Jalapão
All of Brazil, within reach.
A white diagonal band runs across a field split into a blue triangle (upper-left) and a yellow triangle (lower-right); centred on the white band is a stylised golden sun with 8 large and 16 small rays, symbolising a new sun rising for all Tocantinenses — adopted 17 Nov 1989
Jalapão in pictures
About Jalapão
Jalapão is Tocantins' flagship hard-adventure product — a remote stretch of Cerrado savanna in the state's eastern reaches, anchored by the 158,885-hectare Jalapão State Park created in 2001. DMCs sell it as a small-group ecotourism circuit built around fervedouros (spring-fed pools where an underground current keeps bathers effortlessly afloat), golden sand dunes, and waterfalls on the Rio Novo and Rio Sono. Access is the defining planning constraint: there is no paved road network within the region, distances between attractions run into the hundreds of kilometres over sandy dirt tracks, and 4x4 vehicles with experienced local drivers are mandatory for essentially every itinerary. Most operators stage clients through Palmas and base them in Mateiros or São Félix do Tocantins, the small gateway towns that hold the region's limited pousada-style lodging — there are no international hotel brands in Jalapão itself. Because the unpaved terrain becomes difficult or impassable in the rains, the practical booking window is effectively locked to the dry season, from roughly May to September.
Palmas – Brigadeiro Lysias Rodrigues Airport
Gateway airport for Jalapão; from Palmas it is a further overland transfer to the region's gateway towns
How Jalapão came to be
Sourced milestones your team can use for guest briefings and storytelling — not filler copy.
Curiosities & practical notes
What's on the table
Peixe na folha de bananeira
River fish wrapped and cooked in banana leaf with citrus and herbs, a Cerrado riverside staple
Arroz de capote
Rice cooked with guinea fowl (capote), a traditional Tocantins dish often served at celebrations
Pratos com pequi
Dishes built around pequi, a spiny Cerrado fruit with a distinctive flavour, used in rice, chicken and pasta preparations
Chambari
Slow-cooked beef shank in a tomato-based sauce, an ossobuco-style regional favourite
Paçoca de carne de sol
Sun-dried beef pounded with cassava flour, onion and butter
Cuscuz
Steamed cornmeal dish typically served at breakfast or dinner
Mangulão
Savoury cheese-and-tapioca-starch cake, a common breakfast or afternoon snack
What there is to see
Marked where a site carries UNESCO World Heritage status directly, versus a locally or nationally protected landmark.
Fervedouros
Natural spring pools where an underground current keeps bathers effortlessly afloat; access to individual springs is often time-limited to protect the formations
Dunas do Jalapão
Golden sand dunes formed by erosion of the surrounding sandstone plateaus, a signature sunset destination
Cachoeira da Velha
The region's largest waterfall, fed by the Rio Novo, with a strong current used for rafting
Serra do Espírito Santo
Sandstone ridge marking one of the park's main entrances, with a steep trail rewarding hikers with sunrise views over the Cerrado
Cachoeira do Formiga
Waterfall known for its clear, greenish natural pools
Rio Novo
One of the region's main rivers, with white-sand river beaches used for swimming and kayaking
Comunidade Mumbuca
Quilombola community near Mateiros known for capim dourado (golden grass) handicraft, protected as a regional geographic indication
What else we brief agencies on
This is what we prepare for every RFP, whether or not it's published on this page yet:
On request for every proposal
- Best season / weather windows and blackout dates for groups & MICE
- Permit and quota logistics for regulated attractions — lead time and group-size caps
- Accessibility notes and physical-difficulty ratings per activity
- Vetted ground partners, guides and transport already used on past programs
- Sustainability / certification credentials relevant to client RFPs, where they genuinely exist
- Real, checked room and vehicle availability for your travel dates — not a generic quote