National Park Chapada dos Guimarães in Brazil
Mato Grosso's Tourist Attraction of Waterfalls and Rock Formations
Oct 25, 2009
Situated at an altitude of 800 metres National Park Chapada dos Guimarães is a pleasantly cool, natural area and a refreshing change from Cuiabá – Mato Grosso's capital in the west of Brazil. Trails lead to waterfalls, sculpture-like rock formations and indigenous rock art. Watching a sunset at the dark red, vertical rock walls is nothing less than stunning. All this lies within the proximity of the town of Chapada dos Guimarães, which offers all infrastructure needed for tourism.
Waterfalls at National Park Chapada dos Guimarães
Surrounded by Brazil's "cerrado" – central high plains – stands an elevation with vertical rock walls: Chapada dos Guimarães. It obtained the status of National Park in 1989 and is one of Brazil's most popular parks. A six kilometres hiking trail through the park leads along waterfalls, brooks and ponds, among which the 86 metres-high "Véu de Noiva Waterfall" ["Bridal Veil Waterfall"]. The latter can be visited independently but the hiking trail can only be walked with a guide. Some of the ponds are suited for bathing so bring a bathing suit and sun lotion.
Rock Art and Cidade de Pedra at National Park Chapada dos Guimarães
Indigenous people of Brazil inhabited this area for thousands of years. According to scientists some of the rock art at Chapada dos Guimarães is at least 12,000 years old. Another of Chapada dos Guimarães astounding natural phenomena is "Paredão de Eco", where the perpendicular walls make sounds reverberate.
Within the park lies "Cidade de Pedra" ["City of Stone"] – a plateau with bizarre sandstone formations, which offers splendid views of the vertical rock walls. The best time to visit Cidade de Pedra is late afternoon when the sunset colours the rock in deep-orange, dark-red tinges and "araras vermelhas", the blue-red macaws, fly back and forth to their nests hidden inside the rock walls. At the time of writing Cidade de Pedras was closed due to security reasons but will be opened again in the future [but must be visited with a guide].
UFO Landing Port at National Park Chapada dos Guimarães
The highest point of Chapada dos Guimarães is São Jerônimo, at 850 metres. This hill can either be reached by hiking or by four-wheel drive. The top presents magnificent views of the cerrado. São Jerônimo is considered a good point to make contact with other dimensions. The hill attracts, among others, New Age hippies in search of esoteric, meditative locations. According to the mystics of Dom Bosco, Chapada dos Guimarães is one of the places where in the third millennium a new civilisation will rise. It is said that the flat plateau of São Jerônimo will be a landing port for the UFOs.
The Town of Chapada dos Guimarães
Of cultural interest is the whitewashed church Nossa Senhora Santa Ana do Santíssimo Sacramento Church, which dates from 1779. It is currently under renovation but otherwise open to visitors on Tuesdays from 7-10am and 1.30-5pm.
The Tourist Information in this town is useless, it is more practical to visit travel agencies. Travel agencies provide information about the region's natural phenomena, sometimes supply a map and of course can arrange guided tours. Expect to pay around 100-120 reais per day for a guide up to five persons [around 60 US dollars]. The town has all the necessary infrastructure to receive visitors, from basic to luxurious accommodation, a campsite ["Camping Oases", two blocks from the main square], as well as restaurants and handicraft shops.
How to Visit National Park Chapada dos Guimarães
Coming from Cuiabá the park can be reached by road MT 305 [asphalted, 65 kilometres]. A bus leaves from Cuiabá hourly between 7am-7pm. Visiting Parque Nacional Chapada dos Guimarães by private vehicle is highly recommended. The distances between the sights are often too great to walk and public transportation within the park is nonexistent.
National Park Chapada dos Guimarães forms one of Brazil's popular tourist destinations within the state of Mato Grosso. The park's natural heritage like waterfalls and rock formations are splendid. Those interested in nature's majesty may want to visit the nearby sights in Nobres, Bom Jardim or the Pantanal. Lovers of UFO phenomena may be interested in this article.
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