Chapada Diamantina is a tableland plateau in the state of Bahia, a landscape of ancient quartzite mesas, deep river canyons, crystal-clear pools, and some of the most dramatic waterfalls in South America. The national park at its heart protects 152,000 hectares of cerrado (savanna), caatinga (dry scrubland), and gallery forest, carved by rivers that have spent millions of years cutting into the sedimentary rock. The result is a landscape of extraordinary variety: from the lunar surface of the high plateau (chapada) to the lush canyon floors where wild orchids and bromeliads cling to the cliff faces.
The town of Lençóis is the main base for visiting the park — a beautifully preserved 19th-century diamond-mining town with cobbled streets and colonial architecture, now living off ecotourism rather than gems. The park was named for the diamonds found here from the 1840s onward, and the legacy of the garimpo (mining) era shows in the carved channels, stone walls, and ghost-town hamlets scattered through the park. The miners are long gone; the rivers they diverted have largely reclaimed their old courses.
The hiking here is excellent and the logistics are straightforward: guides are required in the park and are available in Lençóis. The essential sights include Cachoeira da Fumaça, at 340 metres one of Brazil's tallest waterfalls, the prehistoric cave paintings at Poço do Diabo, the crystalline swimming holes at Ribeirão do Meio, and the summit of Morro do Pai Inácio for the classic panoramic view of the plateau. For a longer expedition, the subterranean river at Gruta do Lapão and the multi-day trek to the summit of Pico do Barbado (2,033 metres, Bahia's highest point) are rewarding for those with more time.