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Botucatu, located in the interior of São Paulo, will host the 1st Paulista Seminar on the Peabiru Paths on November 10th and 11th. This event will bring together researchers, Indigenous community representatives, and public managers to discuss recent findings about the ancestral Indigenous route that traversed South America.
Organized by the State Tourism and Travel Secretariat (Setur-SP) in collaboration with the municipalities of Botucatu, São Manuel, Bofete, and Pardinho, along with the Cuesta Polo Consortium and the Brazilian Trail Network, the seminar aims to merge scientific research, ancestral heritage, and public policy for the promotion of the cultural and natural heritage of Peabiru.
The symbolic route in Botucatu is already recognized by both visitors and scholars studying the Peabiru. Sixteen cities in São Paulo are currently engaged in gathering historical and scientific data alongside the local community and academia. It is believed that the Peabiru Path was used by the Guarani before European contact. This network of trails, constructed by South American Indigenous peoples, connected the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, spanning Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, and Peru. The name derives from the Tupi-Guarani expression “tape avirú,” meaning “compressed grassy path.”
Tourism Project and Regional Integration
Building on research and studies, the São Paulo government is developing a historical, cultural, and tourism project inspired by Peabiru, which includes the creation of thematic routes throughout the state. These routes will provide experiences that blend history, culture, nature, spirituality, and interaction with local communities.
This project celebrates Indigenous cultural heritage and recognizes the knowledge and presence of these communities, which are essential for preserving the nation’s memory and cultural foundation. Setur-SP is also coordinating efforts with the governments of Paraná, which has been investigating this theme since 2005 and currently involves 84 municipalities, and with Santa Catarina, through which the Peabiru route passes about 15 cities. The Brazilian Long-Distance Trail Network and the Forestry Foundation are also partners in this initiative, aimed at integrating environmental conservation efforts with sustainable tourism.
Research and New Initiatives
Initial technical visits have taken place in the Cuesta Paulista region, including Botucatu, Bofete, and Pardinho, where there is already collaboration among tourism stakeholders, guides, agencies, municipal managers, and universities. Notable studies include works by USP researcher Gabriel Tonin, who authored “Limits and Possibilities of Tourism on the Peabiru Path in the Botucatu Region” and “Deconstructing and (Re)constructing Indigenous Narratives in the Botucatu Territory: Linking Tourism and Heritage through a Decolonial Perspective.”
The project is also expanding into the Ribeira Valley, covering municipalities such as Cananéia, Jacupiranga, Eldorado, Iporanga, and Apiaí, areas historians suggest may be the origins of the Peabiru routes in São Paulo territory.
Additional data collection is underway in São Vicente, Santos, Cubatão, and Ribeirão Pires, focusing on Paranapiacaba, where researchers have produced the documentary “From Paranapiacaba to Peabiru,” exploring the historical and cultural connections of the topic.
New data collection efforts are also taking place in Sorocaba, Salto, Itu, Juquitiba, and São Lourenço da Serra, further bridging scientific research with ancestral knowledge.
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