Cavalcante

Day Trips

Touch down in Cavalcante and settle into a pousada overlooking lush greenery. Meet your local guide for a briefing on the region’s history and traditions. Sip a strong Brazilian coffee as you prepare for the days ahead.

Stroll through the town center to admire colonial architecture and colorful murals. Visit the small municipal museum to learn about the town’s gold-mining past and Quilombola heritage. Sample regional snacks such as bolinho de ora-pro-nóbis.

Dine at a family-run restaurant serving pequi rice and river fish stews. Enjoy live forró music in the town square under a starry sky. Chat with locals over caipirinhas and absorb the friendly community vibe.

Drive to the nearby Serra Geral do Tocantins plateau at sunrise to catch the first golden light over rocky cliffs. Hike along well-marked trails through cerrado grasslands thick with orchids and bromeliads. Your guide points out endemic birds and medicinal plants used by the Kalunga people.

Descend into a valley to explore hidden caves and rock formations sculpted by wind and rain. Stop for a picnic lunch perched on a rocky outcrop, overlooking vast savanna panoramas. Learn about the geology and folklore tied to the plateau’s peaks.

Return to town for a simple dinner of mandioca frita and grilled cheese. Relax on your pousada’s deck with a view of the moon rising over distant hills. Fall asleep to the chorus of cicadas echoing across the valley.

Head to Cachoeira dos Couros before dawn to beat the crowds and feel the mist on your face. Trek through tropical forest trails to reach a series of cascading falls pooling into crystal-clear basins. Take a refreshing swim beneath a 50-meter curtain of water.

Enjoy a riverside lunch of freshly caught fish roasted over coals. Continue downstream to discover smaller cascades and secret grottoes hidden behind vines. Photograph vibrant lichens and butterflies flitting around the spray.

Share stories around a fogão à lenha (wood-fired stove) as the cook prepares feijão tropeiro. Savor regional sweets made from guava and coconut. Drift to sleep with the soothing sound of the waterfall in the distance.

Visit a Kalunga settlement to witness traditional cane-thatched huts and vegetable gardens. Participate in planting manioc and learn about ancestral farming techniques. Listen to elders recount oral histories of resistance and resilience.

Share a communal meal of pirão de peixe and beans in an open-air pavilion. Join local women weaving baskets and embroidering tablecloths using patterns passed down through generations. Purchase handicrafts directly supporting the community’s economy.

Attend a Kalunga storytelling session around a bonfire under a canopy of stars. Taste homemade cachaça infused with regional fruits. Feel the warmth of communal drums and voices chanting ancient rhythms.

Set out early to the border of Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park. Trek a moderate trail through gallery forests, pausing to spot toucans and macaws. Reach a lookout point offering panoramic views of quartzite mesas.

Descend to a hidden caynon river for a picnic featuring local cheeses and tropical fruits. Wade through shallow pools and examine petrified tree trunks embedded in the sandstone walls. Learn about the park’s UNESCO Geopark designation.

Return to your lodge as the sky transforms with sunset hues of pink and orange. Dine on locally sourced goat stew paired with organic salad greens. Enjoy a quiet night, punctuated by distant wildlife calls.

Meet a specialist ornithologist and depart before first light for a prime birdwatching site. Scan the canopy for rare species such as the Araguaia Spinetail and Hyacinth Macaw. Record your sightings in a field journal while sipping mate tea.

Have lunch at a riverside hideout, observing shy otters playing among the rocks. Embark on a wildlife safari by canoe to approach herons, kingfishers and caimans at a respectful distance. Capture photos of vibrant butterflies and dragonflies flitting among flowers.

Enjoy a simple meal of chicken moqueca and grilled vegetables at camp. Swap birding anecdotes around a lantern, comparing checklists. Fall asleep to the gentle lapping of river water against the bank.

Travel to the Santa Bárbara waterfall, one of Brazil’s most famous cascades, for an early morning swim in its turquoise pool. Marvel at the mineral-rich waters that give it a surreal blue hue. Relax on sun-warmed rocks and listen to the roar of falling water.

Explore nearby trails to discover smaller falls known only to local guides. Snack on fresh açai bowls topped with local honey and granola. Photograph lush vegetation dripping with mist from the falls.

Return to town for dinner at a riverside eatery specializing in tilapia. Sample freshly pressed guaraná soda for a sweet, fruity finish. Stroll along the riverbank under twinkling lights strung between trees.

Participate in a traditional clay-pottery workshop led by a local artisan. Shape clay using centuries-old methods and learn to paint geometric patterns symbolizing the cerrado. Take home your handcrafted souvenir.

Join a cooking class focused on prepping regional dishes like empadão de guariroba and farinha temperada. Work side by side with a local chef, learning techniques for handling palm hearts and wild greens. Savor the results of your efforts in a communal feast.

Attend a folk dance demonstration featuring tambor de crioula rhythms. Try your hand at playing simple percussion instruments alongside performers. Share a light dinner of tapioca crepes filled with cheese and coconut.

Enjoy a leisurely breakfast of fresh fruit, breads, and coffee at your pousada. Wander nearby trails to spot howler monkeys and colorful parrots. Return for a rest before the afternoon’s adventure.

Climb Morro de São João in the late afternoon to reach the summit. Marvel at 360-degree views over rolling hills, savanna and distant river valleys. Unfold your picnic blanket as you watch the sun sink below the horizon.

Stay hilltop for an unforgettable stargazing session far from light pollution. Identify constellations with a local astronomer and learn about indigenous sky lore. Toast to the Milky Way with a glass of chilled ginger kombucha.

Pack your bags after a final Brazilian coffee and pão de queijo at dawn. Head to Cavalcante’s morning market to browse stalls laden with tropical fruits and spices. Chat with vendors about their homegrown produce.

Enjoy one last regional lunch of bobó de camarão and steamed rice. Take time to purchase final souvenirs—hand-woven baskets, organic honey and artisanal soap. Reflect on the week’s adventures as you drive back to the airport.

If time allows, share a farewell dinner at your favorite local spot, savoring familiar flavors one more time. Exchange contacts with your guide and new friends for future reunions. Depart Cavalcante with lasting memories of nature, culture, and community warmth.