São Raimundo Nonato São Raimundo Nonato

São Raimundo Nonato

Located in the South of the state of Piauí, the São Raimundo Nonato municipality has the Serra da Capivara National Park, the most important archaeological site of Brazil, as its main tourist attraction, know for its rock paintings that are over 25 thousand years old.

For thousands of years, walls of rocks were written on and painted on by different groups, narrating everyday life and the ceremonial facts of the prehistoric period. In 1991, the site was classified as a World Heritage Ste by Unesco, due to the importance of the primitive rock records of its archaeological sites.

Headquartered in the Caatinga (a biome with vegetation typical of the semiarid regions of northeastern Brazil) and spread out over three other cities (São João do Piauí, Coronel José Dias, and Canto do Buriti), the Park has more than 1,350 archaeological sites including caves, underground lakes, and sandstone walls, making the geology of the place an outstanding attraction.

Jaguars, monkeys, caititus (peccary), Chilean eagles, deer, agoutis, snakes, iguanas, parakeets, terns, and other bird species may cross your path. Cameras at the ready!

São Raimundo Nonato also comprises the Fundação Museu do Homem Americano, created by a scientific cooperation between France and Brazil. Paleontological, archaeological, botanical, and zoological collections are exposed in the institute.

In the urban area of the city, you can see monuments such as Cruzeiro, with 40 m high and covered with stained glass windows, and sculptures that depict endangered animals, such as those of giant seriema (a prehistoric animal), jaguars (still present in the region), and the giant armadillo (an animal that is nowadays extinct).

Be sure to also visit the Catedral de São Raimundo Nonato Church, built in 1876.