Hiking and Adventure
Hiking and Trekking are not activities regularly associated with Brazil but with 76 national parks, plus many more state and municipal pars, 8,000km of coastline, and unparalleled biodiversity, they certainly should be considered as part of an itinerary for any nature lover. The variety of hikes and treks in Brazil is as immense as you would expect from a large country with so many different types of habitat. The trails of Brazil offer outstanding wildlife viewing and breathtaking panoramas without the breathtaking altitude of Andean Mountain treks.
The Chapada Diamantina National Park around Lençois has some of the finest scenery in Brazil, with spectacular waterfalls such as Fumaça and Buracao dropping from the flat-topped mountains. The Amazon also has its flat-topped mountains, the cloud-covered tepui, and longer-range treks through the rainforest to scale them are as impressive as anything that South America has to offer. Mount Roraima is the most famous and accessible of them, the original Lost World. Serra dos Órgãos has amazing scenery one hour from Rio and the Serra da Capivara is unique in the world with its mix of weird rock formations and cave paintings.
The Chapada Diamantina National Park around Lençois has some of the finest scenery in Brazil, with spectacular waterfalls such as Fumaça and Buracao dropping from the flat-topped mountains. The Amazon also has its flat-topped mountains, the cloud-covered tepui, and longer-range treks through the rainforest to scale them are as impressive as anything that South America has to offer. Mount Roraima is the most famous and accessible of them, the original Lost World. Serra dos Órgãos has amazing scenery one hour from Rio and the Serra da Capivara is unique in the world with its mix of weird rock formations and cave paintings.
Chapada Diamantina
Imagine a place where you can find giant waterfalls, canyons, rapids, caves, rivers, natural swimming pools, enchanted wells, endangered animals, and around 50 different types of orchids. A place where you can go trekking, mountain climbing, diving, abseiling, camping, swimming, zip-lining and see cave paintings and where you can just sit back and relax.
Take a landscape of mesas, weird and fantastic rock formations aboveground, a system of quartzite caves with crystal clear lakes and underground rivers, and you have the setting for some of the wildest eco-adventures in Brazil. The Chapada Diamantina ("Diamond HIghlands") is located in the center of Bahia state, at 420Km from Salvador, in a 38.000Km2 area. The region became famous during the 19th century for the Diamond exploration, that lasted until 1990, when the National Park was finally founded, considered today one of the most beautiful National Parks in Brazil. You can easily combine Chapada Diamantina with another jewel from Bahia: Salvador. The center of African-Brazilian culture and the first capital of Brazil. You can fly from Maceio do Salvador (1h) and from there either fly to Lencois (1h) in the Chapada or take a bus (6 hours). |
Mount Roraima
One of the world's most ancient mountains (dating back to over two billion years ago) and right in the border between Brazil, Venezuela and Guyana, Mount Roraima is a mountain like no other.The 31 square kilometer summit area of Mount Roraima peaking at 2,800m is defined by 400 meter tall cliffs It might look like it's straight out of a sci-fi movie, but this natural wonder is completely real, and fully awe-inspiring. The plateau is often cloaked with clouds, which are more often than not near the top of the mountain. It has a particularly large number of endemic species of flora and fauna inluding a large variety of carnivorous plants – species that can can be found nowhere else on Earth. It was the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel "The Lost World" and more recently the setting of Disney-Pixar's "Up".
While its cliff walls are only scalable by the most experienced of climbers, there is a hiking path up the mountain’s natural ramp-like path (usually a two-day hike). Roraima his completely non-technical trek, but moderately strenuous even with porters to carry most of your gear, and more than moderately strenuous if you are going without porters. The ascent normally requires two and one-half days of hiking from the Pemón village of Paraitepui; the downhill return hike can be done in two days. Hikers should spend a *minimum* of two nights on top of Roraima, in order to have at least one full day to explore its fascinating and other-worldly topside; two or more days on top would be even better.
You can get from Boa Vista, where the treks start from the Brazilian side - from Manaus (1h15 flight). Easily combined with an Amazon expedition!
You can get from Boa Vista, where the treks start from the Brazilian side - from Manaus (1h15 flight). Easily combined with an Amazon expedition!
Serra dos Órgãos
Walking trails, waterfalls, natural swimming pools and tended lawns and gardens make this a pretty place for a picnic. From the main entrance, the road extends into the park as far as Barragem Beija Flor. There are several good walks from near here. The highlight is the Trilha Pedra do Sino – a strenuous round-trip of about eight hours from the end of the park road (R$33 trail fee). The trail passes Cachoeira Veu da Noiva, the vegetation changes from rainforest to grassland, and the reward is a panoramic view stretching all the way to Rio de Janeiro and the Baía de Guanabara. For a shorter walk, head up to the Mirante Alexandre Oliveira (1100m), from where there is a good view of Teresópolis – it’s about a one-hour round-trip from the park road.
There is another, secondary entrance down in the southeast corner of the national park, off the road from Rio. It also has an information center, walking trails and waterfalls. The main entrance to the national park is at the south edge of the town of Teresópolis, off Hwy BR-116 from Rio, about 4km from the center. Teresópolis is only one hour away from Rio. |
Serra dos Órgãos ("Organs Range", "Range of the Organs") is a mountain range in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is probably the most iconic mountain in Brazil. It is located about only a one-hour drive from the city of Rio de Janeiro, so very easy to include in any travel itinerary in Brazil.
The park’s most distinctive features are the strangely shaped peaks of Pedra do Sino (2263m), Pedra do Açu (2230m), Agulha do Diabo (2020m), Nariz do Frade (1919m), Dedo de Deus (1651m), Pedra da Ermitage (1485m) and Dedo de Nossa Senhora (1320m). With so many peaks, it’s no wonder that this is the mountain climbing, rock climbing and trekking center of Brazil. The region has extensive trails, the most famous of which is the 42km, three-day traverse over the mountains from Petrópolis to Teresópolis. Unfortunately, most of the trails are unmarked and off the available maps. Hiring a guide, however, is easy. Inquire at the national park entrance or with Trekking Petrópolis. |
Serra da Capivara
High within the secluded rock shelters of northeastern Brazil exists some of the world's most intriguing ancient rock art. It has the potential to redraft the very story of modern humans. Most known art comes from the archaeologically-important National Park of the Serra da Capivara in the state of Piauí, and it is causing quite a controversy. The reason for the uproar? The rock art is being dated to around 25,000 years ago, while a small number of eminent rock art specialists are proposing an even earlier date - perhaps as far back as 36,000 years ago. If correct, this is set to challenge the widely held view that the Americas were first colonised from the north, via the Bering Straits at around 10,000 BC, only moving down into Central and South America in the millennia thereafter. The area in the middle of the Caatinga vegetation region area that has nothing to do what most people usually picture about Brazil. However, the fauna and flora are very rich and typical representations of the region’s stunted vegetation, where the climate is semi-arid. During the rainy months – between December and May – the vegetation, that seems poor during the dry season, flourishes. Spotted leopards, armadillos, guinea pigs, crested seriemas, wildcats, margays, serpents, and bats live harmoniously with cereus, cacti, jujubes, and pepper trees. More than 200 species of birds have already been catalogued.
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This place is only for the most adventurous. It's in the middle of nowhere and expect to drive at least 500km in the middle of the Caatinga to get there. The gateway to the park is the city of Sao Raimundo Nonato, in the State of Piaui. You can visit the park throughout the year, from 6 AM to 6 PM. The biggest concentration of visitors is during the dry season months – between June and December – when visiting conditions and local fauna observation are better. It is mandatory to hire a certified guide, and it is advisable to take caps, solar protection and water. It is necessary to obtain authorization from FUNDHAM and be accompanied by guides designated by the Park’s administration to stay overnight.
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