an anorak and a windbreaker.

Waterfalls along the Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse

There are two waterfalls: a small one partway through, and a surprisingly massive one at the very end — Cachoeira do Tabuleiro.

Cachoeira do Tabuleiro drops 273 meters down a sheer rock face, making it the tallest waterfall in Minas Gerais and the third-tallest in Brazil.

We found the waterfall absolutely stunning! The flow changes a lot depending on rainfall, and you can view it from both above and below the cliff face. We didn’t manage to see it from above, but we’d say both viewpoints are worth the effort!

We took a van back from Tabuleiro to Lapinha.

Download the GPX file for the Lapinha–Tabuleiro Traverse.

Track powered by Wikiloc

Where to eat in Lapinha da Serra

Bistrô Lapinha

• À la carte restaurant
• Brazilian and South American food
• Good food and good music

We ate with the group at Bistrô Lapinha. The atmosphere was really pleasant, the food was good, and there was live music from a local musician, Vilmar da Lapinha, who put on a great forró set!

After that, we crashed — we were all completely exhausted. We had two options for the next day: hike Pico da Lapinha or visit Cachoeira do Bicame — we ended up going with Pico da Lapinha.

Casulo Gelateria Artesanal e Risoteria

• À la carte restaurant
• Brazilian and South American desserts
• Average food, though several dishes were unavailable
• Great gelato

On day two, we had lunch at Casulo Gelateria Artesanal e Risoteria, a risotto spot that also serves ice cream. It was almost funny — with the holiday crowd, most dishes were unavailable by the time we ordered, since they’d run out of ingredients.

I ordered a mushroom risotto and Andrey got a broccoli risotto — neither one was really worth what we paid! The gelato, though, was excellent.

Another Lapinha recommendation

Pico da Lapinha

• Hard trail
• Well marked
• 9 km round trip
• 1,350 m of elevation gain
• Private property, R$25 per person to hike the peak
• Add R$20 more if you want to visit the waterfalls too
• Pico da Lapinha and Pico do Breu

At the entrance, you’ll need to sign a liability waiver at the gatehouse. The waterfalls are at a fork partway up, to the left.

Our experience

We found the trail well marked and did it on our own, following signs and red-painted wooden stakes. I ran into quite a few snakes along the way, so keep an eye out!

There’s a house halfway up where you can use the restroom and grab a bite. From there, we kept climbing, but unfortunately by the time we reached the peak it was raining and foggy — all we could see was the cross marking the summit.

On the way up (or down), you’ll see a sign for Pico do Breu, which — given the weather — seemed better saved for another trip. So we skipped it and headed straight down. The descent gave us much better views, and we managed to get some good photos of the valley.

Download the GPX file for Pico da Lapinha.

Track powered by Wikiloc

We woke up early to return the rental car at the airport and flew back to São Paulo!

We got home early since we still had to pack for the trip back to Belo Horizonte, and hit heavy holiday traffic on the way. We spent the night in BH at my friend Mariana’s place and had dinner at a great little bar, Boi Lourdes — really good!