No 4x4

A free fall of about 115 m (some sources say 120 m) on the Simão Correia stream, a tributary of the Rio São Bartolomeu, in the rural area east of Alto Paraíso de Goiás — an area recently added to the National Park's expanded bounds. Access is via ~33 km of dirt road (GO-239 toward Nova Roma) and a ~12 km round-trip trail that starts by crossing the Rio São Bartolomeu, with crystal-clear pools and a secondary waterfall with a deep pool along the way. Open daily 7am to 6pm, with entry allowed only until 11am.

The giant falls of the National Park: Salto I plunges ≈120 m. A long, self-guided trail with lookouts and a swimming pool below the second drop.

A waterfall that passes through a natural stone arch, at Reserva Renascer in Cavalcante (access via the dirt road from Cavalcante toward Colinas do Sul, at KM 9). A rock formation about 30 m high and 1.8 billion years old — one of the oldest spots in the Chapada, a true open-air museum. The Rio São Domingos runs through the arch; about 100 m below, the canyon opens up, with an infinity-edge waterfall of roughly 70 m and two lookouts (views of the Catingueiro and of the Ponte de Pedra itself). There's a stretch you drive to the parking area before setting foot on the trail.

The most famous lookout in the Chapada dos Veadeiros: a natural stone 'window' framing the Saltos do Rio Preto (120 m and 80 m falls) inside the National Park. It sits outside the PNCV gate, on privately managed land, with a ~8 km (round-trip) trail from free parking ~5 km from the village of São Jorge. Halfway along is the Cachoeira do Abismo, which only has a waterfall in the rainy season (October to early April). Paid entry at the gate (cash or Pix); sunset and sunrise only with an accredited guide.

A private complex at Fazenda Veredas, about 8 km from central Cavalcante (5 km of dirt road via the exit toward Colinas do Sul + 3 km driving within the property), with eight exclusive waterfalls. The main fall, the Cachoeira Veredas, plunges about 98 m inside a canyon and has easy access via a 300 m walkway from the parking area. The other falls — Veredinha, Poço Encantado, Lara, Cascata, Escondidinha (lookout), Toca da Onça, and Véu de Noiva — require trails of 1.5 to 4.5 km, moderate. A guide isn't required and entry is sold with online booking.

An imposing 44 m drop at the Santuário Fazenda Volta da Serra, at km 72 of the GO-239, 9 km from São Jorge. The clear, greenish water forms a pool about 3 m deep with the rock bottom visible — good for swimming and for taking it in. The well-marked trail also passes the Poço das Esmeraldas, the Cachoeira do Encontro, and the Cachoeira do Rodeador. In May 2026 the sanctuary closed for nine days after a puma injured a child on the trail; it reopened on 23 May 2026 with reduced hours and camera monitoring — confirm the current rules before you go.

O morro em formato de baleia é um dos cartões-postais da GO-239 entre Alto Paraíso e São Jorge, vizinho do Jardim de Maytrea. O cume, a ~1.500 m, abre vista 360° para o Maytrea, as Sete Lagoas e Alto Paraíso. A subida é íngreme e pedregosa (~4 km ida e volta pela rota do Camping do Waldomiro; até ~7 km no circuito completo) por fazendas particulares, com cobrança na porteira e trilha sem sinalização — vá com guia. Na época de chuvas o circuito rende o bônus do mirante da Cachoeira da Bailarina, queda sazonal de ~100 m tipo véu-de-noiva na encosta do morro.

Poço cristalino de tons verde-esmeralda com ~5 m de profundidade no Santuário Fazenda Volta da Serra — a mesma propriedade da Cachoeira do Cordovil. Entra-se na água saltando ~5–6 m das pedras (só com condutor) ou nadando; rio acima há 'banheiras' de hidromassagem natural, e a visibilidade é ótima para snorkel. Perene, é a aposta certa da fazenda no auge da seca, quando a queda do Cordovil mingua. O ingresso é único para a fazenda (cobre também Cordovil, Encontro e Rodeador).

Chapada's night sky is a headline act in its own right: on the 14th parallel, at altitude and far from any city's light pollution, clear nights bring the Milky Way out to the naked eye. The Astronomical Tour at Observatório Bellatrix is a guided telescope session — planets, moons, star clusters and the cerrado's constellations, narrated by someone who knows the sky. The tour meets at the National Park entrance parking lot, in São Jorge village, with a short night walk up to the dome.

A private waterfall complex on the Rio Caldeira, ~19 km from Alto Paraíso via the GO-239 toward the village of Sertão, with four falls in a row: Caracol, Pedrão, and Walkyrias 1 and 2, all with swimming pools. The Cachoeira do Caracol, the last and tallest on the route, falls through a fissure in the rock forming a veil in front of a spiral wall — the final access is by via ferrata (a metal ladder fixed to the rock) with a harness and helmet provided, in groups of up to 6 visitors plus the guide; under-10s can't go up. The visit requires booking and an accredited guide — it's forbidden to enter the complex without a guide. An easy ~2.5 km (round-trip) trail along the river, with shaded forest stretches.

The main traverse of the Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros: about 23.5 km over 2–3 days, with an overnight at the rustic camping by the Rio Preto, next to the set of small falls and pools that gives the place its name. The route leaves from the Visitor Center in São Jorge, crosses rocky highland fields and cerrado streams, and ends at a gate on the GO-239, ~12 km from São Jorge. It only runs in the dry season (2026 season: 15 Jun to 11 Oct), with the overnight booked in advance on the park's official site and a mandatory briefing at entry.

The easiest trail in the Chapada: ~300 m flat to a low fall (~6 m) that spills into an Olympic-sized pool of crystal-clear, cold water. It's on Fazenda São Bento, the same as Almécegas I and II — you can do all three the same day with the pass.

Rock carved by the Rio São Miguel over millions of years, forming craters and pools that look like the surface of the Moon. A short, easy trail.

A set of seven emerald-green pools linked by small falls. Flat and easy — good for kids and older visitors.

An open cerrado plain dotted with buriti palms, with the Morro da Baleia in the background. A must-stop in late afternoon, right off the GO-239.

Right near Alto Paraíso, with a fall and a crystal-clear pool. A short trail and a late-afternoon mood — good for sunset.

A waterfall on the Rio São Bartolomeu (a tributary of the Rio das Almas), also called Cachoeira São Bartolomeu, in the RPPN Vale das Araras — a few kilometers from Cavalcante, in the Chapada's buffer zone. A low, wide fall (~5–6 m) that forms a natural hydro-massage, with several crystal-clear pools for swimming — great for families and for late afternoon. The trail, easy and well signposted, crosses preserved cerrado and passes the old stone channels from the gold-cycle era, cut over 200 years ago (the Trilha do Ouro, or Gold Trail). Operated by Pousada Vale das Araras (not to be confused with the neighboring Reserva Renascer).

A wide ≈50 m drop with the Morro da Baleia in the background. On Fazenda São Bento, between Alto Paraíso and São Jorge.