Chapada Diamantina Mountain Biking Travel

Chapada Diamantina Mountain Biking

8 Days, can be shortened to 5 or 3 also

This Mountain Bike Tour takes you to some of the finest parts of the Chapada Diamantina National Park, the best way to see as much as possible on two wheels, with some hiking involved also. The tour can be shortened to 5 or 3 days as well very easily, making it possible for people with less time available.  Day Pedals around the Chapada Diamantina National Park can also be included in a regular tour.

Chapada Diamantina boasts some of the finest mountain bike trails and scenery in Brazil, which is why it is also the home of the largest MTB competition in the country. Brasil Ride is a multi-day event for serious competition riders only, taking place every October. Any other mountain bike trip around the national park can be tailored to your needs and the time that you have. 

Days are usually between 30km and 70km of pedalling, with vehicle transfers by road necessary between certain points of the circuit. GPS radio and satellite communication is used between cyclists and support team at all times, with First Aid kit and qualifications held by your MTB guide.  Mountain Bike rental can be included in your package, although you can also bring your own bikes if you prefer. Merida TFS Matts 400 are available to rent, all with Shimano Deore components and 100mm Suntour XCR Suspension Forks. Other models, including self-built, are available too. Rental prices are around US$40/day including helmet, which must be added on to the package price.

All Mountain Bike Tours of Chapada Diamantina have a support vehicle and spare bike, with accommodation usually in local bed and breakfast places run by local families.

 

from $ 1,250 USD

Chapada Diamantina Mountain Biking

8 Days, can be sh
or
tened t
or
5
or
3 als


Destinations Visited

  • Lençois & Chapada Diamantina

Trip Style

Adventure

Activities Included

  • Mountain Biking & Cycling

Tailor Made Tours

All our Brazil and South America Tours, are completely flexible with regards to dates, duration or the tours, activities and accommodation that we can include. All the tours featured on our website are our recommendations based on our experience of how to make the very best of your time in South America. We can adjust these details in any way that you wish. We are here to organise a tour that suits you after all!

Itinerary

Day 1
Arrive in the Chapada Diamantina National Park

Destination: Salvador to Lençois, Chapada Diamantina

After travelling from Salvador on either the twice weekly short flight (Thursdays and Sundays only) or the six hour bus journey, you arrive in Lençois, the town at the heart of the Chapada Diamantina National Park. You will be met at the airport or the bus station for transfer to your accommodation in the town. The afternoon can then be spent getting to know the mountain bike group and perhaps trying your bikes for size. You can also wander up to the spectacular Serrano Falls, just a short trail upstream from the town bridge. This photogenic spot is good for picnics, enjoying a quick dip and also to see the laundry that gave its name to the town!
Day 2
Cycling Out in the Chapadas

Destination: Lençois to Andarai, Chapada Diamantina

Your mountain bike journey around the Chapada Diamantina National Park begins after breakfast with the pedal from Lençois to Andarai. The dirt road between the villages was used by diamond miners, with several rivers to cross and some short climbs. The Roncador Waterfall is the perfect spot for a break after a short hike, with lunch taken in an old colonial farmhouse. A natural jacuzzi has beautiful views over the landscape of the park. A stretch of asphalt road comes before and after Andarai, the final 7km climb being on a tough cobblestone path to the picturesque village of Igatu, the final stop of the 45km.
Day 3
The Blue Well

Destination: Andarai to Mucuge, Chapada Diamantina

A 5km single-track down to Andarai is the start of a 35km pedal today, with a 10km climb on paved road then 18km of dirt roads through the regional caatinga vegetation of the Brazilian interior. Conditions may dictate otherwise, but there are two possible routes to Poço Azul, the Blue Well, one being com emoçao as they say in Brazil, with emotion for the most adventurous path. Lunch is taken in the Poço Azul restaurant before a visit to the cave. Minerals in the water turn stunning colours as the sunlight hits the water in the early afternoon. You can swim and snorkel in the lake before finishing the day with the drive to Mucuge.
Day 4
Fumacinha Waterfall

Destination: Mucuge to Ibicoara, Chapada Diamantina

Between 50km and 75km of pedalling today, depending on your form and fitness. The dirt road out of Mucuge takes you past coffee ranches overlooked by the Sincora Range of hills, around 35km of cycling with a 15 minute climb to the top of the escarpment. On the flat top of the chapadas, 5km of single-track takes you around the plateau to the top of the Fumacinha Waterfall and canyon. There is the chance to cool off in the waters of the river as well. The final 25km of the day can be done by bike on the dirt road or by vehicle if you prefer. At the village of Ibicoara, you stop for the night.
Day 5
The Hidden Waterfall of Buracao

Destination: Ibicoara to Buracao, Chapada Diamantina

About 60km of pedalling today with another of Chapada Diamantina\'s finest waterfalls to visit. From Ibicoara 28km of dirt road begins with a steep climb leaving the Campo Redondo Valley. Short climbs and long downhills follow with the final 3km of the journey to Buracao done on foot until the canyon. The canyon walls are around 5m apart and can be used to complete the journey if you don\'t fancy the swim upstream! The 85m waterfall is one off the most spectacular sights in Brazil, dropping from the plateau directly into the big hole that gives the waterfall its name. After a short vehicle journey, another 30km of dirt road through the Sincora Valley finishes the day.
Day 6
Into the Vale do Capao

Destination: Buracao to Vale do Capao, Chapada Diamantina

Do you want the hard way or the easy way today? Around 53km of dirt road pedalling under the Sincora Mountain Range from Guine to the Vale do Capao. The tough route involves a half hour hike to arrive on the flat tops by the old pack-horse route to the Vale do Pati. This means carrying your bike on your shoulder up the steep path as well... The views from the top make it very worthwhile if you can manage it as you cover the Gerais do Vieira meadows and cross the Rio Preto to the head of the valley, all on single track. The alternative route uses the dirt roads below the range to Palmeiras before completing the route to Caete-Açu in the Vale do Capao.
Day 7
The Highest Waterfall in Brazil

Destination: Vale do Capao, Chapada Diamantina

The bikes are left in the valley today as you hike 14km or so to the top of the highest waterfall in Brazil and back. The trail begins up a steep path rising 2km from the floor of the valley to the top of the Serra do Sincora. The views along the valley and to other chapadas are stunning. The next 4km are on the flat summit until you reach the top of Cachoeira da Fumaça. At 380m, the falls are so high that the water doesn\\\\\\\'t reach the bottom! The water disappears into the spray for which the falls are named. You can also peer down to the lake from an overhanging rock... if you dare! After descending, you spend the night in the Vale do Capao.
Day 8
Morrao & Pai Inacio

Destination: Vale do Capao to Lençois

Around 40km of pedalling takes you back to Lençois. The journey out of the Vale do Capao begins on the dirt road before the single track around the shoulders of Morrao, the highest table mountain in the region. After a stop at the Aguas Claras Waterfall, you continue to Pai Inacio, perhaps the easiest chapada to summit. After making it to the top, you have fantastic panoramic views over the Chapada Diamantina National Park. The single-track to Lençois takes you along rocky paths with some technical riding and a long downhill until the town. Evening is then free to enjoy Lençois, with plenty of bars and restaurants to unwind.
Day 9
Marimbus Wetlands... by Mountain Bike...?

Destination: Lençois

Your final day of mountain biking around the Chapada Diamantina National Park begins and ends in Lençois, with 32km of pedalling in total. Dirt roads take you to Vila Remanso where a boat trip takes you through the Marimbus Wetlands, with your bikes for company. The wetlands are full of wildlife with capybara, caiman alligators, deer, abundant bird and marine life all observed regularly, A ten minute pedal to the Roncador Ranch where lunch and a swim in the waters of the river come before the journey back to Lençois on the paths of the diamond miners of old. The final night of your trip in town is free, with the overnight bus to Salvador a possibility.
Day 10
Final Views of the Chapadas

Destination: Lençois to Salvador & Away

Your time in the Chapada Diamantina National Park comes to an end with the journey back to Salvador. The twice-weekly flight is recommended for Thursdays and Sundays, or the public bus for other days. This mountain bike circuit of the Chapada Diamantina National Park can be adjusted to the needs of your group, with less days possible. The tour can also be combined with other adventurous destinations in Brazil, such as Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon Rainforest. You may also like to extend your time in the state of Bahia to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Praia do Forte or Morro de Sao Paulo.

Prices

* Domestic Flights Estimated Price
$200 USD
** Prices Per Adult based on two people travelling and sharing accommodation
Simple B&B
On Request
3 Stars
from $1,250 USD
4 Stars
On Request
5 Stars
On Request

* Prices vary depending on travel dates and flight availability. Peak periods in Brazil including Carnaval, public holidays and Christmas/New Year usually require a minimum number of nights, so in these cases itineraries may need to be changed.

** Domestic flight prices are estimated on typical values when reserved six months before travel. Prices can never be guaranteed until reservations are made, and do usually become more expensive closer to the travel period.


* Domestic Flights Estimated Price ** Prices Per Adult based on two people travelling and sharing accommodation
$200 USD
Simple 3 Stars 4 Stars Luxury
On Request

from

$1,250 USD
On Request
On Request
 

* Prices vary depending on travel dates and flight availability. Peak periods in Brazil including Carnaval, public holidays and Christmas/New Year usually require a minimum number of nights, so in these cases itineraries may need to be changed.

** Domestic flight prices are estimated on typical values when reserved six months before travel. Prices can never be guaranteed until reservations are made, and do usually become more expensive closer to the travel period.