The Snoring Mountains
A remote range in central Brazil is named for the deep snoring sound the wind makes through its rocks, and legends say it hides lost cities.
What was reported
The Serra do Roncador, the 'Snorer's Range', is a long line of rocky hills in Mato Grosso. It takes its name from the low, rumbling sound the wind makes as it passes through the gaps and caves in its rocks.
In the 20th century, the area became the centre of legends about hidden cities, tunnels and lost civilisations. The British explorer Percy Fawcett was heading into this part of Brazil in search of a lost city he called 'Z' when he was last heard from in 1925.
Explanations offered
The roaring sound is caused by wind moving through the rock formations, a natural effect found in other rocky landscapes. No evidence of hidden cities has been found in the range, though archaeologists have since found large ancient settlements elsewhere in the region.
- When
- Legends from the 1900s
- Where
- Serra do Roncador, Mato Grosso, Brazil
- Witnesses
- Explorers, settlers and spiritual seekers
- Status
- Mostly explained
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.