The Parque Nacional Chapada dos Veadeiros in the north of Goiás is the heart of the planalto, its stunning natural scenery among the most beautiful and distinctive in Brazil. The hundreds of square kilometres of wild and sparse vegetation, extraordinary geological formations, cave systems, waterfalls and hiking trails make this one of the best […]

More easily accessible than many of Goiás’s attractions, the adjacent thermal resorts of Caldas Novas and Rio Quente, around 185km south of Goiânia, are incredibly popular with Brazilians from beyond the state. Taken together they lay claim to being the world’s largest hot-spring aquifers, a massive and very hot natural subterranean reservoir. The healing […]

Down in the southwestern corner of Goiás state, the Parque Nacional das Emas (8am–5pm) is a cerrado reserve that was once the domain of zoologists and botanists but is gradually opening up to regular tourism. Located in the central Brazilian highlands near the Mato Grosso do Sul border, the park consists of some 1300 […]

Some 144km northwest of Goiânia, and a six-hour bus ride from Brasília, is the historic town of GOIÁS VELHO – originally known as Vila Boa, and now often just called Goiás. Strung along and up a steep valley cut by the Rio Vermelho, it is one of the most beautiful colonial towns in Brazil, […]

A number of guides and agencies offer ecological tours of the surrounding region, taking in sites within the Parque Estadal da Serra dos Pirineus and  the Reserva Ecologica Vargem Grande. The region boasts many great trails and a host of impressive waterfalls.  Sites include the Abade, Inferno and Corumbá waterfalls. Based at Rua Emílio […]

There are several good restaurants along Avenida Sizenando Jayme, including As Flor at no. 16, unprepossessing in appearance but one of the best at lunchtime for regional cooking, though evening fare can dip in quality. Pamonharia, around the corner going down to the church, is also cheap. Other, but much more expensive, restaurants can […]

A popular local resort, Pirenópolis has dozens of hotels to choose from, many of them merely private homes with a few rooms for rent. The quality is generally well above average, and discounts are available mid-week or out of season. The most central hotel is the reasonably comfortable Pousada das Cavalhadas, Praça da Matriz […]