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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Cavalcante
Base in Cavalcante for 2–3 nights only if you have a car or hire a guide: the waterfalls sit 25–63 km out on dirt roads with no phone signal.
Cavalcante is the oldest town in the Chapada dos Veadeiros, 320 km north of Brasília, and it holds more than 60% of the national park's area. The town itself is small and walkable; the reason to come is the waterfalls and the Kalunga settlements around it, which need a car or a guide and a full day each. Two nights is the minimum, three is comfortable.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- May–Sep (dry season, clear trails)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (heavy rain, dirt roads and river crossings turn bad)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$150–250 excl. bed · Mid R$250–450 excl. bed · High R$450+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee or a snack in the centre | R$8–20 |
| Lunch plate (rice, beans, meat) at a town restaurant | R$25–50 |
| Wood-oven pizza | R$50–90 |
| Beer: draught in town / can from a shop | R$10–18 / R$5–9 |
| Waterfall entrance fee | R$5–50 |
| Guided day trip with transport | R$150–400 per person |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- BSB · Brasília–Presidente Juscelino Kubitschek
- The practical gateway: about 320 km (199 mi) by road, roughly 5–6 h by car; no airport at Cavalcante.The practical gateway: about 199 mi (320 km) by road, roughly 5–6 h by car; no airport at Cavalcante.
Typical fares
- Brasília Rodoferroviária → Cavalcante, bus
- about R$45, about 6 h; departs 07:15 and 15:15about R$45, about 6 h; departs 7:15 AM and 3:15 PM
- Cavalcante → Engenho II (Santa Bárbara trailhead), car
- 25 km (16 mi), about 1 h on dirt16 mi (25 km), about 1 h on dirt
- Cavalcante → Cachoeiras do Prata, car
- about 63 km (39 mi), 1.5–2 habout 39 mi (63 km), 1.5–2 h
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town centre is flat and walkable in 15–20 minutes end to end; bikes work for short hops. Every waterfall and the Kalunga settlements are outside town on dirt roads, so a car (ideally high-clearance) or a hired guide with transport is the real answer. There is no useful local bus network for visitors.
See and do
Known for
- Santa Bárbara waterfall at Engenho II
- Cachoeiras do Prata
- Kalunga communities and the Kalunga Historical Site
- Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (northern side)
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Bárbara waterfall, Engenho II | Drive 25 km (16 mi) to the Engenho II Kalunga settlement, then a 5 km (3.1 mi) flat trail; guides hire at the settlementDrive 16 mi (25 km) to the Engenho II Kalunga settlement, then a 3.1 mi (5 km) flat trail; guides hire at the settlement | Half day from town, 1 h each way by car |
| Cachoeiras do Prata | Cavalcante–Minaçu road to km 60–63 (miles 37–39), then trail; 4WD reaches about a third of the way to Rei do PrataCavalcante–Minaçu road to miles 37–39 (km 60–63), then trail; 4WD reaches about a third of the way to Rei do Prata | 1.5–2 h each way by car |
| Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (northern sector) | Guided access from Cavalcante side; check current park entry rules and guide requirement | Full day |
| Alto Paraíso de Goiás and São Jorge | Road via Colinas do Sul, roughly 100 km (62 mi) of paved and dirt roadRoad via Colinas do Sul, roughly 62 mi (100 km) of paved and dirt road | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Centro (around Praça Diogo Teles Cavalcante)
- Hotels, pousadas and restaurants within walking distance; best if you have no car and eat out every night.
- Cavalcantinho and the Colinas do Sul road (km 1–5)
- Pousadas and campings with gardens, pools and river access; you need a car or a taxi for dinner in town.
- Camping and riverside sites (km 1–9, plus Engenho II)
- Cheapest beds; camping is the norm at the waterfalls and at some pousadas. Bring a headlamp and check showers.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabom JEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Where is the waterfall? | Onde fica a cachoeira?ON-jee FEE-kah ah kah-shoo-AY-rah |
| I need a guide | Preciso de um guiapreh-SEE-zoo jee oong GEE-ah |
| Can I pay by card? | Aceita cartão?ah-SAY-tah kar-TOWNG |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- No mobile signal at most waterfalls and settlements: tell someone your plan and carry water.
- Dirt roads and mine trucks on the Cavalcante–Minaçu road; do not drive it at night or in rain.
- Guides are strongly advised for remote sites; arrange them at the tourist information centre rather than at the trailhead.
- Long dry-season sun and no shade on some trails; start early.
- Card and ATM coverage is thin outside the centre: carry cash for entrance fees and small meals.
Cavalcante is a small, quiet town and street crime is not the issue; the real risks are remote trails with no phone signal, dirt roads shared with mine trucks, and heat. Go with a guide, carry water, and do not drive the Minaçu road at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Cavalcante yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Santa Bárbara waterfall at Engenho II
- Cachoeiras do Prata
- Kalunga communities and the Kalunga Historical Site
- Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (northern side)
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Visit Brasil — Chapada dos Veadeiros: www.visitbrasil.com/
- Instituto Chico Mendes (ICMBio) — Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Veadeiros: www.gov.br/icmbio/pt-br
- Wikivoyage: Cavalcante, revision 5281023 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5281023
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Cavalcante
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Cavalcante; the US, UK, Canadian and Australian embassies are in Brasília (check addresses and hours before you go).
Bus timetables and waterfall fees change with the season: confirm the day before.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/cavalcante). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.