# Jalapão: map, what to do and when to go

Dunes, fervedouros and waterfalls in the Tocantins cerrado, based in Mateiros and reached via Palmas

Canonical: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/
Language: en. Extended author commentary and itinerary notes may remain in Portuguese. Dates below belong to individual sources; this is not live availability.

## Direct answer
- **Jalapão: How do you get there from Palmas?** The gateway is Palmas Airport (PMW).
- **Jalapão: How many days should you stay?** Five days, plus the departure day back to Palmas: the first night in Ponte Alta, three in Mateiros and the last in São Félix do Tocantins.
- **Jalapão: Can you go in your own car, without an agency?** Only with a 4x4 and experience on soft sand, and even then you must hire a guide or local condutor to enter the dunes and the Serra do Espírito Santo, which require a park voucher.

## From Palmas to Ponte Alta, with sunset at the Pedra Furada
Leave Palmas in the morning on the TO-030 and the TO-130, on pavement, to Ponte Alta do Tocantins, about 160 km away.
- Pedra Furada

## Cânion Sussuapara, the sand road and late afternoon at the dunes
Leave Ponte Alta early and stop at the Cânion Sussuapara, about 15 km away, for a short visit before the heat.
- Dunas do Jalapão
- Cânion Sussuapara

## Sunrise at the Serra do Espírito Santo
Leave Mateiros before dawn with the condutor to start the Serra do Espírito Santo trail before sunrise, with a flashlight, water and closed shoes.
- Serra do Espírito Santo

## Cachoeira do Formiga, Mumbuca and the fervedouros north of Mateiros
Arrive early at the Cachoeira do Formiga, about 30 km from Mateiros, to swim before the pool fills up.
- Fervedouro do Ceiça
- Fervedouro do Buritizinho
- Cachoeira do Formiga
- Comunidade Mumbuca

## São Félix do Tocantins: Fervedouro Bela Vista and Cachoeira da Arara
Leave Mateiros in the morning toward São Félix do Tocantins, about 80 km on the TO-110, a dirt road.
- Fervedouro Bela Vista
- Cachoeira da Velha

## Dunas do Jalapão
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-dunas-do-jalapao
Mateiros · One to two hours
Dunes of fine, orange sand, formed by the erosion of the neighboring ridge's sandstone, with a stream of clear water running at the base. They lie inside Jalapão State Park, about 30 km from Mateiros. In the first half of 2023 they received 24,123 visitors, and the whole park totaled 50,302 in 2025. Late afternoon is the favored time, when low light brings out the color of the sand. Under the rules Naturatins published in 2023, entering the dunes and the Serra do Espírito Santo requires a guide or local condutor and a voucher issued by the park administration; in February 2026, park oversight again cited the voucher and the management of visits to the dunes as tools in use. The same 2023 rules set entry windows in the morning and afternoon and prohibit climbing up or down the sandstone wall, flying a drone without authorization and bringing alcoholic drinks; swimming in the ponds beside the dunes was banned in 2017. Confirm times and rules with the agency before you go.
Check access

## Serra do Espírito Santo
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-serra-do-espirito-santo
Tocantins · Half a day or more
A sandstone wall beside the dunes, inside Jalapão State Park. The trail climbs a steep stretch, with benches for resting, to the first viewpoint, where groups arrive for sunrise; from there it is about 3 km along the top to the second viewpoint, overlooking the dunes. The route is around 7 km round trip and takes three to four hours. The climb is done with a condutor and a voucher, before dawn, and the descent already happens in the heat: bring a flashlight, water and closed shoes.
Check access

## Fervedouro do Ceiça
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-fervedouro-do-ceica
Mateiros · Up to half an hour
Described as the first fervedouro opened to the public, on private property north of Mateiros. The water, blue to emerald, wells up out of the sand, and the visitor floats without effort. As at the other fervedouros, the entry fee is paid at the property, groups are small, time in the water is limited and sunscreen, repellent or moisturizer on the skin is forbidden.
Check access

## Fervedouro Bela Vista
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-fervedouro-bela-vista
São Félix do Tocantins · Up to half an hour
A fervedouro about 6 km from São Félix do Tocantins, inside a property with a pousada, which takes groups of up to ten people. Guests of the pousada can enter at night, after the tour groups have left. It is on the natural route for anyone sleeping in São Félix.
Check access

## Fervedouro do Buritizinho
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-fervedouro-do-buritizinho
Up to half an hour
A smaller fervedouro, in the group north of Mateiros that also includes the Fervedouro Encontro das Águas and the Fervedouro dos Buritis. It takes up to six people at a time and works as a second stop on a fervedouro day, near the Fervedouro do Ceiça and the Comunidade Mumbuca.
Check access

## Cachoeira do Formiga
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-cachoeira-do-formiga
Alto Paraíso de Goiás · One to two hours
A waterfall of clear green water over white sand, about 30 km from Mateiros, on a property with a camping area. Unlike the Cachoeira da Velha, here swimming is the point. The entry fee is charged at the property, and arriving early avoids the crowds.
Check access

## Comunidade Mumbuca
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-comunidade-mumbuca
Up to half an hour
A quilombola settlement where the capim dourado craft began. The artisans, organized in an association led by women, sell bags, hats, mandalas and jewelry sewn with buriti silk. Buying there leaves the money with the people who make the pieces.
Check access

## Cachoeira da Velha
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-cachoeira-da-velha
Mateiros · Half a day or more
The largest waterfall in the Jalapão, on the Rio Novo, inside the state park: two falls in a semicircle, separated by a rock wall, about 100 m wide with a 15 m drop. Access is by car to an observation platform and is free; swimming in the falls is forbidden because of the force of the water. Travel guides mention rafting runs on the Rio Novo from there; operation and duration vary, and it is necessary to confirm with the agencies before you go. It is in the north of the park, far from the other stops.
Check access

## Cânion Sussuapara
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-canion-sussuapara
Up to half an hour
A narrow canyon about 15 km from Ponte Alta do Tocantins, where water drips slowly down the rock walls. The visit is short and is usually the first stop on the way from Ponte Alta to Mateiros.
Check access

## Pedra Furada
https://nilopelomundo.com/en/place/jalapao/#g-lugar-pedra-furada
Ponte Alta do Tocantins · Up to half an hour
A sandstone formation with a hole through it, as the name says, about 30 km from Ponte Alta do Tocantins. It is a common stop for watching the sunset at the entrance to the Jalapão and works well as the first afternoon's plan for anyone arriving from Palmas and sleeping in Ponte Alta.
Check access

**Jalapão: How do you get there from Palmas?**
The gateway is Palmas Airport (PMW). From Palmas, the TO-030 and the TO-130 run on pavement to Ponte Alta do Tocantins, where the pavement ends; for Mateiros, continue on the TO-255, a dirt road. Mateiros is about 300 km away, a trip of five to six hours.

**Jalapão: How many days should you stay?**
Five days, plus the departure day back to Palmas: the first night in Ponte Alta, three in Mateiros and the last in São Félix do Tocantins. With four days, you can cut São Félix; with less than that, most of the time goes to the road.

**Jalapão: Can you go in your own car, without an agency?**
Only with a 4x4 and experience on soft sand, and even then you must hire a guide or local condutor to enter the dunes and the Serra do Espírito Santo, which require a park voucher. Agencies and condutores need a Naturatins license.

**Jalapão: Who pays the Mateiros fee?**
Mateiros has charged R$30 per person since May 2026, valid for up to eight consecutive days. Children up to 10, people over 65, people with disabilities, registered residents and municipal employees on duty are exempt. On a package, check whether the fee is already included.

**Jalapão: How do you pay the fee and the entry charges?**
The fee is paid by Pix, bank transfer or at authorized points; without a Brazilian bank account, ask the agency or the pousada. Fervedouros and waterfalls on private property charge admission separately, R$10 to R$25 at the fervedouros (March 2026): carry cash.

**Jalapão: When is the best time to go?**
May to September, the dry season, with firmer sand roads and clearer water in the fervedouros. From August to October average highs exceed 35 °C, and from November to April the rains turn the roads to mud and limit access to several sights.

**Jalapão: What is a visit to a fervedouro like?**
The water rises from the sand under pressure and the body floats, but there is no firm bottom to stand on: follow the instructions of the person in charge. Groups are small, for 15 to 20 minutes, with no sunscreen, repellent, moisturizer or makeup on the skin, and no jumping or diving in headfirst.

**Jalapão: Can you swim at the Cachoeira da Velha?**
No: the Velha is viewed from a platform, free of charge, and swimming in the falls is forbidden because of the force of the water. It is about 115 km from Mateiros and works as a sixth day; for a swim, the option is the Cachoeira do Formiga.

**Jalapão: What is medical care like in the region?**
Limited: in Mateiros, the public service is the Centro Municipal de Saúde Cristo Rei, the subject of a court ruling over lack of equipment in March 2026, and a 2020 report put the nearest hospital for São Félix in Porto Nacional, about 255 km away. Bring medication and a first-aid kit.


## In the Nilo app
- Plan these 4 days on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/guide/jalapao/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-itinerary
- Mark your hotel on the map: https://nilopelomundo.com/en/app/map/jalapao/?utm_source=llm&utm_medium=markdown&utm_content=door-stay

## Full editorial guide (Portuguese)
https://nilopelomundo.com/llm/jalapao.md