Minas Gerais’ natural wonders sent Charles Darwin into ecstasies, but the area has always been dominated by mining. Now ecotourism offers a lifeline

When we come out of the bamboo forest and enter the high-altitude grassland, Marcelo begins to walk faster. All around us, dark peaks loom through the early morning clouds. The grasses and flowering mimosa bushes drip from the mist. It is hard to imagine, but this area suffered a devastating fire two years ago. Marcelo has not been back since, and he is anxious. “We have some extremely rare endemic species up here,” he says. “I hope they’ve survived.” A hummingbird zips past, heading for a banana-shaped yellow-and-red flower. “Planalto hermit,” identifies Marcelo. “The bill fits the flower.”

We are in Brazil’s Santuário do Caraça, a 40 square-mile haven of rugged wilderness in the state of Minas Gerais. That name may be unfamiliar to many outside Brazil, but landlocked Minas Gerais, which borders the states of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo to the south, covers an area larger than mainland France and Switzerland combined. Not only that, but with abundant mineral resources, a rising population, and fabulously rich flora and fauna, it makes for an intriguing place to explore.

People from across the world queue for hours to get a video taken on the famous ‘Gateway to Heaven’ rooftop in the heart of Brazil’s most iconic city

It was day three of the British family’s holiday in Brazil and, as the sun rose over Rio’s undulating mountains, they set off for the city’s most talked about tourist haunt.

“It’s our first time in Brazil. We’re really looking forward to it,” said Paul Boswell, a 58-year-old builder from Basildon, Essex, before clambering on to the motorbike that would carry him there.