Founded in 1989, Palmas is a modern city built from scratch to serve as the capital of Brazil’s newly created state of Tocantins. Set in a privileged position in the Amazon Basin, in the centre of the country, it ranks among the capitals with the most environmental assets in Brazil. The city offers visitors extensive outdoor spaces framed by the unique Cerrado biome, which includes mountains, fields, rivers, waterfalls, and forests, along with an immense lake that borders the city. Palmas is a planned city with broad avenues and modern architecture contrasting with the surrounding savannah. Visitors can explore the Tocantins River, scenic surrounds, wildlife reserves, riverside beaches, and sample local Brazilian cuisine. Parks like Praia da Graciosa provide spaces for walking, cycling, or picnicking, while nearby Taquaruçu draws day-trippers with waterfalls and natural pools, blending urban life with accessible nature experiences.
Ponte Alta do Tocantins is located in the state of Tocantins in the Northern Region of Brazil. It serves as the southern gateway to Jalapao. The main attraction of the town is the Sussuapara Canyon which boasts a crystalline waterfall which flows over a collection of beautiful stone formations. Visitors are sure to enjoy a spectacular sunset at Pedra Furada which features gigantic sandstone rocks carved by the windstorms over millions of years. Don’t miss the opportunity to view the Wooden Bridge traversing the Rio Ponte Alta.
The Jalapao State Park is located in Mateiros near Palmas, Tocantins. The park is made up of dry and wet grassland, sparse dune vegetation, semi-deciduous lacustrine vegetation, dunes, and flat-topped plateaus. Visitors can enjoy swimming in the beautiful Novo, Soninho, and Do Sono rivers, and may be able to spot rare and endangered animals such as the Hoary Fox, Brazilian merganser, and Chaco eagle which are all found in the park.
As previously described
Resting on the banks of the Rio Tocantins, the town of Carolina is set over 200 kilometres south of Imperatriz. Carolina is a small town located in Maranhao, in the northeast region of Brazil with the closest airport being Lysias Augusto Rodrigues Airport. Travellers can get a sense of authentic Brazillian life here, and have plenty of beautiful surrounding nature to explore, including the dramatic landscapes of the Parque Nacional da Chapada das Mesas, which lies just to the east. It is one of Brazil's newest national parks and features dramatic flat-topped rocky bluffs, abundant wildlife, and a collection of magnificent waterfalls spilling into crystalline swimming holes and deep canyons. Boat cruises down the river and guided hiking tours are also on offer.
