One of the most beautiful national parks
Chapada Diamantina is one of Brazil's most beautiful national parks: mountains, rocks, valleys and rivers make this eco-destination a unique location. The Chapada Diamantina National Park is located about 300 km west of Salvador da Bahia and covers an area of 1540 km². It consists of steep cliff formations interspersed with extensive stretches of "Caatinga" (steppe-like area), "Cerrado" (savannah-like area), stretches of Atlantic rainforest and "Pântano" (grassland with permanent plant growth) and bisected by rivers. This diversity of ecosystems gives an equally great diversity of flora and fauna. The rare moon wolf, jaguar and ocelot can be found there, as well as bird species such as the king vulture, crown eagle, crested seriema and redback macaw. Among the sights are the extensive caves of Gruta do Lapa Doce and Pratinha (with beautiful blue water). The 384 m high Cachoeira da Fumaça (smoke waterfall) is the second highest waterfall in Brazil. Due to an upward air flow, the water of this waterfall is pushed back up again, which gives the smoke effect. Be sure to visit the blood red Cachoeira do Diabo and the Cachoeira do Roncador waterfalls. Petroglyphs show that people lived in the area thousands of years ago. But the first permanent settlements arose when the Portuguese began to exploit the gold and diamond mines in 1844.
