Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park National Park

Address: Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park, Goiás, Brazil

Website: http://www.icmbio.gov.br/parnacvd/

Admission: Park entrance: BRL 20-30 range for national park visits (varies); guided tour fees extra.

Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is a protected area on a high, ancient quartzitic plateau in Goiás, central Brazil, established to conserve the characteristic cerrado landscape and its waterfalls. The park is internationally recognised for its biodiversity and dramatic rocky scenery, and it is inscribed as a World Heritage Site.

Visitors come for multi-day and day hikes to see waterfalls, natural pools and sweeping plateau vistas across the quartzite outcrops, plus opportunities to encounter cerrado flora and fauna. Well-marked trails lead between lookout points, canyons and cascades, with a range of difficulty from short walks to strenuous treks.

The park was set aside to protect the unique highland cerrado ecosystem and the network of streams and waterfalls that drain the plateau; conservation actions have focused on habitat protection and regulating visitor access to sensitive sites. Over time the park has become a destination for ecotourism while remaining an important research area for cerrado ecology.

Chapada dos Veadeiros sits in north-central Goiás on a rugged highland plateau east of Brasília, with access from nearby towns that serve as gateways for trailheads and visitor services. The surrounding landscape is a mix of open savanna-like cerrado, forested valleys and quartzitic escarpments.

• Best time to visit: Dry season, roughly May to September, is generally the easiest period for hiking because trails are drier and waterfalls remain visible while the risk of heavy rain is lower.

What to See#

• Waterfalls and canyons: Scenic waterfall circuits and canyon-like valleys carved in the quartzitic plateau that are accessed by marked trails from trailheads near park entrances.
• Plateau and cerrado habitat: Highland cerrado plateaus and gallery forests that support endemic plants and wildlife characteristic of this part of central Brazil.

Most visitors travel from Brasília (approx. 3-4 hours by road) to Alto Paraíso de Goiás or São Jorge, which serve as bases for park access. Local roads can be rough; 4x4 or guided transport recommended.

• Start early for the best light and to avoid thermal winds in the plateau areas.
• Hire a certified local guide for longer routes like the Vale da Lua and the canyon circuits.
• Bring layers: mornings can be cool while midday on plateaus is hot and sun-exposed.