6-day Jalapão Trekking Tour
Planeta Exo
TripsBrazilCerradoJalapão

6-day Jalapão Trekking Tour

Brazil
5 Nights·6 Days
CerradoCultural & Community ExperiencesActive Adventures

Overview

Ready for the ultimate 6-day Jalapão trekking adventure? This Jalapão trekking immersion crosses more than 50 km of trails through one of Brazil's most pristine landscapes — golden dunes, crystal-clear river beaches and lush cerrado — deep inside Jalapão State Park, with the least-visited corners reachable only by 4×4.

We call it the Jalapoeira Crossing: a point-to-point journey on foot to beautiful waterfalls and the famous Jalapão fervedouros (natural springs where it's impossible to sink), with Class IV rafting on the Novo River and visits to traditional quilombola communities for genuine cultural exchange. It's a Jalapão trek where your feet carry your body, mind and spirit along indescribable paths.

Custom private tour: looking for more adventure? Private groups can tailor their own Jalapão tours — contact us for more information.

  • A full Jalapão trekking itinerary: trekking, fervedouros, waterfalls, rafting and river beaches.
  • Go deep into Jalapão State Park's least-visited areas, reachable only by 4x4 vehicles.
  • Visit standout sights such as Velha and Formiga waterfalls, the Buritizinho and Encontro das Águas fervedouros, Serra do Espírito Santo, the dunes of Jalapão and the Novo River.
  • Connect with local quilombola communities (Boa Esperança, Mumbuca and Rio Novo).
  • Sleep in a variety of inns, campsites and locals' homes across São Félix do Tocantins and Mateiros.
  • All-inclusive: round-trip transfer, accommodation, meals and expert local guides.

  • Please note: the Jalapão Crossing is a seasonal, expedition-style trek run only a few times a year, usually in the dry season and around the full moon. Nights alternate between simple inns, camping and local family homes, with limited mobile signal in remote areas. Best for travelers with a good fitness level who want real immersion rather than a vehicle-based tour.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival in São Félix · Trekking · Soninho River · Morro da Catedral

  • Driving237 km (approx. 3.5 h)
  • Trekking6.8 km (approx. 5 h)
  • DepartureFrom Palmas at 7 AM

Your Jalapão trekking adventure starts in Palmas, where our local partner picks you up from the airport or your hotel at 7 AM and heads to São Félix do Tocantins. On the way, stop at the Peixinho River source for a refreshing dip before reaching the lodge around 1 PM. After check-in, hike back to the river (1.2 km) for lunch on its banks and a swim, then set off on a 2.8 km round-trip trek to Morro da Catedral to watch Jalapão State Park's mesmerizing sunset.

Meals included: Lunch / Dinner

A massive sandstone monolith rises above dense cerrado vegetation, with a Catedral do Jalapão trail marker sign visible on a boulder in the foreground — a landmark stop on a Jalapão trekking route
A vivid red male and bright yellow female songbird perched side by side on a bare branch, set against a soft green bokeh background — a colourful wildlife encounter on a Jalapão trekking adventure
Golden sunset burning behind silhouetted cerrado trees over tall dry grassland on a Jalapão trekking route
A slender cerrado wildflower with vivid red and orange petals tipped in black rises above bright green shrubs on a Jalapão trekking trail
Travelers relaxing under a round thatched-roof shelter on the banks of a clear river in Jalapão trekking country, with hammocks strung inside and green cerrado hills rising in the background

Day 2

Travessia da Velha · Novo River · Class IV Rafting

  • Driving33 km (approx. 50 min)
  • Trekking15.5 km (approx. 6 h)
  • RaftingClass IV

Travessia da Velha, one of the most beloved treks in Jalapão, starts at 6 AM with an almost 12 km hike through lush green vegetation to Cachoeira da Velha, an iconic horseshoe-shaped waterfall. After an outdoor lunch comes a thrilling Class IV rafting session down the Novo River, with stops at its clean, drinkable-water beaches. You then hike over 3.5 km back to the lodge (arriving around 6 PM) for dinner and a well-earned rest.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Five excited rafters in yellow helmets and life jackets paddle an orange inflatable raft through churning whitewater beside a thundering waterfall on the Novo River during a Jalapão trekking adventure
An orange inflatable raft moored on rocky shoreline in front of a wide horseshoe-shaped waterfall cascading into a churning pool on a Jalapão trekking expedition
A hiker in a blue jacket and orange helmet stands on a rocky ledge beneath a massive thundering waterfall during a Jalapão trekking expedition, dwarfed by the cascading white water and overhanging sandstone cliff
A silky waterfall cascades over mossy boulders into a clear rocky stream framed by dense tropical forest canopy, encountered on a Jalapão trekking route
A vivid cobalt-blue songbird with an orange beak perched on a weathered wooden stump against a soft green cerrado backdrop, spotted during Jalapão trekking
Aerial view of a wide horseshoe-shaped waterfall cascading over layered sandstone ledges into turquoise pools, surrounded by cerrado vegetation and a small viewing platform, on a Jalapão trekking route
A slender red and yellow heliconia flower bud with dark-tipped petals rises against a soft bokeh background of green cerrado vegetation, encountered on a Jalapão trekking trail

Day 3

Boa Esperança Community · Fervedouros · Prata Community

  • Driving5 km (approx. 10 min)
  • Trekking15.5 km (approx. 6 h)

At 6:30 AM, walk 3 km to Fervedouro do Alecrim for a quick stop, then hike 9 km to Boa Esperança, a quilombola community led by Mr. Adão Ribeiro, where you'll learn about local customs and traditions. After lunch, continue to Fervedouro Jatobá to cool off in its green-blue waters before reaching Prata Community for dinner. Spend the night at a local's house (or, for extra privacy, a cozy guesthouse in São Félix do Tocantins, subject to additional cost).

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Aerial view of a crystal-clear natural spring pool surrounded by fan palms and dense cerrado vegetation on a Jalapão trekking route
A woman in a red swimsuit wades through a pale turquoise natural spring pool surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, reaching back toward the camera during a Jalapão trekking experience
Three tall fan palms silhouetted against a blazing amber and gold sunset sky, with a flat-topped mesa on the horizon during a Jalapão trekking expedition
A maned wolf standing alert in dry golden cerrado grassland, its russet coat and large ears clearly visible during a Jalapão trekking expedition
Two violet-purple wildflowers in sharp focus during a Jalapão trekking day, with three hikers walking through cerrado scrubland under a blue sky in the background

Day 4

Formiga Waterfall · Fervedouros · Mumbuca Community · Mateiros

  • Driving80 km (approx. 2 h)
  • Trekking13 km (approx. 5 h)

The day begins at Formiga Waterfall, a must-see that pools into a crystal-blue natural well perfect for cooling off. Next, drive to Fervedouro Buritizinho for more swimming, lunch and a moment to relax, then hike 4 km to Encontro das Águas, where the Formiga and Soninho rivers meet. In the late afternoon, visit the Mumbuca community, world-famous for its intricate work with capim-dourado (golden grass), before settling in Mateiros for the night.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

A woman in a red swimsuit floats underwater in a crystal-clear natural spring fervedouro surrounded by lush tropical vegetation, a small fish visible on the sandy bed — a highlight of Jalapão trekking
Dense clusters of small magenta wildflowers with yellow stamens on slender green stems, blooming across cerrado scrubland on a Jalapão trekking route
Local men and a child inside a thatched community hall display traditional handcrafted objects — woven baskets, a gourd, carved wood tools, and golden-grass items — during a Jalapão trekking cultural visit to a quilombola community
A small waterfall cascades into a wide, turquoise natural pool surrounded by dense green forest on a Jalapão trekking route
A group of travellers swimming and wading at the base of a cascading waterfall surrounded by dense tropical forest on a Jalapão trekking experience, with a PlanetaEXO branded towel in the foreground
A cascading waterfall tumbles over mossy rocks into a clear pool, framed by a dense canopy of trees arching overhead on a Jalapão trekking route
Silhouetted cerrado trees and wild grass stems backlit by a blazing orange sunset during a Jalapão trekking day

Day 5

Serra do Espírito Santo · Dunes of Jalapão · Pixico Beach · Rio Novo Community

  • Driving180 km (approx. 5 h)
  • Trekking12.8 km (approx. 6 h)

Before dawn, hike up Serra do Espírito Santo, a 200-meter sandstone plateau, for a stunning sunrise over the whole park. Then walk 3 km through typical cerrado vegetation to the dune cliffs of Jalapão and a 6 km trail across the orange-golden sand framed by mountains. Lunch is at Dona Deusa's restaurant in the Rio Novo community, followed by a free afternoon at Pixico Beach. You'll have dinner and spend the night in Rio Novo, choosing between camping or sleeping in hammocks.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner

Panoramic view from atop a sandstone plateau on a Jalapão trekking route, with green cerrado vegetation blanketing the slopes and a vast lowland plain stretching to the horizon under a dramatic cloudy sky
A lone traveler sits on the edge of a sandstone cliff during a Jalapão trekking expedition, gazing out over a vast green plateau bathed in golden sunrise light
Aerial view of two people holding hands on the sweeping golden sand dunes of Jalapão trekking country, with green shrubs, a distant river and dramatic sandstone cliffs under a cloudy sky
Golden sandstone cliffs and a conical rocky peak glow in warm evening light above a cerrado plain dotted with buriti palms, seen during a Jalapão trekking expedition
A row of five green dome tents pitched on white sand at the edge of a dense green forest during a Jalapão trekking expedition, with folding stools beside each tent and a clear blue sky above
A single illuminated yellow tent pitched on a sandy river beach during a Jalapão trekking expedition, surrounded by dense tropical vegetation under a vast star-filled night sky
A row of telescopes glowing golden under a vast Milky Way sky during a Jalapão trekking night in the remote cerrado
A brilliant full moon rises over a calm river on a Jalapão trekking expedition, its reflection shimmering across the dark water beneath a star-filled deep-blue sky and silhouetted tree line

Day 6

Class III Rafting · Back to Palmas

  • Driving229 km (approx. 4.5 h)
  • Rafting10 km (approx. 4 h) · Class III

On the last day of this Jalapão trek, enjoy a 4-hour Class III raft down the Novo River to Clóvis Beach. Around 12 PM, a hearty lunch on the riverbanks marks the end of the adventure before our local partner transfers you back to Palmas, with arrival scheduled for 6 PM.

Meals included: Breakfast / Lunch

A sandy dirt trail winds through golden cerrado grassland toward a blazing sunset, with tall palm silhouettes framed against an orange sky — the raw beauty of Jalapão trekking at dusk
POV from a yellow kayak on churning white-water rapids as a crew paddles an orange raft through a rocky gorge lined with green trees during Jalapão trekking

What is Included

  • Accommodation: 5 nights in São Félix do Tocantins and Mateiros (inns, homestay and camping)
  • Meals: All meals (full board) plus mineral water during all activities
  • Transfers: Round-trip transfer (Palmas ⇌ Jalapão)
  • Activities & tours: Guided activities (trekking, fervedouros, waterfalls, rafting, river beaches) including all entrance fees and interaction with local communities
  • Guide: Expert local guides

Not included

  • Flights: Flight tickets
  • Accommodation: Accommodation in Palmas (before/after the tour)
  • Meals: Breakfast on the first day and dinner on the last day
  • Travel insurance: Travel insurance
  • Bilingual-guide upgrade: English-speaking guides (on request; subject to availability)
  • Personal expenses & tips: Optional tours and personal expenses (e.g. laundry, phone calls)
  • Any services not previously mentioned

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$ 1,200/ per person