Cachoeira

Complexo Macacão — Cachoeiras do Macaco

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One of the wildest itineraries in the Chapada, in the Rio Macacão valley, between Alto Paraíso and São João d'Aliança: the Cachoeira da Escadaria and the Macacão/Catedral, with a drop of at most ~40 m. An area where maned wolf and pampas deer are often sighted; the base is the Aldeia Macaco.

40 m

Drop

4.5 km

Trail (round trip)

Hard

Difficulty

R$ 50

Entry

Before you go

Accredited guide required, booked by the day before with prepaid entry; there's a daily visitor limit. Entry R$ 40–50 depending on the source (2025/26) — confirm the price when booking.
Open daily; entry from 8am, you can stay until 5:30pm.
Best in the dry season (May–Sep), when the dirt road is safe; in the rains the falls swell but the 4x4 access gets dangerous.

Where to arrange a guide

CAT Alto Paraíso — (62) 3446-1159 · diariamente 8h–12h / 13h–17h
Servitur (associação de guias de ecoturismo) — WhatsApp (62) 99678-5160 · @servitur_ecoturismo

How to get there

4×4 onlyNeeds 4×4 / all-wheel drive.

From Alto Paraíso46 km
From São João d'Aliança89 km

≈12 km of pavement (GO-118) + ≈34 km of dirt that takes a real 4x4 (~1h). Also accessible from São João d'Aliança (55 km of pavement + the same dirt stretch).

Google Maps Waze

Approximate pin — confirm access with a local guide before driving out there.

The trail

4.5 km

Distance

4 h

Time

Hard

Level

A traditional trail of ~2.5 km (one way) with 150 m elevation gain and a steep descent to the pool of the second fall. More distant falls (Elo Perdido/Quartzo, Terceira Queda) only with express authorization and a guide.

The water & the river

Crystal-clearClarity 4/5Medium flow

River: Rio Macacão

Ratings

Beleza

Trilha

Lotação

Acesso

Scored 1 to 5. Beauty is subjective — so we split it into axes, letting you sort by what matters to you.

Planning your visit

Complexo Macacão — Cachoeiras do Macaco is about 46 km by road from Alto Paraíso; the final stretch requires a 4×4 or all-wheel-drive vehicle; the trail is 4.5 km round trip, hard level, around 4 h.

The visit requires a local guide: accredited guide required, booked by the day before with prepaid entry; there's a daily visitor limit. Entry R$ 40–50 depending on the source (2025/26) — confirm the price when booking; entry costs R$ 50 per person.

Do I need a guide?: Accredited guide required, booked by the day before with prepaid entry; there's a daily visitor limit. Entry R$ 40–50 depending on the source (2025/26) — confirm the price when booking.
How much is entry?: R$ 50 per person.
Can I go in a regular car?: No — access requires a 4×4 or all-wheel-drive vehicle.
When to go?: Best in the dry season (May–Sep), when the dirt road is safe; in the rains the falls swell but the 4x4 access gets dangerous.
What are the hours?: Open daily; entry from 8am, you can stay until 5:30pm.