Chapada dos Veadeiros-GO (English Version)

On april's holiday this year, my two adventurous friends and me decided to go to Chapada dos Veadeiros-GO, to spend some days.

Sick and tired about the daily routine, all that we wanted for that days was to be in a peaceful place, with nature around and nice tour. As the Chapada dos Veadeiros was an old dream for me, I've invited them to this trip and they liked.

As one of my friends lives near from the region and she already knows something about the Chapada, we didn't make big plans, and decided to follow her advices about the places to visit. However, a good planning involving the places to visit is essential when you go to a region where you have never been before.

As soon as we arrived in the Chapada, the first place we visited was São Bento's waterfall. Of all the waterfalls we have gone, this waterfall has the easier path to follow: short hiking with easy access.

The Chapada has plenty of astonishing beauty places, but the more beautiful the place is, the more difficult is the access to achieve this. So, if you want to seize the best of Chapada, you need to be prepared to face long hiking, where you need some good fitness. But I can affirm: every droplet of sweat is well worth when you arrive in every waterfall, every belvedere. The landscape that you see is as a reward for the effort.

São Bento's Waterfall

After relaxing a bit in São Bento’s waterfall, we continued our way toward São Jorge’s Village, the place where we had booked the inn. And there is the gift we had during the way: this amazing sunset!

End of the Afternoon

In the second day of the trip, we went to Vale da Lua. When we arrived there, we had to sign a book with our data, in case of some eventuality. And it is really efficient, because I’ve lost some money in the glasses box, and they got in touch with me to devolve it.

The ticket to entrance to Vale da Lua costs R$ 10,00. And you have to walk about 1.200 m to arrive there. Vale da Lua, that in English is Moon Valley, really resembles to lunar surface (by the photos we already know, as mere mortal humans have never been there before…). It’s awesome!!! It’s a unique place, different from all that I’ve ever seen before!!!

Among the craters where the river passes by, in a part of the valley, there is a natural pool, with a rope to delimit the local of permanence, because there is some current.     

Vale da Lua

After a good lunch in a restaurant of a local family, we walked a bit toward Praia do Jatobá, that is a river with cold water and some little stones surrounded by nature.

Praia do Jatobá

At night, we walked around São Jorge’s Village, and we decided to go to Taiuá, a kind of camp with bar and music. One good band, Jeremias na Estrada, was playing a reggae. It was a nice place, where who was camping there could sleep looking to the stars, because the bed was in a structure without roof!!! Very cool!!!

We went to the inn quite early, because our focus was in the hiking trails. And doing the hiking being hungover it’s not the best choice! Not only because of the bad physical condition, but it is also because the hazard involved. Even though the Chapada is a very beautiful place, there are many abysses there.

In the third day of the trip, we went quite early to the Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros, which is considered as Natural World Heritage by UNESCO (United Nations, Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization). We did the hiking toward the canyons, that is about 10 Km (round trip). The level of difficulty of this hiking is medium. For this kind of hiking, it is better to contract a tourist guide, because this professional knows as nobody the region, avoiding the risk to get lost in the park. Furthermore, the Chapada dos Veadeiros is plenty of waterfalls, so, there is a risk of sudden flash floods in case of raining, making the hiking a dangerous activity. So, the tourist guide orients us about the places we have to avoid in periods of rain.

As the tourist guide knows as nobody the region, only this professional is capable to guide us about the places we must avoid during the raining, because of the risk of sudden flash floods. We went to the region in a good period, that is when the weather is dry. Without raining, the tour becomes easier and without risks of sudden flash floods. Taking account about this, the best period to visit the region is between the months of April and September.

During the hiking, it is possible to perceive how the biome of the Brazilian Cerrado is: vegetation of small trees with twisted branches, thick leaves (just to lose less water). It is common to say that the trees of the Cerrado resemble to an inverted forest, because, due to the tropical climate (and dry during a long period), the trees have deep roots (which can reach up to 20 m of depth) that permit them to reach the groundwaters. There are also beautiful flowers in the rustic vegetation of Cerrado. Among of them, there is the Candombá flower, whose oil has analgesic effect. Our tourist guide has said to us that is possible to find orchids (but we weren’t lucky enough them). A very nice little plant too is the Chuveirinho.

Along the way, it is possible to see the scars of mining by deep holes left on the ground in the last decades. One thing that caught my attention was the huge quantity of crystals around the way. So beautiful!

Below, there are some photos taken along this hiking:

Candombá Flower

Chuveirinho

Canyon II

Carioquinha's Waterfall

In the fourth day of the trip, we did a hiking of about 8 Km (round trip), which level of difficulty is hard. For this hiking, we also contracted a tourist guide, that was the same of the hiking of the canyons; His name is Nil. Nil is a nice person, very careful with us, and he also talked about some stories about the Chapada dos Veadeiros.

This hiking was really harder. We went at first to Abismo, that is a belvedere of an eye-catching landscape. There are 2 waterfalls on this place that form a natural pool with a stunning color. Our first thought was to enter on the waterfall to refresh us, but the tourist guide suggested to continue the hiking, and leave the waterfalls to the end of the tour.

We went down the hill, passed through a plain ground, where there are some little ways of water on the ground, and arrived in another hill. We started to climb the hill, what it wasn’t easy. But we were well prepared for this: we had bottles of water, which we filled up during the way; bananas, to provide energy to us, and cereal bar, to relieve the hunger.

Some parts of the climbing were steeper, so, we had to hold to branches, stones. It was a very good physical exercise!!! But when we arrived to Janela, it was too much rewarding!!! It was well worth every droplet of sweat!!! The landscape was gorgeous!!! There are 2 big stones that build something like a window. This is the reason for the name be Janela (window, in English). By the view of this window, you can see an amazing waterfall so far away. We have climbed the 2 big stones. Although in the right stone the climb is easier, I wasn’t courageous enough to climb this, because you can see the cliff behind you!!! For me, it was terrifying!!! Even though the left stone was harder to climb, I preferred this, because I cannot see the cliff. On the left stone, I could see the park by a 360º view!!! It was really fantastic!!! Speechless!!! I could be for hours admiring that wonderful landscape!!!

We went down the hill very happy and realized, and when we had to climb the Abismo’s hill again, it was milder after see something so awesome!!! And the end of the hiking was to spend the rest of the afternoon in the Abismo’s natural pool… kkkk

Abismo's Natural pool

Abismo's Natural pool

Janela

In the final day of the trip, we did a zip line of 850 m of length and 55 m high. So cool!!! After this, we did a hiking toward Almécegas I’s waterfall. This hiking wasn’t so long, but it was really hard! Near from the waterfall, we had to hold in some ropes to went down the hill, because the downhill was very steep. One more time, I affirm: It is well worth every droplet of sweat by the reward we had of being in a so beautiful place!!! Sitting in some of the stones with the head under the waterfall, it’s priceless!!!

Unfortunately, we didn't have time enough to know the Almécegas II, but some people said to us that Almécegas I is more beautiful than Almécegas II.

Zip-Line

So, this is the end of our trip!!! With many adventurous in the luggage and many plans for the futures hikings in the places that unfortunately we didn’t have time enough to know. Even with a whole life, it is impossible to explore all the natural beauties of Chapada dos Veadeiros!!!