Chapada Diamantina National Park is 1,500 square miles of amazing natural beauty in the state of Bahia. There is so much to see and do in this stunning Brazilian natural paradise from panoramic mountain views, stunning waterfalls, fascinating caves and indigenous culture.

Where is Chapada Diamantina located

State of Bahia 311km west of Salvador near the town of Lençóis

How to get to Chapada Diamantina

Bus: Buses depart from Salvador Terminal Rodoviário to Lençóis the journey takes about 7 hours. You can book tickets online with Busbud or from the bus terminal.

Plane: Lençóis Coronel Horacio de Mattos Airport has limited flights that are mostly serviced from Belo Horizonte with Azul.

Car: Car hire is available in Salvador.

Getting Around

Guided Tours: There are many tour companies available in Lençóis that have various packages available

Hire a car: There are car rental companies in Lençóis. Renting a car gives you more freedom to explore the park.

When is the best time to visit Chapada Diamantina

Chapada Diamantina is close to the equator so it has hot temperatures all year round and has a dry and rainy season because of that.

Dry Season (May–August): The peak tourist season, with drier weather and sunny days. Temperatures averaging between 16 °C (60 °F) – 27 °C (80 °F)

Rainy Season (November–March): Rainy days that can get in the way of your plans, but the rivers and waterfalls are at their peak during this time. Temperatures averaging between 20 °C (68 °F) – 30 °C (86 °F)

Our Verdict: March to October is the best time to visit for the best weather. We visited in November and couldn’t visit Fumaca waterfall as it was dried up so definitely come earlier if that is a place you would like to visit.

Where to stay

Lençóis: Lençóis is a beautiful little town in the heart of Chapada Diamantina and the best place to base yourself while you explore the area. The town has everything you need like restaurants, tour guides and pretty much anything else you will need.

Resorts: There are some resorts in the area outside Lecois in a jungle setting. Stay in a resort if you want to get close to nature and away from other humans.

Things to do in Chapada Diamnatina

We took 2 different tours over 2 days that took us to various places around the park. We used a company called Zentur for both tours and you can check out there website as they have loads of itinerary’s available. On the 3rd day we hiked from Lençóis to an epic swimming hole with a natural waterslide!

The first tour was called Segradas das Grutas which translates to something like Secret Caves. On the Zentur website it’s listed as Route 1

Poco do Diabo

The first stop was Poco do Diabo, which means “Devil’s pool” , there is a short hike along the Mucugezinho River to a super refreshing pool with a stunning waterfall cascading into it. We spent some time here swimming in the water and there is also a zipline for those who are up for it.

Gruta do Fumaca

Gruta da fumaca is a spectacular cave system that we explored for about half an hour where our guide told us all about the cave and pointed out all the interesting formations. There are tiny needle like stalactites that we got to see up close in a really low room that was definitely the highlight.

Pratinha

Pratinha is a stunning natural blue pool surrounded by rock formations, lush vegetation, and an intricate system of underground caves. There are plenty of activities to do here including swimming, zip line and cave diving. It’s a very beautiful place but probably a little too busy for our liking.

Morro do Pai Inacio

Morro do Pai Inacio is one of the most famous landmarks of the park. Here we went on a short hike to the top of the hill where there are two viewpoints. From the viewpoints you get commanding views of the most iconic views in the park. We stayed here and watched the sunset and it was fantastic such a deep bright orange hue.

Day 2 we went on the Mystirios Rupestres tour which is Route 6 on the Zentur website

Serra das Paridas

Serra das Paridas is a mountain range that is known for its exceptional collection of rock art, which dates back more than 10,000 years. The art, which was created by the indigenous peoples of the region, depicts animals, humans, and intricate geometric designs. This was a really fascinating spot learning the history and trying to interpret what the images could represent.

Cachoeira do mosquito

Cachoeira do Mosquito is a stunning waterfall with crystal-clear waters cascading down a cliff and surrounded by lush green vegetation. This waterfall is accessed by a short hike into the valley where you will get stunning views on the way down before you reach this beautiful waterfall. We got to cool off under the refreshing waterfall which was a great reward for the hike.

Ribeirão de Meio

Ribeirão de Meio is a series of stunning natural swimming pools located near Lençóis. The crystal-clear waters of the Ribeirão de Meio river flow through the stunning landscape of lush vegetation, and fascinating rock formations, creating an oasis in the middle of the Brazilian wilderness.

You can hike to Ribeirão de Meio from Lençóis without a guide, it only takes a couple of hours to get there and you can cool off with a refreshing water or if you are up for it slide down the natural waterfall!

Lençóis

Lençóis is a charming town in the heart of Chapada Diamantina, and was once a bustling diamond mining town with remnants of its past can still be seen in the town’s historic buildings and streets.

Where to Eat & Drink

Rua Das Pedras and Rua Miguel Calmon: These 2 beautiful walking streets are lined with restaurants that come alive in the evening when everyone returns from exploring the park. Pick whatever place that takes your fancy and sit in the street and soak in the atmosphere. The streets will be filled with live music and a really cool and friendly atmosphere as people unwind and share stories about the days adventures.

Our Experience

Chapada Diamantina and Lençóis was our favourite place in Brazil! We are massive nature lovers and and prefer charming small towns over big cities so this place ticked all our boxes. If you are planning to visit Brazil put this at the top of the list and plan everything around this park that’s how good it is.

Next Stop:

Also check out our YouTube video below 👇