Chapada Diamantina National Park is perfect for those who love wild, untouched nature and off the beaten path places with virtually no tourists. Besides the world's class wonders such as spectacular caves with clear blue waters where you can swim as well as table mountains covered with cactuses and succulents, Chapada Diamantina offers in no way less impressive rivers and waterfalls. During our 3-day stay in this beautiful National Park, we had a chance to explore quite a lot, however, there's so much more to see and in this post you'll see only a fraction of what you can expect. Nevertheless, those 3 days were more than enough to fall in love with Chapada Diamantina!

How to get to Chapada Diamantina

First, you have to reach the little, beautiful town of Lencois located in the middle of a massive forest. It's the heart and base for trip all around Chapada Diamantina. From there, you can rent a car and drive around or choose from various tours - there are many tour offices and hostels. To find out all detailed information about how to get to Lencois and the town itself, check my post about it here - I have described everything in detail.

Rivers and waterfalls of Chapada Diamantina

Cachoeira da Fumaca (Smoke Waterfall)

Cachoeira da Fumaca (meaning Smoke Waterfall) is definitely the most spectacular, not only in Chapada Diamantina, but also on a global scale. The water falls down off a sharp cliff more than 340 m (1100 ft.). To reach Cacoeira da Fumaca, you need at least one full day as the hike is long and adventurous but the views - unforgettable (you have to admire it lying down!). I will describe the whole trip to Cachoeira da Fumaca and how to get there in detail in the future.

Poco do Diablo, Mucugezinho river and other waterfalls

Mucugezinho river as well as other rivers in Chapada Diamantina have an amazing, unique, deep red color of water and bright pink hue of rocks. There are literally dozens of waterfalls everywhere you go. We have seen the one called Poco do Diablo and others with no names during one day trip which also included a climb to the top of the Pai Inacio Mountain (I'll write a separate post about it soon). For more details, check this website.

If you wish to drive, Poco do Diablo waterfall is situated around 20 km north (12 miles) from Lencois. It would take around 30 minutes to drive.

In some parts (including Podo do Diablo), you can take a swim which is especially nice and refreshing (as the water is quite cool) during the rainy season (January-March). Besides the waterfalls, pay attention to the surrounding bushes and shrubs - you'll see plenty of wildlife!

If you like photography, the trip can also be an amazing chance to take some beautiful, long exposure photos, as the river and falls are incredibly attractive, so don't forget the tripod.

Poco do Diablo waterfall - long exposure photo

The table mountains with the Pai Inacio peak offer the spectacular, postcard views over this magnificent National Park. The top is different from the surrounding area - the surface is rocky and there are cactuses and succulents everywhere. I'll post a detailed article on the mountains of Chapada Diamantina soon.

Have a look at "Related Posts" below to find more articles about Chapada Diamantina and Brazil.