Brazil: Biking in Chapada Diamantina National Park

Salvador, the former capital of Brazil, was founded around 1503. It was first shaped by the cultivation of sugar cane, then by the gold and diamond trade. Salvador has countless palaces, churches and monasteries and is one of the most important cultural and historical cities in Brazil. The residents, the Baianos, have developed a unique Afro-Brazilian culture in Bahia. Today we plunge into the city life of Salvador. On a city tour we get to know the historic old town, the Pelourinho, with all its facets. We have enough time to get used to the tropical climate in Brazil. In the evening we enjoy the nightlife of Salvador.

Overnight: family pousada in the historic center of Salvador

We have time to shop, stroll and explore the old town a little more. We visit the Swiss gemstone specialist Daniel Kläy, known from the TV show “Simple, Luxurious”. He shows us the variety of Brazilian gemstones. We won’t be able to stop being amazed. The bus or our escort vehicle will take us to the Chapada Diamantina in the afternoon. Arrival in the evening.

Transfer: Bus 6 hours
Overnight stay: beautiful hotel with pool in the town of Lençóis

The small colonial town with its narrow streets is a historical gem with buildings worth seeing from the heyday of the diamond finds, which still reflect the wealth of the aristocracy of the time. We take our first excursion by bike and on foot through the town and the surrounding area and refresh ourselves with a swim in one of the countless waterfalls.

Bike route: 20 km, 450 vertical meters
Overnight stay: beautiful hotel with pool in the town of Lençóis

It’s really starting today! In the next few days we will circle the Chapada by bike on old paths, gravel roads, jungle and single trails and discover its natural beauty. The Chapada Diamantina National Park was established in 1985. The sea was still here more than 600 million years ago. Sand and deposits formed sandstones, from which large, jagged rock formations later developed as a result of climatic erosion. The first stage takes us along an old gold panning path to the town of Andaraí. We cross various rivers on foot, where we can treat ourselves to a refreshing dip at any time. In the afternoon we face a 7 km long, rigorous ascent that takes us to the former diamond mining town of Igatu. If you want to spare your legs the additional meters of altitude,

Bike route: 45/52 km, 700/1000 m ascent. Overnight
stay: good pousada with pool in Igatu

Igatú is the small Brazilian version of Machu Picchu. Many former ruins bear witness to the rich past. Up to 8,000 people lived here during the Diamond Age. Today it’s only 400. The day begins with a one-hour downhill ride on a breathtaking single trail that leaves nothing to be desired. We then ride by bike (approx. 30 km) to the well-known cavern Poço Azul with its 35 meter deep underground lake. In the afternoon, the incident light lets the water shine in a magical blue. Of course we treat ourselves to a refreshing bath in the unique underworld of the Chapada. The onward journey to Mucugê takes place with the escort vehicle.

Bike route: 38 km, 600 m ascent
Overnight stay: good pousada with pool in Mucugê

In the early morning the support vehicle takes us to the south of the national park. In Sincorá Velho we saddle up the bikes. From here it’s uphill past coffee plantations to a plateau in the Serra do Sincorá. Magnificent views compensate us for the exertion. A single trail takes us to the beautiful Licuri waterfall in the middle of untouched nature. Continue on jeep trails to Baixão in a beautiful valley where people live from sugar cane cultivation and agriculture.

• Transfer: Bus 2 hours
  
• Bike route: 50 km, 900 m
  
• ascent Overnight stay: with a local family in Baixão

We ride our bikes via Breijão on a dirt road over a small pass. Then it’s all downhill until the path ends. Here we have to leave the bikes and hike into a canyon to the Buracáo waterfall, one of the most impressive in the entire national park. Lunch and swimming are the order of the day in this unique gorge. In the late afternoon, the escort vehicles take us back to civilization in Mucugé. On the way we visit a small distillery. This is where the so-called Cachaça, sugar cane liquor or the water of life of the Brazilians is distilled.

• Bike route: 20 km, 400 m elevation gain
  
• Trekking: 2 h
  
• Transfer: Bus 2 h
  
• Overnight stay: good pousada with pool in Mucugê

Today we sleep in, refresh ourselves in the pool of the pousada or stroll through the town with well-preserved colonial architecture. In the afternoon we visit the Bizantine cemetery of Santa Isabel, which was built at the end of the 19th century. On an old, bumpy jeep trail with a constant view of the Serra de Sincorá, we reach Guiné in the evening and celebrate halfway through our Brazil tour together.

• Bike route: 42 km, 600 m ascent
  
• Overnight stay: simple pousada in Guiné

We bike along the red dirt track of the Serra do Esparrancado until, after a climb, we reach the highest point of the tour at 1,300 meters above sea level. As on the previous day, today we get an insight into the simple life of the Baianos in the countryside and the endless expanses of the Brazilian hinterland. Another highlight of our tour follows: the 15 km long downhill to Rio Grande – pure biking! A crisp ascent forces us to regain the lost meters in altitude and brings us to the Riachinho waterfall, where we treat ourselves to a refreshing dip. The fantastic view of the unique table mountain Morrão shows us that it is not far from here to the Vale do Capão.

• Bike route: 53 km, 1000 m altitude difference
  
• Overnight stay: good pousada in Capão

Today we swap the bike for the trekking shoes. We climb the Serra da Larguinha on foot, enjoy the unforgettable views of the Vale do Capão and continue on a high plateau to the highest waterfall in Brazil, the Cachoeira da Fumaça. The water falls 380 meters here and usually only reaches the canyon as water spray, hence the name Fumaça. After a period of little rain, the waterfall may have dried up. The view down into the canyon is still breathtaking and grandiose!

• Trekking: 4 h, 550 m ascent
  
• Overnight stay: good pousada in Capão

Today the technically most demanding stage is on the program: 20 kilometers of single trails in the unique steppe-like landscape of the Chapada. From Capão we bike through the valley of the three brothers (tres Irmãos) past the table mountain Morrão to Pai Inácio. This mountain with its 1,120 meters is the actual landmark of the Chapada. At the summit we enjoy a fantastic panoramic view of the region. From here, another single trail with subsequent downhill leads us to Lençóis.

• Bike route: 40 km, 600 m ascent
  
• Overnight stay: beautiful hotel with pool in the town of Lençóis

Our last day in the chapada begins. We ride by bike or in the support vehicle on a sandy dirt road to a small village (Quilombo), which is still populated by descendants from the slave era. The area, called Minipantanal, consists of many swamps and rivers and is known for its biodiversity of birds and fish. We continue on a jeep – afterwards on a wild jungle trail to the Rio Roncador. We cool off in its natural whirlpools before heading back to Lençóis on our bikes. For the last time we enjoy a fine dinner in the streets of Lençóis and review the past adventures.

• Bike route: 18/48 km, 100/400 m ascent
  
• Transfer: canoe 1.5 h
  
• Overnight stay: beautiful hotel with pool in the town of Lençóis

We spend the last few days in the cozy fishing village and tourist resort of Praia do Forte. The village and the adjacent forests are in an ecological protection zone. Untouched beaches, coconut palm groves, multicolored reefs, natural pools with crystal clear water, many small ‘fishing pubs’ and street cafés with live music invite you to relax. We dive into this wonderful piece of earth and enjoy the last days of our trip to Brazil to the fullest. We celebrate our final evening with all kinds of delicacies and Caipirinha.

• Transfer: bus 7 hours, boat 1 hour
  
• Overnight stay: beautiful pousada with pool in Praia do Forte

We visit the “Projeto Tamar”, a project for the conservation of sea turtles. The rest of the day is free for us to relax on the beach or go shopping.

Today we still have a few comfortable hours by the sea. In the late afternoon or evening we fly back home.

Today we arrival our home!