Brazil trekking holiday
| country: | Brazil |
| trip type: | Moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | 2008: 22 Oct |
| price: | From £640 - £920 (10-13 days) excluding flights. Domestic flights not included. We can arrange flights from the UK. Minimum group size 6 people |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Chapada Diamantina is one of the best ecotourism destinations in Brazil and a great choice for the adventurous.
This mountain range runs north to south through the state of Bahia in northeast Brazil, and our trip is dedicated to walking and trekking in the mountains for 10 days departing from Salvador or 13 days departing from Rio de Janeiro.
Mules accompany the trip and carry all luggage and supplies, leaving you free to enjoy the walking, good company and stunning scenery.
For million of years, rivers have carved Diamantina’s sandstone mountains, forming unique shapes, vast waterfalls, caverns of crystal clear waters and beautiful valleys. It is scattered with the colonial architecture of old diamond mining communities and the famous Bahia hospitality. The dramatic table-topped mountains provide stunning views of the region with unusual and varied flora, from cacti to bromeliads and wild orchids.
Trekking highlights include:Visit to Poco do Diabo (Devil’s Pool) and sunset at Pai Inacio for spectacular views of Chapada Diamantina. Walking through high altitude pastures then overnight at local farm. Hard hiking day around Cachoeirao waterfall to bathe in the fresh water pool. Poco Encantado (Enchanted Pool) & magical Poco Azul (Blue Pool) in cave; refreshing swim & snorkel. Stay in village guesthouse at Xique-Xique de Igatu.
Price details: Includes pre-and post-trip guesthouse/hotel accommodation, twin room, B&B, local jeep transfers in Chapada Diamantina, all accommodation during trekking (shared), all meals during the trek (some picnic lunches) and bilingual guide/tour leader throughout the trip. Please note: international travel, internal flights and medical insurance are not included.
This mountain range runs north to south through the state of Bahia in northeast Brazil, and our trip is dedicated to walking and trekking in the mountains for 10 days departing from Salvador or 13 days departing from Rio de Janeiro.
Mules accompany the trip and carry all luggage and supplies, leaving you free to enjoy the walking, good company and stunning scenery.
For million of years, rivers have carved Diamantina’s sandstone mountains, forming unique shapes, vast waterfalls, caverns of crystal clear waters and beautiful valleys. It is scattered with the colonial architecture of old diamond mining communities and the famous Bahia hospitality. The dramatic table-topped mountains provide stunning views of the region with unusual and varied flora, from cacti to bromeliads and wild orchids.
Trekking highlights include:
Price details: Includes pre-and post-trip guesthouse/hotel accommodation, twin room, B&B, local jeep transfers in Chapada Diamantina, all accommodation during trekking (shared), all meals during the trek (some picnic lunches) and bilingual guide/tour leader throughout the trip. Please note: international travel, internal flights and medical insurance are not included.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Rio de Janeiro. Transfer to hotel on arrival. Free afternoon. |
| Day 2: | Departure to explore the Sugar Loaf, a dramatic granite rock and well-known landmark in Rio. Stroll along a beautiful shoreline path and hike along a trail with wonderful views of Rio’s bay. Cable car to the summit where there is a breathtaking view of Guanabara Bay, cable car back down. Return to the hotel for overnight stay. |
| Day 3: | Departure to the Tijuca Forest, known as the largest urban forest on earth. Visits to the best viewpoints, waterfalls and hikking up Tijuca Peak. Afternoon visit to the charming district of Santa Teresa and short drive up to Corcovado to see the most famous image of Rio; the statue of Christ. Return to hotel for overnight stay. |
| Day 4: | Flight to Salvador, or if on 10 day trip, join the group for transfer to Lençóis (6 hours). Arrival at Lençóis, free afternoon. Overnight. |
| Day 5: | Departure to and visit of Poço do Diabo (Devils’s Pool) followed by sunset at Pai Inácio (Father Inácio’s Hill), journey to the top by car and on foot (15mins). At 1240m altitude, there are some of the most spectacular views of Chapada. Overnight at Lençóis. |
| Day 6: | Departure to the Cachoeira da Fumaça (waterfall) with a 340m drop. Packed lunch provided. Transfer to Capão. Overnight at Pousada do Capão. |
| Day 7: | Start of the main trek – this first day is the hardest. Walk to the Patí Valley, through the beautiful altitude fields Gerais do Viera and Ruinha, the old community centre. Afternoon arrival at Mr Wilson’s home (a local dweller’s house), overnight stay. |
| Day 8: | Departure to two unexplored waterfalls, Funil and Lajedo. Lunch at Mrs Léia’s house. “Scale hike” up to the Morro do Caselo. Up there, you will enjoy the sunset and find a quartz grotto. Return to Mr Wilsons house. Overnight. |
| Day 9: | Continue walking inside the valley. Picnic at Poço da Árvore. More hiking through the valley to Mr Massur’s house, by the entrance of the Cachoeirão valley. Overnight. |
| Day 10: | After breakfast, a whole day is spent at Cachoeirão (big waterfall) with hard trekking. Walk along the huge rocks of the riverbed after invigorating baths on the way to the base of the 200m waterfall. Return by the end of the afternoon and last overnight at Pati Valley, at Mr Bezo’s house. |
| Day 11: | Early breakfast and start to walk the last trail of the Pati Valley trek. Arrival at Andaraí at noon. Pick up by jeep to visit the Poço Encantado (Enchanted Pool), one of the most visited places in Chapada with a magical atmosphere and Poço Azul (Blue Pool) inside a cave where the refreshing bath and surface diving are amazing. Transfer to Xique-Xique de Igatu, a small village. Dinner and overnight at Pousada Pedras de Igatu. |
| Day 12: | After breakfast, transfer to Salvador. Arrival in Salvador, check in and overnight. |
| Day 13: | Free morning to relax at the beach. Checkout at noon and transfer to the airport. |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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When out on tour we encourage learning about the country we are travelling in, the local culture of the people we work with and the areas we pass through. Our guides and tour leaders hold informal talks with all groups to inform about and discuss with them all aspects of local life. This helps understanding of the area and appreciation of the people who live there. It is our policy to carefully dispose of all waste, whilst we are on trek. All non-organic waste is carried out and organic waste is buried at a suitable depth.
Food is purchased locally and we use food products with as little packaging as possible, and encourage cooking with local products. We cook with gas and use recyclable glass as opposed to plastic wherever possible. Whilst in towns we use small locally owned hotels or 'pousadas' wherever possible, and in the national parks accommodation is in the homes of local farmers thus providing them with a source of income which prevents the destruction of the surrounding environment. Through our local agents regular contributions are made to community projects. Local residents are encouraged to switch from extractive activities, such as hunting and removing and selling native orchids, to ecotourism and handicraft activities.  Our partners in Brazil contribute in the following ways: |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |