Chapada Diamantina

Chapada Diamantina is a great highland of flat-topped mountains and deep valleys in the interior of Bahia, once a diamond-mining region and now a national park that is one of Brazil's premier trekking destinations. The old mining town of Lençóis is the base, and from it trails lead out to some of the country's tallest waterfalls, among them the Cachoeira da Fumaça, which drops so far that the water breaks into mist before reaching the bottom. Elsewhere there are river caves with pools lit an electric blue by sunlight, natural water-slides over smooth rock, viewpoints over the whole plateau from the Pai Inácio mesa, and multi-day treks through the Vale do Pati, often called Brazil's finest walk. It is a place for the outdoors rather than sightseeing, and a local guide is essential for most of it.

What you actually see

• Cachoeira da Fumaça - one of the tallest waterfalls in Brazil, its water turning to mist.
• Poço Azul and Poço Encantado - caves with pools lit brilliant blue by shafts of sunlight.
• Morro do Pai Inácio - the mesa viewpoint over the whole plateau, superb at sunset.
• Vale do Pati - the multi-day trek widely rated the best in the country.

When to go

April to October is the drier season and best for trekking, with firmer trails; the blue pools glow brightest when the sun is high, roughly April to September. The wet season swells the waterfalls but makes trails muddy and rivers dangerous. Days are hot, nights on the plateau cool.

Honest expectations

This is a trekking destination, not a place you see from the car: the best of it takes real walking, often long and steep, and a licensed guide is required for most routes and genuinely needed for navigation and safety. It is six hours from Salvador over variable roads. Waterfall flow and pool colour depend heavily on season and recent rain, so time it right.

Nearby

Lençóis has the accommodation and guides; Salvador and the coast are a long drive east.