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- Cachoeira Santa Bárbara: Outside the national park proper, this Kalunga community waterfall feeds a turquoise pool with a blue so vivid it looks edited. Entry is paid at the gate and a guide is required.
- Saltos do Rio Preto: Two big waterfalls, about 80 and 120 meters, drop into dark pools. The trail ends at a deck where you can swim in the calm lower pool.
- Canyons and Cariocas trail: A long loop through sandstone gorges with a string of natural pools. It is the park's signature walk, so expect a full day.
- Vale da Lua: On private land just outside the park near São Jorge, smooth, eroded quartz and basalt formations carved by the river into basins and potholes. Wade through them in shallow water for the best photos.
- Cataratas dos Couros: Wide, layered cascades with an easy access path. Good for
- Cachoeira Santa Bárbara: Outside the national park proper, this Kalunga community waterfall feeds a turquoise pool with a blue so vivid it looks edited. Entry is paid at the gate and a guide is required.
- Saltos do Rio Preto: Two big waterfalls, about 80 and 120 meters, drop into dark pools. The trail ends at a deck where you can swim in the calm lower pool.
- Canyons and Cariocas trail: A long loop through sandstone gorges with a string of natural pools. It is the park's signature walk, so expect a full day.
- Vale da Lua: On private land just outside the park near São Jorge, smooth, eroded quartz and basalt formations carved by the river into basins and potholes. Wade through them in shallow water for the best photos.
- Cataratas dos Couros: Wide, layered cascades with an easy access path. Good for a short half-day swim.
- Jardim de Maytrea: A free roadside viewpoint on the GO-239 toward São Jorge, looking over buriti palm wetlands to the Morro da Baleia. You see it from outside the fence, since entry is not allowed.
- Cerrado wildlife and birdwatching: Toucans, rheas and macaws appear in the early morning along open trails; keep an ear out for the shuffle of anteaters in the grass.
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Hi, I’m Johan (Netherlands 🇳🇱), the creator of TakeYourBackpack. Over the past 3 decades, I’ve backpacked through 90+ countries across six continents, gaining extensive experience with independent travel, long-term trips, and overland routes.