Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina and its plateau valleys
Published on 09/22/2026 at 22:46 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael MĂĽller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina is a protected mountain landscape in Bahia, Brazil, where sandstone plateaus break into valleys, caves and waterfalls. Created on 17 September 1985, the park preserves part of the Serra do Sincorá near Lencois.
Sandstone plateaus above Bahia’s interior
The park covers about 152,000 hectares across central Bahia. Its terrain belongs to the Serra do Sincorá, the northern section of the Espinhaço mountain range, which extends through Minas Gerais and Bahia.
High tablelands, rocky fields, forested slopes and semi-arid vegetation form a varied landscape. The protected Serra do Sincorá lies within a wider mountain system shaped by sandstone, water and erosion.
Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest occur within the park. This meeting of Brazilian biomes gives the landscape contrasting vegetation, from dry scrub and open highland plants to denser growth along streams and sheltered valleys.
Waterfalls, rivers and underground chambers
Water is one of the park’s defining features. Rivers descend from the plateaus into ravines, while waterfalls mark the edges of the high ground.
Cachoeira da Fumaça is the best-known waterfall in the protected area. Its drop is recorded at about 390 metres, placing a narrow stream against a high cliff and a deep valley. Cachoeira da Fumaça’s height is one of the park’s clearest measurable landmarks.
The protected area also includes caves, climbing sites, historical locations and the Marimbus wetland, known as the Pantanal of Chapada Diamantina. Around the park, underground lakes and cave systems add a second landscape beneath the plateaus.
Lencois and the history of the diamond region
Lencois is a principal gateway to Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina. The town developed during the nineteenth-century diamond-mining period, and its streets connect the protected landscape with the region’s cultural history.
The park was created by federal decree 91.655 on 17 September 1985. The founding federal decree identifies the Serra do Sincorá and its natural resources as the protected landscape.
Access extends beyond Lencois to Andarai, Ibicoara, Itaete, Mucuge and Palmeiras. These towns sit around different parts of the mountain area, so the park does not function as a single viewpoint or compact attraction. Its valleys, waterfalls and caves belong to a broad geographic setting.
The result is a place where geological form and cultural history remain close together. Diamond-mining heritage belongs to the surrounding settlements, while the national park protects highland ecosystems, water sources and historic sites within the Serra do Sincorá.
Visiting Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Lencois is a principal gateway in Bahia. Other access towns include Andarai, Ibicoara, Itaete, Mucuge and Palmeiras.
- The park contains high plateaus, steep valleys, rocky trails, caves and waterfalls. Walking routes can involve uneven ground, exposed rock and sustained climbs.
- The protected area includes almost 300 km of trails, 33 waterfalls, two caves, ten climbing sites and 16 historical sites.
- The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the Brazilian real.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina
Where is Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina?
The park is in central Bahia, Brazil, within the Serra do Sincorá. Lencois, Palmeiras, Andarai, Ibicoara, Itaete and Mucuge provide access to different areas.
What can visitors expect in the park?
The landscape includes sandstone plateaus, valleys, caves, rivers, waterfalls, wetlands and rocky walking routes. Cachoeira da Fumaça is among its named natural landmarks.
What makes the park distinctive?
Its protected area combines highland geology with Caatinga, Cerrado and Atlantic Forest. The same landscape also carries the history of nineteenth-century diamond mining around Lencois.
