waterfall · Palmeiras, BA
Cachoeira da Fumaça
One of the tallest waterfalls in Brazil, so tall that the water turns to mist before it reaches the ground. The trail to the viewpoint, from Vale do Capão, takes about two hours.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About Cachoeira da Fumaça
Cachoeira da Fumaça (Smoke Falls) is among the tallest waterfalls in Brazil. Measurements vary: ICMBio (the federal parks agency) puts it at about 380 meters, and other sources cite 340. It is in Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina, created on September 17, 1985, in the municipality of Palmeiras. The name comes from the wind, which breaks the water into droplets before it reaches the bottom and often pushes it back up.
The most popular route goes to the top, starting from Vale do Capão. The trail leaves from the village of Campos, is about 5 km one way and takes around two hours, the first of them on a steep climb to the top of the ridge. After that the ground levels out to the edge of the canyon, where you see the falls from natural rock viewpoints at the edge of big drops.
There is also the route to the bottom, to the pool at the base of the waterfall. It is a three-day trek from Lençóis, with camping, done by experienced hikers with a local guide.
Entry to the national park is free. The Vale do Capão Visitor Guides Association, based at the trailhead, has monitored the trail since 2000 and is where you hire a guide. A guide is not mandatory, but ICMBio recommends one: the park's trails don't have complete signage or cell phone coverage. In March 2023, three tourists got lost on this trail and had to be rescued.
Before you go
Practical information
How much time to set aside
About five hours round trip on the top trail, with stops. To the bottom, three days.
Best time
The dry season, from April to October. In April and May the waterfall still has good volume and the trail is dry; at the end of the dry season the water drops and the "smoke" gets thinner.
How to get there
From Vale do Capão, a district of Palmeiras, to the trailhead in the village of Campos. The route to the bottom leaves from Lençóis and requires a local guide and camping gear.
Tip
Don't go alone, and tell your lodging about your route, as ICMBio (the federal parks agency) advises. In the dry season, check with the Capão association that no trail is closed because of fires.
Official website
A look at the place
Cachoeira da Fumaça in pictures
These pictures are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs. They may differ from the place.
Click the picture to enlarge it.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Cachoeira da Fumaça
How tall is Cachoeira da Fumaça?
Measurements vary. ICMBio (the federal parks agency) puts it at about 380 meters; other sources cite 340. Either way, it is among the tallest in Brazil.
Do I need a guide?
It is not mandatory, but ICMBio recommends hiring a local guide, because the trails don't have complete signage or cell phone coverage. The guides association is at the trailhead, in Vale do Capão.
Is there an entrance fee?
No. Entry to Parque Nacional da Chapada Diamantina is free.
How long does the trail take?
To the top, from Capão, it is about 5 km and two hours one way, with a steep climb at the start. To the bottom, it is a three-day trek from Lençóis.
Can you swim at the waterfall?
Not on the top trail: you see the falls from the viewpoints at the edge of the canyon. The pool is at the base, reached only on the bottom trek.