Chapada dos Veadeiros 6 - The water jumps track

Chapada dos Veadeiros (6) 

The Water Jumps´ Track

Salto do Rio Preto

The Jump of Rio Preto, inside the Chapada dos Veadeiros´National Park

The Water Jump´s Track, my free translation to Trilha dos Saltos, is the most thrilling one inside the National Park. This 11 km (8 miles) track leads to the highest waterfall inside the park (800m), allowing a view from the top of the waterfall to its bottom, where a lagoon is formed. 

First you´ll walk through the cerrado, close to the Rio Preto´s valley. The plants, the crystals and the rocks are amazing, as well the crystal clear water springing from the rocks. 

Walking in the Cerrado, in the direction of the Salto do Rio Preto waterfall, inside Chapada dos Veadeiros´National Park

Walking in the Cerrado, in the direction of the Salto do Rio Preto waterfall, inside Chapada dos Veadeiros´National Park

After one hour walk, you start hearing the waterfall´s noise, and soon you´ll see the abyss, where there´s a rustic stairway. The abyss gives you an incredible view of the jungle inside the Park, an almost untouched place where people just get by walking a lot on those tracks, leaving all signs of civilization behind. 

Some steps down and you can take pictures of the waterfall from a vistapoint:

Cachoeira do Salto do Rio Preto - The Jump of Rio Preto´s waterfall

Cachoeira do Salto do Rio Preto - The Jump of Rio Preto´s waterfall

 The stairway down to the lagoon is rustic and, of course, surrounded by the jungle, so it is not an easy ride. It demands good physical preparation to get down and climb again. Once you reach the lagoon, you can have a relaxing bath, though stones are very sharp there, what makes baths a bit difficult. Be mindful of snackes and slippery rocks, one can get hurt. 

Cachoeira do Salto do Rio Preto - The Jump of Rio Preto´s waterfall

Cachoeira do Salto do Rio Preto - The Jump of Rio Preto´s waterfall

Cachoeira do Salto do Rio Preto - The Jump of Rio Preto´s waterfall