Morro do Chapéu State Park, State park in Bahia, Brazil
Morro do Chapéu State Park is a 46,000-hectare protected area in the municipality of Morro do Chapéu, Bahia, within the Chapada Diamantina. It safeguards caatinga vegetation, rocky outcrops, dunes, and 543 catalogued springs feeding the Salitre, Jacaré, Utinga, and Jacuípe rivers. The park also contains caves with prehistoric paintings, including Brejões, Boa Esperança, Igrejinha, and Cristal.
The protected area was originally established in 1973 through a decree but remained inactive until it was officially reopened in 1998 through another decree. This delay shaped how the park is managed today.
The park holds several archaeological sites with prehistoric cave paintings in Brejões, Boa Esperança, Igrejinha, and Cristal caves. These artworks show how long people have lived in this region.
The park offers hiking, bird watching, and exploration of geological formations along with opportunities to study local plants. Visitors should prepare for changing elevations and varied conditions throughout the area.
The park's 543 catalogued springs feed the Salitre, Jacaré, Utinga and Jacuípe sub-basins, which in turn supply the Paraguaçu and São Francisco rivers. The Geological Service of Brazil (CPRM) surveyed the area in a December 1995 report that also covered speleological and archaeological studies, and the site has been proposed as a geopark.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,716 contributors worldwide.