Paddling near Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais

Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, sits on a plateau in the southeastern Brazilian highlands, surrounded by rivers and reservoirs that draw paddlers year-round. The Represa da Pampulha, right within the city, is a well-known SUP destination — the Lagoa dos Ingleses is among Brazil's most cited stand-up paddle spots. Further out, the Rio das Velhas and Rio Cipó corridors give canoeists and kayakers access to moving water in a landscape of cerrado and Atlantic Forest transition.