Cerrado of the Central West
Sandstone chapadas, waterfalls and crystal-clear rivers in the heart of the cerrado: easy nature extensions from the Northern Pantanal or Brasília.
Destinations
Chapada dos Guimarães, Nobres, Chapada dos Veadeiros
Recommended stay
2 to 4 nights per stop
Best time to go
May to September
Airports
Cuiabá or Brasília
Brazil’s high plateaus
The cerrado, the great savanna of central Brazil, hides some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes: sandstone plateaus sculpted by erosion, known as chapadas, dozens upon dozens of waterfalls, and rivers so clear you can watch the fish as if in an aquarium.
Around Cuiabá, Chapada dos Guimarães and Nobres are the perfect extension to a stay in the Northern Pantanal. Farther east, Chapada dos Veadeiros is reached from Brasília. Two distinct regions to combine depending on your itinerary.
Where and when to go
Map
When to go
Text
Months
Around Cuiabá
In Mato Grosso, one to two hours from the gateway to the Northern Pantanal.
Chapada dos Guimarães
A national park of red sandstone cliffs, canyons and waterfalls, including the Véu de Noiva, more than 80 meters high. At sunset, the lookouts gaze out over the plain all the way to Cuiabá.
Ideal for: hiking, panoramic views, an add-on to the Pantanal
Access: about a 1-hour drive from Cuiabá
Nobres
The “Bonito of Mato Grosso”: crystal-clear rivers where you float among the fish, blue lagoons, caves and waterfalls, around the village of Bom Jardim.
Ideal for: river floating, families, nature
Access: about a 2.5-hour drive from Cuiabá
Around Brasília
In the state of Goiás, on the high plateaus of the cerrado.
Chapada dos Veadeiros
A UNESCO World Heritage national park: spectacular waterfalls, canyons, the rock formations of the Valley of the Moon and clear-water rivers, starting from Alto Paraíso and the village of São Jorge.
Ideal for: hiking, waterfalls, wild nature
Access: about a 3.5-hour drive from Brasília
Combine with
Text
Combine
Our tours
Tours
Tempted by this trip?
Text
{"hp":"center 45%","nt":"Two gateways","fl":"Airports","zi":["cuiaba","brasilia"],"pi":[["6ac8dd2a7f1d3e344ff259bb_Chapada%20dos%20Guimaraes%20-%20Cachoeira%20Ve%CC%81u%20de%20Noiva.jpg","Véu de Noiva waterfall, Chapada dos Guimarães"],["","Nobres"],["6ac8d37b89873b7bbabac460_Chapada%20dos%20Veadeiros.jpg","Plateaus and cerrado of Chapada dos Veadeiros"]],"ct":"These chapadas are a natural extension of a stay in the Northern Pantanal or Brasília.","cb":[["Northern Pantanal","Wildlife and jaguars, starting from Cuiabá.","/brazil-destinations/northern-pantanal","6ac4fa75fb9fe081cc7b4a5a_jaguar%20pantanal.jpg","Jaguar in the Pantanal"],["Brasília","Niemeyer’s capital, three and a half hours from Chapada dos Veadeiros.","/brazil-destinations/brasilia","6ac8b1bdf987f0f15f84905d_Brasilia%20-%20congresso%20nacional.jpg","Brasília’s National Congress"],["Bonito","The Central West’s other great crystal-clear water destination.","/brazil-destinations/bonito","6ac63f6daa1c1848195247f1_Bonito1.jpg","Crystal-clear river in Bonito"]],"cht":"Our tours","ci":[],"cta":["Add a chapada to your trip","We arrange the transfers, the guides and the right number of nights for each stop."],"mo":"bbbpiiiiipbb","lg":[["i","May to September","dry season, clear skies, clear water"],["p","April, October","transition"],["b","November to March","rainy season, powerful waterfalls but slippery trails"]],"wt":"The cerrado follows the rhythm of two seasons. From May to September, the dry season brings blue skies, passable trails and the clearest water in Nobres. From November to March, the rains swell the waterfalls and turn the plateaus green, but some rivers turn murky and a few trails close.","pts":[["Chapada dos Guimarães",-55.75,-15.46],["Nobres",-56.33,-14.72],["Chapada dos Veadeiros",-47.52,-14.13]],"ends":[["Cuiabá",-56.1,-15.6],["Brasília",-47.88,-15.79]]}