The Parque Nacional Chapada dos Veadeiros to the North of Brasilia is one of the most beautiful and distinctive parks in all of Brazil. It is said that the park is one of Earth’s most visible areas from space. The quantity of quartz in the rocks glistens in the sunlight and makes the whole areas appear to sparkle when viewed from space.
The Park has UNESCO World Heritage status and with its landscapes and scenery, it is not hard to see why. The Park Authorities carefully manage the whole area and from the Visitor Centre there are a number off different and well marked treks that take in a number of waterfalls and stunning vistas. At weekends and public holidays the Park gets very busy with trekkers from all over Brazil. Indeed our visit coincided with a major public holiday in Brazil and there were many young people taking advantage of the treks and the swimming in the rivers.
We took the yellow path from the main Visitor Centre, a trek of some 14kms taking in four different waterfalls and broad views across the landscape. Of the waterfalls, the Salto do Rio Preto, is one of the Park’s highlights, which descends some 130 metres into a wide pool below. Further all no the trail is the Salto Carrossel, a series of cataracts descending through the valley, which with its new viewing platform offers yet more stunning views. In the waters by two of the waterfalls many visitors swim. Each area is clearly designated and there are life guards present. Sometimes there can be flash flooding hence the safety precautions.
The second site we visited in the Park, was to the Vale da Lua, another river cascading through the rocks. The rocks are a bit like moon rocks and are eroded by the cascading water. The water flows out above and through the rocks and in places the water flows are at multiple levels, a most unusual spectacle.
With all the quartz and shining rocks the Park has attracted a lot of alleged sightings and of UFOs and other extraterrestrial phenomena. While one cannot substantiate the validity of such claims, it together with the stunning scenery makes the Park one of Brazil’s most special National Parks.
Date: 16/11/2018 to 18/11/2018