Choosing a waterfall in the Chapada dos Veadeiros is the classic good problem: there are dozens, each with a personality of its own — and nobody has the time (or the knees) for all of them in one trip. This honest ranking helps you, the ecotourist, build the ideal menu for your profile, with 2026 prices and the effort level of each trail. The full logistics of the region are in the Chapada dos Veadeiros guide.
1. Santa Bárbara (Cavalcante) — the most beautiful in Brazil?
Turquoise-blue water that looks photoshopped, in the heart of the Kalunga territory. R$ 55 + a mandatory community guide (R$ 200 per group of up to 6) + a cap of 300 visitors a day — book well ahead through the Kalunga community’s official booking channel (figures confirmed in August 2026). An easy 30-40 minute trail. The money stays with the quilombola community: ecotourism as it should be.
2. Saltos do Rio Preto (national park) — the giants
The 120-meter and 80-meter falls that appear on the park’s postcards (entry R$ 49 — tickets on the official website). An 11 km return trail, with a swim in the pool of the 80-meter fall. The compulsory classic of a first trip.
3. Catarata dos Couros — volume and infinity
A sequence of enormous falls with pools on the edge of the drop, 40 km from Alto Paraíso along an unpaved road (~R$ 40). In the dry season you can swim on the lip of the falls; in the rains, admire them from a distance — flash floods are treacherous.
4. Cânions e Cariocas (national park) — the combo
On the same entry as the Saltos: the quartzite walls of Cânion 2 and the low, photogenic Carioquinhas. 12 km in total — you can pair it with the Saltos over two days in the park.
5. Loquinhas — beauty without the effort
Blue-green natural pools one after another, with walkways and steps (R$ 40-60, easy trail). The right choice for children, tired knees and “active recovery” days.
6. Vale da Lua — the river that became sculpture
The Rio São Miguel has carved craters and lunar curves into the rock bed (R$ 40, short trail). Go early in the morning for shade and silence. Take extra care in the rain — the valley fills in minutes.
7. Almécegas I and II — the farm classics
At the Fazenda São Bento (R$ 50-70): the Almécegas I drops 45 meters down an amphitheatre wall; the II is shallow and good for a swim. Optional zip line for the adventurous.
8. Capivara (Cavalcante) — the forgotten neighbor
A natural combo with Santa Bárbara (joint ticket R$ 88): a delicate veil of water with a deep pool to swim in. Fewer people, the same Kalunga water.
9. Macaquinhos — to get away from everyone
A sequence of pools and falls in a remote area (access by a rough road plus a trail), almost always empty. The kind of place that rewards whoever takes on the journey.
10. Travessia das Sete Quedas — the expedition
23 km over two days inside the national park, with an overnight in wild camping and waterfalls all to yourself. It demands booking, self-sufficiency and preparation — the Chapada in its rawest form.
Not sure how to fit it all in? Our 5-day itinerary spreads the right waterfalls across the right days.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: moderate — almost every waterfall on the list asks for a 1 to 3 hour trail. Children: Santa Bárbara (with transport from the Kalunga community) and the Loquinhas are the friendliest, from ages 5-6. Older travelers and people with reduced mobility: the Loquinhas, with walkways and easy-access pools, is the right choice; the rest require sure footing on rock.
