Três Pontas Mountains

The Três Pontas Mountains is a geological formation located in the Brazilian municipality of Três Pontas, in the southern region of Minas Gerais. Its altitude, which reaches a maximum of 1,234 metres (4,049 ft) above sea level, stands out in relation to the surrounding terrain, with altitudes varying around 900 metres (3,000 ft). Although it seems like an isolated mountain system, the mountain range is considered an extension of the Bocaina Mountains, located about 38 kilometres (24 mi) away in the municipality of Lavras, which, in turn, is considered a counterfort of the Mantiqueira Mountains.

It is basically a rocky massif formed mainly by quartzite and covered with a thin layer of soil resulting from the disintegration of the rocks. The altitude, climate, and rocky composition of the mountain range provide for the formation of peculiar herbaceous structures, characteristic of high-altitude regions. Covered by altitude fields and rupestrian fields, the plant species are quite differentiated from the regions around the mountain. In addition, in the drainage furrows there are forest formations.

Since the beginning of the settlement of the region, around the 18th century, the mountain range was used as a reference point for travelers and muleteers. Slaves also used it as a refuge, building a quilombo (the Cascalho Quilombo) in its vicinity, but it was destroyed shortly thereafter. Its peculiar shape gave birth to the city of Três Pontas and has always been part of the culture of the municipality, being present in municipal symbols and in its cultural productions.