Jalapão Expedition

Jalapão Expedition

We offer tours in unique destinations such as Jalapão, a genuine Brazilian hidden gem. Here at TourByLocals we promote inclusive tourism, where local tour guides and operators are handpicked by nearby communities. We believe in a sustainable tourism and this is only possible to achieve with the transparency and fairness we offer on our network. We want to take you to exquisite places but only to places and guides that we have experienced ourselves. Each of them, are carefully selected and we advise constantly to make use of our conduct codes for the sake of integrity and safety. We take ultimate care of our network and so will take care of your journey with us.

Itinerary

Day 1: From Palmas to Jalapão

Pass By: Jalapao State Park, Jalapao State Park, State of Tocantins
You start the day at around 8am in Palmas, the capital of the state of Tocantins in Brazil. There, our local tour guide, who will be with you for the next three days, will pick you up with their 4×4 jeeps after breakfast at the hotel and depart towards the Jalapão National Park. The ride from Palmas to Jalapão takes approximately 5 hours.

When arriving at Jalapão, your first stop will be at the Japanese Lagoon or (Lago do Japonês). This attraction is located 236 km from Palmas, and is one of the most beautiful places hidden among the mountains. With the water in bluish and green tones, the place is an excellent option for those who want to relax, be at peace to enjoy nature and to camp. Here, there is a wall with hidden caves which you can explore with our guides.

After this unforgettable experience, our guide will take you for a delicious warm lunch 10 minutes from the lagoon, the restaurant Dona Minervina’s house. What a delicious meal. Homemade food made by locals (with love).

From there it is time for a little bit more of off-road experience to Pedra Furada, the next stop . It is a well-known attraction and to get there you pass through eucalyptus forests and dirt roads of sand. The places is a large set of blocks of sandstone, which was sculpted by the action of rain and wind, forming several holes in the shape of arches that resemble some portals. From the top of Pedra Furada you have an amazing view, overlooking nearby forests, Morro da Cruz (also called Morro do Chapéu) and Morro Solto (also called Morro do Perdido). This spot is also perfect for watching the sunset and for taking fantastic pictures.

After watching the beautiful sunset, our guide will take you to check-in into your lodges to rest. The dinner will be served at 8pm. After that you can rest and enjoy the warm evening in Jalapão.

Meals included:
• Lunch: All Inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
• Dinner: All Inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
Accommodation included: Included in the package

Day 2: Nature and Waterfalls

Pass By: Jalapao State Park, Jalapao State Park, State of Tocantins
The start is early on this second day of this trip. At 7:30 am our guide will be ready to take you to the first destination of the day. Today we start with a visit to Pablo Escobar’s old farm. That’s right, the legendary Colombian drug dealer had a ranch as the main hidden cocaine refinery in the middle of Brazil. Today the property is in precarious condition in the hands of the state of Tocantins and serves as support for tourism of Waterfall Velha located a few kilometres from the farm. The latter, is by the way, the next attraction you will visit.
At the Waterfall Velha to get to the water, you’ll need to pass a walkway that has several rest points along the way. This is a very impressing waterfall and often referred as the “mini-Iguaçu Falls” for remembering the magnificent Iguaçu Falls. The volume of water is huge, even in periods of drought, the waterfall has two falls that make a horseshoe shaped waterfall approximately 15 meters high and 100 meters wide.

You have the option of going down from the lookout and taking a step ladder that takes you to the bottom of the waterfall where you can just watch it. In addition, near the waterfall there is a small river beach, called Prainha do Rio Novo where our guide will setup a picknick for the lunch of today.

After the afternoon lunch, approximately at 2pm,we will continue our journey today towards the Jalapão dunes, a place where you will contemplate one of the most beautiful sunset spots in Brazil. However, before arriving at the dunes, don’t miss the chance to appreciate the breath taking landscape of Jalapão on your way to the dunes and to be shy to ask your guide to stop the jeep for a second so you can make some memorable pictures.

Upon our arrival at the dunes’ park entrance, you will be guided by our local tour guide on a walk of 500 meters till you get to the top of the dunes. There, you will appreciate the sunset and enjoy this outstanding scenery around you.

Night has fallen and now is time to eat and rest. Our tour guide will drive you to the community of Mateiros, the place of your first night of staying. The dinner will be served at 19:30 and at 20:30 you can enjoy the lodging where you are staying tonight. Take a good time to rest because the Day 2 starts early tomorrow with a lot more to see and experience in Jalapão.

Meals included:
• Lunch: All inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
• Dinner: All inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
Accommodation included: Included in the package

Day 3: Fervedouros

Pass By: Jalapao State Park, Jalapao State Park, State of Tocantins
The day starts early*. At 7am the breakfast will be served and at 8am our local tour guide will be ready to take you to the first fervedouro, the bubbling water spring of crystalline colours of Jalapão. Today we will visit the Ceiça, the first one discovered and explored in the region. Here, as we all well in all the other fervedouros you will visit during this trip, you can take a bath and enjoy the absolutely stunning surrounding of this place.

After your first contact with a fervedouro, we will head to a genuine local community, Mumbuca, famous for its golden grass handcrafted artefacts and jewellery. At this community, there are many locals to interact, talk about their daily lives and also you can buy some of their handcrafted products.

Following this visit to Mumbuca, our tour guide will take you to another fervedouro, the feverdouro of the Sono River. This is a small and very intimate fervedouro.

Next, time for a stop and lunch at one of the restaurants close by, the restaurant of the Sono River or the Vicente. The tour guide will decide which one to go depending on the day of the week your tour is taking place. Both restaurants serve delicious local receipts and you won’t be disappointed.

After this lunch, it is time to visit the Formiga Waterfall. This is one of the most beautiful waterfalls with crystalline waters where you can take diving in or take a bath at of the plant. The water is cold though (for this tropical country standards), but looking at it will be hard to resist the experience to dive in it.

Last attraction of the day, just before sunset, you will visit the fervedouro Macaúbas. Each fervedouro has its own peculiarity. For instance, the Macaúbas is known as one of the strongest fevedouro of the region. What does that mean? It means that, as fervedouros are water springs, when you bath in the Macaúbas you feel pushed up by the flowing water stronger than the previous ferveoduros, which creates an eerie floating feeling.

Now it is time to refresh at the lodge in São Félix do Tocantins and enjoy a delightful dinner served at 8pm.

*Note if you want, the day can start even earlier. There is an additional activity starting at 3.30am for a trekking to the top of the Serra do Espírito Santo to appreciate the magnificent sunrise of this region. For this activity it is required a minimum of three participants.

Meals included:
• Lunch: All inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
• Dinner: All inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
Accommodation included: Included in the package

Day 4: Last day in pradise

Pass By: Jalapao State Park, Jalapao State Park, State of Tocantins
Today is the last day of your trip and we have prepared a day full of unforgettable experiences for you. You start the day early, with breakfast being served at 7am. The first stop of the day will be at the fervedouro Alecrim. This fervedouro differs from the others on its water colours that despite being crystalline, it has a greener shade whereas all the other previous fervedouros are blue shaded.
Next, you will drive with our tour guide to the fervedouro Bela Vista. This one is the largest one with 15 meters diameter and referred by many travellers as the most beautiful one. After that, and not far from there you will visit the Araras Waterfall, a beautiful waterfall of green and transparent waters. In the middle of the waterfall has a trunk that crosses both sides. You can spend some time there playing balance walking over the trunk, it is always a lot of fun.

Now it is time for a pause for a quick lunch. You can enjoy and rest for a while before we head to the last experiences in this journey, which is also another, much larger waterfall.

Our tour guide will drive you to the Poço Encantando Waterfall. Your next stop. There is a very short and simple trail from where the jeep will be parked. It is 200 meters of walk, passing by a staircase and a suspension bridge, both with handrails. The waterfall has a wide strip of fine white sand, forming a beautiful mix of beach and waterfall. The waterfall is an attraction apart, with its 38 meters high that impress. Another cool point is, Poço Encantando Waterfall measures about 50 meters in diameter, and has shallow and quiet places, even the deepest points for those who like to swim.

Now on your way back to Palmas, you will be able to stop at some points of interest along the way, such as the Serra da Catedral, named for its cathedral-like shape.

Finally you will get to know Morro Vermelho, also known as Morro do Gorgulho. The place is a collection of red rock formations with various and unusual shapes. To get there you need to follow a small trail and then climb a stretch with the help of a rope with some steps made in the stones. It is worth climbing to the top, the look is beautiful.

Meals included:
• Lunch: All inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
• Dinner: All inclusive (except alcoholic and soft drinks)
Accommodation included: Last day, return to Palmas. Hence, accommodation not required.