In the heart of the state of Bahia, Chapada Diamantina includes uncountable options for who wishes to discover rare sceneries of beauty with a rich historical background. The region holds the highest diversity of saliences in the country, uniting many sierras, waterfalls, canyons and caves. We’ll come across cities related to the diamond cycle rich of stories and legends.
Day 1 Getting out of Ilhéus in direction of Ibicoara we’ll go through Jequié to reach one of the most beautiful places of Chapada: the waterfall Buracão. Formed by the rivers Espelhado, Mucugezinho, Jiboia and Riachão das Pedras, the waterfall is 80 meters tall, plunging from the high walls made of innumerous rock layers giving us an amazing show of natural beauty. We’ll get there by car until we reach the place where the trail starts. The hike is flat along the river Espelhado, by the waterfall Orchidias, until we reach the descent, which brings us to the canyon of the waterfall Buracão. Free time and back to the hotel. Overnight accommodation in Ibicoara.
Day 2 We’ll leave the hotel for our next destination: Mucugê. The small colonial city was established in the 19th century, at the time of diamond exploitation, which made the town one of the richest in the country for a brief moment. There we’ll visit the beautiful byzantine cemetery with gothic graves and white and pointy mausoleums creating a special atmosphere. After that, we’ll visit the project Sempre Vida and the mining museum. The Project is a municipal park hosting a flower called Sempre Vida (life always) – from its exploration to its preservation. The museum holds pieces that were used to polish diamonds, clothing and tools and other artifacts of the time. We’ll visit the city of Iguato, the main reference in diamond mining history in Bahia. Today the city is unique with its ruins of houses carved on the sierras, some of which have been restored, giving a special atmosphere to the place. Overnight accommodation in Igatu.
Day 3 We’ll head to Lençóis. Before becoming one of the gates to the national park of Chapada Diamantina, Lençóis was the capital of diamond. We’ll start with the visit of Poço Encantado (enchanted pond) e o Poço Azul (blue pond) that are water pools inside caves with crystal clear water. These are the most singular attractions of the region. Poço Encantado is hidden at the end of a cave and is accessible with the help of ropes. The natural pool is crystal clear blue and makes a mirror of 110 meters long and 70 meters wide. Poço Azul is a cave overflown by crystal clear blue water. It reaches a depth of 16 m and some parts are accessible to swim. Although it’s deep, we can see clearly the rocky formation at the bottom. Overnight accommodation in Lençóis.
We’ll go on with our adventure at the Poço do Diabo (pond of the devil). The river Mucugezinho runs on some tracks on flat rocks forming slides and pits. Among them the Poço do Diabo and its waterfalls with a fall of 20 meters. The place received this name for two reasons: the river is reddish and the sanguinary fury of the mining colonels who would throw in the bodies of escaping salves. In the afternoon we’ll visit the Gruta da Fumaça and a Pratinha. A Pratinha is known as the “oasis of Bahia’s interior” and is definitely a special place that enchants instantaneously. It’s a place of rare beauty with caves, lagoons, wild flowers and many types of fish that are visible to the naked eye the water is so clear. After that we’ll go to the Morro do Pai Inácio (Mount of Father Inácio). It’s 1.1500 m high and offers a unique view of enchanting landscapes anywhere we look: Serra do Sincorá, Morrão, Morro do Camelo and a beautiful sunset at the end of the day.
