Alto Paraíso (Chapada dos Veadeiros)

A hidden corner of Brazil's Cerrado, with crystal quartz plateaus, canyons, waterfalls and the Vale da Lua, a World Heritage hiking destination.

Chapada dos Veadeiros lies in northeastern Goiás in central-western Brazil, about 230 km from the capital, Brasília. It is an ancient quartzite plateau at 1,000–1,700 m rising from the Cerrado savanna. Its core national park, together with Emas National Park, is inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site as the "Cerrado Protected Areas", and is dotted with canyons, waterfalls, rock pools and buriti palm wetlands. Visitors mainly stay in two places: the town of Alto Paraíso, which has full facilities and nearby waterfalls such as Loquinhas, Cristais and Almécegas; and the village of São Jorge, right by the national park entrance, where you can hike the Trilha dos Saltos and Trilha dos Cânions and visit the Vale da Lua and the Mirante da Janela. Farther north, near Cavalcante, the Kalunga community is home to the blue pool of the Santa Bárbara Waterfall, which needs a separate day and a community guide. May–September is the dry season, with clear skies and crystal-clear water, the best time for hiking; the November–March rainy season brings the most spectacular waterfalls, but dirt roads turn muddy and flash floods can strike. It takes about 3 hours to drive from Brasília in a rental car, and long-distance buses also run to Alto Paraíso. Most sights are on private land, and most charge admission; some require a guide. Plan on 4–6 days. Bring sun protection, plenty of cash and drinking water.

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