Group departures on long holiday weekends. Beds in the villagers’ homes are limited.
Crossings of 3 to 6 days in the Pati Valley, sleeping in the homes of valley families, plus one- and two-day trips to the Chapada Diamantina waterfalls.
Crossings
All of them walk in and out with a native guide, and include lodging and meals in the valley homes. The difference is how many days you have and how far you want to go.
3 days · 2 nights
Difficulty: moderate
The valley’s essentials in a long weekend: Mirante do Pati, Castelo Hill and the Cachoeirao from above.
Per personUS$ 460
4 days · 3 nights
Difficulty: intermediate
A free day mid-crossing to choose between Poço da Árvore and the Palmito and Calixto waterfalls.
Per personUS$ 560
5 days · 4 nights
Most booked
Difficulty: challenging
Goes down to Pati de Baixo and the foot of the Cachoeirao, a stretch only this route covers.
Per personUS$ 650
6 days · 5 nights
Difficulty: challenging
From the Gerais do Rio Preto to Andaraí, out down the Ladeira do Império. Runs on the longer holidays.
Per personUS$ 690
Day trips and two days
One-day waterfall trips, plus Fumacinha, which takes two. Do one before or after the crossing, or combine a few into one trip.
1 day · day trip
Difficulty: easy to moderate
A 6 km trail across the high plains to the top of Brazil’s second-highest waterfall.
Per personUS$ 70
1 day · day trip
Difficulty: moderate
A canyon between rock walls and a short swim to the foot of an 85-metre fall.
Per personUS$ 120
2 days · 1 night
Difficulty: hard
Two days of hard trail and a night of camping, to a waterfall inside a narrow canyon.
Per personUS$ 310
1 day · day trip
Difficulty: moderate to hard
A 100-metre fall surrounded by forest, on a quiet trail.
Per personUS$ 145
1 day · day trip
Difficulty: moderate
A two-tier, 230-metre waterfall dropping into an emerald-green pool.
Per personUS$ 120
Made to measure
A private group, another date or a different pace: we plan the trip with you on WhatsApp.
PriceOn request
With no phone signal, the day follows the rhythm of the house you sleep in: an early breakfast, the trail, a waterfall swim and dinner from the wood stove.
Home-made breakfast prepared by your local hosts with produce from the area.
Walks of about 13 km a day, with stops for waterfall swims and viewpoints.
Plenty of food from the wood stove and conversation with the people who live in the valley.
Quiet nights and a sky full of stars, with no city lights nearby.
100% local impact
What you pay for beds and meals goes to the families who host you.
We only work with guides who were born in the valley or have lived there for decades. They know every trail and every family along the way.
On the trail the rule is to leave no trace. And the money from the crossing stays with the families who live in the valley.
First-aid kit, certified guides and communication equipment.
The choice is about time and appetite, not price. Every Pati Valley route takes in the places that made the valley’s name; what changes is how much of it you see, and how hard you work for it.
If you have less than a week in total, counting travel, the 3-day route does the job. With a full week, the 5-day route gives you the most for each day on foot, because it is the only one that goes down to the foot of the Cachoeirao. The 6-day route is for anyone who wants the whole crossing, in through the Gerais do Rio Preto and out through the Vale do Capão.
Torn between two? The complete Pati Valley guide goes through what each stretch has, stop by stop.
| Route | Duration | Distance | Difficulty | Max. altitude | Per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pati Valley crossings | |||||
| Pati Valley: Essential Pati (3 days) | 3 days | 40 km | Moderate | 1,180 m | US$ 460 |
| Pati Valley: Classic Circuit (4 days) | 4 days | 50 km | Intermediate | 1,200 m | US$ 560 |
| Pati Valley: Cachoeirao Expedition (5 days) | 5 days | 68 km | Challenging | 1,250 m | US$ 650 |
| Pati Valley: Deep Immersion (6 days) | 6 days | 80 km | Challenging | 1,280 m | US$ 690 |
| Waterfalls and short routes | |||||
| Fumaca Waterfall | 1 day | 12 km | Easy to moderate | 1,100 m | US$ 70 |
| Buracao Waterfall | 1 day | 7 km | Moderate | 850 m | US$ 120 |
| Fumacinha Waterfall | 2 days | 18 km | Hard | 980 m | US$ 310 |
| Herculano Waterfall | 1 day | 8 km | Moderate to hard | 900 m | US$ 145 |
| Encantada Waterfall | 1 day | 12 km | Moderate | 750 m | US$ 120 |
It depends on how much time you have and what you want to see. Three days covers Mirante do Pati and Castelo Hill. Four days adds a free day to set your own pace. Five days is the only route that goes down to the foot of the Cachoeirao. Six days is the full crossing, in one side and out the other.
From above you reach the rim and the viewpoints, and see the whole fall and the canyon in front of you. From below you go down to the foot, inside the canyon, and look up at the wall. They are two different experiences of the same place. Only the 5-day route includes the descent.
On the Pati Valley crossings: the guide, lodging in the homes of valley families and full board, with breakfast, a trail snack and dinner. Transport to the starting point is not included. Mules to carry your bags are optional and charged separately.
Fumaca, Buracao, Herculano and Encantada are day trips: you leave early and are back by late afternoon. Fumacinha is the exception. It takes two days, with a night out, because the route covers 18 km inside a canyon.
Yes, and plenty of people do. With a week, most fit in a day or two of waterfalls before or after the crossing while they are in the area. We put the combination together around your dates.
The 3-day Pati Valley route, rated moderate, or a one-day waterfall trip such as Buracao, at 7 km. Neither needs previous experience, just the willingness to walk on uneven ground. What wears you down is several days in a row, not any single day.
Message us on WhatsApp to pick the date and the route for your group. Beds in the villagers’ homes are limited and go in order of confirmation.
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