BAHIA SPOTLIGHT: CHAPADA DIAMANTINA (DIAMOND PLATEAU)

Português: O rio da pratinha entrando na grande gruta... aguas cristalinas! Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brasil.  English: The little silver river entering the great grotto... crystalline water! Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil.

Chapada Diamantina

Chapada Diamantina is a region of Bahia state in the Northeast of Brazil.
The Chapada Diamantina has a dramatic landscape with high plains, table-top mesas, and steep cliffs or towers known as 'tepuy.' Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 1800s, the only local inhabitants of the region were indigenous Indians from the Maracas and Cariris tribes.

 Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina
refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century.

The Diamantina Tableland Region

Chapada Diamantina.

The geographical center of Bahia is the Diamantina Tableland region. In this mountainous region with a diversified topography, 90% of the rivers of the Paraguaçu, Jacuípe and Rio das Contas basins have their source here. There are thousands of kilometers of clear waters that spring from these mountains and descend in cascades and waterfalls to plateaus and plains, forming beautiful natural pools.
The vegetation mixes cactus species of the caatinga dry lands with rare examples of the mountain flora, especially bromeliads, orchids and "sempre vivas" (member of the strawflower family). On the area one can find the three highest mountains in the state: Pico do Barbado, 2,080 m (6,820 ft) high, Pico Itobira, 1,970 m (6,460 ft), and Pico das Almas, 1,958 m (6,424 ft).

Português: Paisagem marginal do Rio Brumado, na altura da cidade de Rio de Contas, Bahia, Brasil

English: River Brumado, in Bahia, Brazil

Português: Cachoeira do Buracão - Chapada Diamantina - Bahia - Brasil

Poço Encantado – an underground lake

Another scenic attraction is the Cachoeira da Fumaça (Waterfall), that falls 420 m (1,380 ft), the Gruta dos Brejões, the largest cavern opening of Bahia, and the amazing Poço Encantado, which fascinates visitors to the region. There are so many natural attractions that it is possible to choose between subterranean routes in caves, or trip to waterfalls, trek along old gold mining trails or follow the steps of the Prestes Column, rapel, climb mountains, or go horseback riding in the Vale do Capão or Vale do Paty, in the midst of esoteric and alternative communities. Many of the sites are protected by the National Park of Diamantina Tableland region and the Environmental Preservation Area Serra do Barbado and Marimbus, Iraquara. There are opportunities to take long bikes, or travel on horseback, mountain bike or off-road vehicles.

Also for anyone interested in  purchasing land in the Chapada Diamantina region, get in touch with me.  Shoot me an email

We have agents in that area as well as translators (if you don't speak Portuguese).  My friend also has a contract with a heliporto and can provide a fly over the Chapada  from Salvador, BA.  Chapada is around 300 kilometers from Salvador and will take about 90 minutes to get there via helicopter.

 Here is a 10 minute video (very nicely put together) with some good footage of Chapada Diamantina and other places in Bahia.

Wide Angle Bahia from David Dutton on Vimeo.
This is a collection of video clips from my vacation in Bahia, Brazil. We took a road trip to Chapada Diamantina, Brazil's lost world on the west side of Bahia. The rest of the shots are mainly around Salvador and the beaches up north.
www.duttonfilms.com