THERE´S MORE TO BRAZIL THAN BEACHES AND FAMOUS CITIES

The continent-sized country also has a vast interior, with forests, mountain ranges (serras) and plateaux (chapadas) of at times staggering beauty. One dominant feature of its more mountainous landscapes is its waterfalls.

Walk a little further into the Brazilian wilderness and the waterfalls empty out. There is a waterfall along the two-day hike along the Vale do Pati, or Pati Valley, in the Chapada Diamantina national park in Bahia that is an oasis on a hot, long and dusty trail. So cool, shady and refreshing that it seems too good to be true.




For hikers, Brazil offers a lot more – there are three chapadas: Chapada Diamantina, in Bahia; Chapada dos Veadeiros, in Goiás; and Chapada dos Guimarães in Mato Grosso.

Excerpts taken from Folha de Sao Paulo, by Dom Phillips

Are you into TREKKING?

The Chapada Diamantina National Park (Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina in Portuguese) is a 1,520 km² national park in the Chapada Diamantina region of the State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil , about 400 kilometres inland from Salvador, the capital city of Bahia.

Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century. Many cave systems were formed by the rivers that run through the region. Several of these rivers run red due to tannin in the water. Both gold and diamonds have been found there.

 

Principal cities and towns in and near the park

• Lençóis
• Palmeiras
• Andaraí
• Mucugé
• Vale Do Capao
• Seabra

Where to stay: http://www.alcinoestalagem.com/index1.htm
Reasonably priced and a remarkable breakfast.