Cachoeira do Abade — Attraction in Região Geográfica Imediata de Anápolis

• Here’s What You Need to Know * From an American Tourist Think twice before risking your car. If you’re an English-speaking tourist, you’re likely coming from a weekend stay in #Pirenopolis or a day-trip from Brasilia. Once you turn off of the main road, get ready for 30 to 40 minutes of sheer HELL.

I would not make this drive in my private vehicle. The dirt roads are repaired with what looks like jagged shards of detritus from the nearby granite-cutting business. And after 20 minutes of what you think is the worst road you’ve ever been on in your life, you make another right turn into a whole new level of hell, 10 minutes of terrain that could easily break an axle, much less chew your tires to shreds.

I’m not sure I would do this even in a rental vehicle, especially if your deductible is $1500 as ours was. I would recommend securing a guide Pirenopolis and have them take you there. It would be well worth the money.

At the entrance, they’ll give you a blue card which you will need to order food in the restaurant later. There are two trails to the #waterfalls. One is 500 m and doable for most people. The other is 2500 m which I understand accommodates visitors with limited #mobility.

The visit is not without peril. On our way down, there were four lifeguards carrying in an immobilized young man back up the hill on a stretcher. It was a real emergency, not a training exercise.

I’ll leave it up to you whether a splash in the natural pool is...

This place is challenging to get to but worth it.

Download the map of the area before starting your journey. In many locations leading the Abade and at the destination will have little to no service. The Cafe has Wi-Fi.

The road up the mountain leading here is dirt and can be a challenging drive. You will want a confident driver. We made the journey in a 4 door compact car with 5 passengers and scrapped the bottom of the vehicle once. The journey can be made with a small car but you may want a small SUV, small Truck, or something with 4 wheel drive.

Bring cash or purchase your tickets online. Note: their website only accepts PIX.

At a very leisurely pace the long hike took about 2 hours 45 minutes.

This place was filled with incredible scenery and beautiful waterfalls that you can swim in.

If you are in Brasilia this place is worth the trip. Go to Pirenopolis for lunch or...

Beautiful place to spend your day in contact with nature 100% of the time. The access to the livery point has a semi rough dirt road that might impose a challenge in a raining season. Once you are at the "Reserva" entrance everything is top notch. There is a guide that will give you all the necessary information about both trails and all attractions you can find along the way. The trails are all paved with "pedra de Pirenópolis" and the stairs steps are well built with wood and have solid handrails. Suspended bridges are also present and well built. Each waterfall has a fireman on duty in case any accident happens. If you have a chance do not hesitate to visit this place, it...