Brazil's New Hiking Trails Protect Forests and Communities

Following yellow footprints through Brazil's forests might just save them.

Brazil recently opened the Caminhos da Ibiapaba, a 115-mile hiking trail that winds through lush Atlantic forests, dry shrublands, and biodiverse savannahs in the country's overlooked northeast region. It's the first long-distance trail in the area, part of a growing network designed to protect nature while helping rural communities thrive.

The trail follows paths once used by 19th-century merchants, connecting Ubajara National Park in Ceará to Sete Cidades National Park in Piauí. Along the way, it crosses three distinct biomes and passes through small towns where locals are restoring forests and discovering ancient rock art.

The idea behind the trails is simple but powerful: people protect what they know. "There's no point telling people you only protect what you know if you don't give them the tools to know," says Pedro Cunha e Menezes, who designed Brazil's trail policy launched in 2018. "The trail is this tool."

The paths do more than connect hikers to nature. They help control wildfires, deter poaching, and create corridors for wildlife to migrate between protected areas. Brazil now has 22 official long-distance trails spanning 4,350 miles, with hundreds more shorter paths adopting the distinctive black and yellow footprint markers.

The Ripple Effect

For communities along the Ibiapaba trail, the path means opportunity. Teresinha Moura, 60, opened a bed and breakfast after sugarcane farming stopped being profitable. "I love hosting people and sharing our experience," she says.

In São João da Fronteira, 27-year-old Darlene Glória Fausto created a side trail showcasing newly discovered rock engravings thousands of years old. "Besides being a valuable resource that enhances our local history and culture, the trail also brings an economic dimension to our community," she says.

The trails offer farmers an alternative to clearing land. "The trail will show farmers that they can make an income by protecting the forest," says Diego Rodrigues, director of Ubajara park. Local guide Francisco Welio Gomes remembers tension when the park expanded in 2002, but now says things have changed positively as authorities work with communities on tourism.

The movement is spreading globally, with similar trail projects opening in Romania, Greece, Lebanon, and Jordan. In Brazil alone, another 5,600 miles of trails are already planned. Park managers from other regions left the Ibiapaba's inaugural hike in February feeling inspired to build their own.

Countries worldwide are discovering that the path to conservation might literally be a path.