Hiking in Chapada Diamantina

After 6 weeks in flip-flops, it was time to take out our hiking shoes from the big backpack. We had arrived in the inland, 400 km southwest of Salvador. The 38,000 km2 Chapada Diamantina National Park was waiting for us. 1 guide, 6 girls from 6 different countries, and 3 days of hiking. We were ready for the next adventure!

On the first day, we were driven to the beginning of the park in the morning. That's where the tour started. A steep and long climb, and then we reached the first mountain peak. The view was fantastic. After seeing a lot of sand, sea, and cities in the past few weeks, we were now in the middle of the green nature. Amazing!

On the other side, we descended again and on our way, we passed several waterfalls and rivers. Taking a bath under a waterfall was super refreshing and wonderfully cold. We crossed the rivers by jumping from one stone to another. It required not only a lot of concentration but also a good balance.

Day 2 started with a hike to the mountain "Morro do Castelo". The two-hour climb alone was worth the trip. We climbed, scrambled, and fought our way up with our hands and feet.

Head down and flashlight on, then we crossed a cave.

At the mountain peak, we had a great view of the entire valley. We couldn't get enough of the amazing nature picture right in front of us.

Going down the mountain again, a swim in the river, and a little rest to refresh ourselves. Then came part two of the hike to the next house, which we reached shortly before nightfall this time.

On the third and last day, we were joined by another woman, a Brazilian, who expanded our nation-rich trekking group. A 21-km long hike was ahead of us, mainly flat and even this time. Our tour guide Marcello kept us entertained with lots of humor and funny remarks. After what felt like the twentieth time of hearing "Almost there", we emerged from behind a thorny bush and suddenly stood in front of a 300m deep abyss. In front of us, a valley stretched out, unlike anything I had ever seen before.

To catch a glimpse of the waterfall "Cachoeirão", we lay on the warm rocks and crawled like lizards to the edge of the cliff. The wind whistled through the valley and threw tiny droplets of water up to us.

The national park is bigger in size than Belgium. So it's no wonder that we could only explore a small part in 3 days. The hike through Vale de Pati (the area we chose) in the midst of mountain ranges, cliffs, and valleys was a unique experience. I will not forget the vibrant greenery anytime soon.