Sao Roque de Minas is a small town in the highlands of Minas Gerais, at the gateway to the Serra da Canastra National Park, a high plateau of grassland, rocky ridges and waterfalls that is the source of the Sao Francisco River, one of the longest rivers in Brazil. The town is quiet, with simple houses, a church and a few pousadas, and there is no larger settlement for some distance, so fuel and supplies are worth sorting out before the ride.
The roads around the park are a mix of paved and gravel, and the best riding is on the quiet stretches where the tarmac curls over rolling green hills with views of distant ridges. The gravel roads inside the park are rough, with loose stones, ruts and steep sections, and they become slippery after rain, so adventure bikes and a cautious pace are wise. The dry season, roughly May to September, is the best time to ride, with clear skies and cool mornings, while the summer months bring heavy afternoon storms. Mornings are crisp, and the light on the grassland is golden.
The area is famous for its cheese. Queijo Canastra, a firm, tangy cow's-milk cheese made by hand on small farms and aged in the open air, is protected as a cultural heritage of Brazil, and you will find it for sale in roadside shops and in the town. Producers still use methods handed down over generations, and a visit to a farm, if you can arrange one, is memorable. Local cooking is hearty, with beans, pork, cornbread and fresh coffee, and a slice of cheese with a cup of coffee makes a fine stop.
Nature is the main draw. The park protects a large stretch of cerrado, the tropical savanna of central Brazil, a landscape of tall grass, twisted trees and rocky outcrops, and its wildlife includes the giant anteater, maned wolf, rhea and many birds. The Casca d'Anta waterfall, one of the highest in the region, drops over a cliff near the source of the Sao Francisco, and the spring itself is a small, quiet place where the great river begins. The air smells of dry grass and wild herbs.
Fill up in a larger town before arriving, carry water, and check the weather before riding gravel. Respect the park rules and watch for wildlife on the road, especially at dusk.