Hiking & Trekking in Brazil

Hiking and Trekking are not activities regularly associated with Brazil but with 76 national parks, plus many more state and municipal pars, 8,000km of coastline, and unparalleled biodiversity, they certainly should be considered as part of an itinerary for any nature lover.

The variety of hikes and treks in Brazil is as immense as you would expect from a large country with so many different types of habitat, including Atlantic and Amazon Rainforest, the cerrado highlands of the interior, the Pantanal wetlands, and the waterfall-covered chapadas. The trails of Brazil offer outstanding wildlife viewing and breathtaking panoramas without the breathtaking altitude of Andean Mountain treks.

There are hikes and treks that we can recommend to suit all ages and fitness levels, all rewarding in their own different ways. Rio de Janeiro has day hikes to the top of the highest peaks in the Tijuca Forest National Park, and also right to the base of the Christ the Redeemer statue and up the granite rock of Sugar Loaf Mountain. Florianopolis has trails to remote beaches and alongside its lagoons. The Costa Verde has some of the best tropical trekking in Brazil, taking you to remote pieces of paradise around its mountainous peninsulas and islands, either for the day or for the week close to Paraty and Ilha Grande. The Chapada Diamantina National Park around Lençois has some of the finest scenery in Brazil, with spectacular waterfalls such as Fumaça and Buracao dropping from the flat-topped mountains. The Amazon also has its flat-topped mountains, the cloud-covered tepui, and longer-range treks through the rainforest to scale them are as impressive as anything that South America has to offer. Mount Roraima is the most famous and accessible of them, the original Lost World.

These are perhaps the most popular places for foreign visitors, but there are so many more, with the Chapada dos Guimaraes and Chapada dos Veadeiros National Parks offering quiet trails in Brazil’s interior. The State of Minas Gerais has many trails amongst the historic gold rush towns of the mountains, and outdoor activities are perhaps more popular here than in any other part of Brazil. There are plenty more options in the wilds of the Amazon too, with remote, deep jungle trekking using the Palmari Nature Reserve as a base in the north, while you can trek through the dunes of the spectacular dunes of the Lençois Maranhenses National Park in the north-east of Brazil. More hiking on sand can be found in the deep south, with the 220km trek from Cassino to Chui at the border with Uruguay, along the wild, empty sands of the longest beach on earth! The nearby Canyonlands also have some fabulous hiking trails to see some of the best views in Brazil and also some of the highest waterfalls. 

There are so many options in Brazil that even if your time is limited to quick trips to Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo, there are still mountains and parks within a few hours’ drive such as the Serra dos Orgaos (with Petropolis to Teresoplis being one of the finest short trails you can trek), Itaiaia (with the chance to conquer Agulhas Negras, the highest peak in the state and also nearby Pedra da Minas), and Brotas which showcase nature at its very best.

If the idea of hiking and trekking in Brazil appeals to you as much as it should, then contact us to see what we can recommend for you. Brazil Adventure Tours have personal experience of many of the trails that we can include in our tours, and we are happy to organise things in the way that you prefer. We will recommend guides for trails where safety concerns make it essential, and we can give advice on where best to go and where to avoid for those who prefer to set off alone.

Whichever trails you decide to walk, we’re convinced that your experiences hiking and trekking in Brazil will compare favourably to just about anywhere.

Activity Information: Different hikes and treks can be planned in Brazil for all ages and all fitness levels, although the weather is a big consideration for visitors who may not be used to the heat and humidity.

Hiking & Trekking Tours