Drone Rules for Caparaó National Park
You can legally fly your drone at Parque Nacional do Caparaó, as the airspace is completely open for responsible use. To ensure a safe and successful flight, you must register your drone with ANAC/ANATEL, log your flight plan on the SARPAS system, keep a safe distance from other hikers on the trails and at summit point
The airspace over the magnificent Caparaó National Park is open to responsible drone flight operations under strict ecological preservation and safety guidelines. Characterized by its high-altitude summits, crystalline waterfalls, and unique transition between Mata Atlântica and mountain ecosystems, this park provides a dramatic and visually stunning setting for legal aerial content creation. To preserve this fragile high-altitude environment, operations must be conducted with absolute respect for local biodiversity and visitor safety.
Regulatory Framework & Permissions: Drone operations are fully allowed for recreational and landscape capturing. All operators must ensure their aircraft is properly registered with ANAC and ANATEL, and flights must strictly follow DECEA regulations (ICA 100-40) for unmanned aircraft.
Flight Authorization & Coordination: Standard recreational flights do not require a specialized individual environmental permit, but you must log your flight path and request clearance via the SARPAS portal. For professional, commercial, or documentary media productions within the National Park boundaries, obtaining prior written authorization from the ICMBio park management is mandatory.
Geofencing & Flight Conditions: The park's coordinates are not blocked by permanent firmware-level Red Zones by drone manufacturers, meaning your aircraft will unlock and take off normally. However, pilots must be exceptionally careful with the region's climate: the high altitude and extreme mountain topography produce intense and sudden wind gusts that can destabilize aircraft and rapidly accelerate battery drain.
Environmental & Access Restrictions: To keep your flights legal, drones must never disturb or closely track the local fauna, especially endangered species of the region. Additionally, operators must maintain a safe distance from tourist groups on trails and at the summit areas to protect public privacy and safety.
Legal Penalties: Flying a drone recklessly over visitors, harassing wild animals, or operating without proper SARPAS logging will lead to immediate flight termination by park rangers. Violations are subject to equipment confiscation, heavy administrative fines under federal environmental protection laws, and criminal prosecution under Article 261 of the Brazilian Penal Code if airspace safety is compromised.