Cachoeira da Fumaça is one of the tallest waterfalls in Brazil and one of the most spectacular in South America, a 340-metre plunge off the edge of the Chapada plateau into the valley below. The standard approach is from above — a two-to-three-hour hike from the village of Capão across the plateau surface to the rim, where you look directly down the full height of the fall into the canyon below. The view from the edge, looking out across the valley with the water disappearing into spray far below, is one of the definitive images of Chapada Diamantina.
An alternative approach goes from below, from the village of Yale in the Capão Valley, following the river canyon upstream to the pool at the base. This approach is longer (around 4 hours each way) but gives a completely different perspective — the full height of the cliff above, the mist and thunder of the falls, and the lush canyon vegetation. Both approaches require a licensed guide. The two can be combined as a two-day trip with camping, approaching from above on the first day and descending to the base on the second.