he word Guartelá derives from the Portuguese expressions guar-te-lá, guarda-te-lá, acautela-te-lá, resguarda-te-lá; it names the famous canyon of the Iapó River and a historic fazenda in the Tibagi municipality. It is said that it was spoken by one fazendeiro to another, warning him of the presence of natives: “Guarda-te lá que cá bem fico” (very roughly: Get out of there, it’s safe here). In old Portuguese usage, the words guárte or guarte, were a contraction of guarda-te: run away, turn away, save yourself.

     The Guartelá Canyon is a deep gorge of the Iapó river. It is about thirty kilometers long and has a maximum depth of 450 meters. Located between the Castro and Tibagi municipalities, it is the world’s sixth-longest canyon. Its fantastical geomorphology features rocky escarpments, ruiniform relief, sheltering slabs — someof which hide rock paintings —, waterfalls, and is an exceptional place for viewing the Sandstone Sinkholes in which geological strata are easily observed.

     The 799-hectare Guartelá State Park was created in 1992 in order to protect its rich natural and archaeological and to control tourism in the area. It is possible to follow paths leading to the natural swimming holes at Arroio Pedregulho, to the Ponte de Pedra Falls and the Panelões do Sumidouro.