Vale do Pati Trek
For years, my family has been going to one of the most beautiful National Parks in Brazil, the Chapada Diamantina in Bahia. So when I was spending some time in Bahia this summer and my aunt offered me a ride to Mucuge, one of the main entrances to the park, I jumped at the opportunity. My cousin who lives in Mucuge is in touch with many guides, so I reached out to her about the possibility of doing a few longer treks through the Chapada.
The homes in Mucugê
Luckily, she ran into a friend who is a guide who was planning on taking a couple to do a four day trek through the Vale do Pati, and after talking to him, I was able to join the group! The plan was for us to leave and return from the city of Guiné, but treks are also available from Capão or a few other cities in the area.
Our group!
Staying the night before in Guiné is something I would absolutely recommend in order to get an early start on the trail before the sun is too strong. There are two main posadas in Guiné, Pusada Guiné and Pousada Beco do Guiné. Because I was on a strict budget, I stayed at the the Pousada Guiné, which is more like a hostel (I paid R$70), but the Pousada Beco do Guiné next door is much nicer, and the hosts are some of the nicest people! Our guide and the couple I hiked with stayed there, and although I didn't, the hosts still gave me a tour of the garden, offered me coffee and other drinks, and let me hang out at the pousada.
Map taken from www.guiachapadadiamantina.com.br
Day 1:
Included in the price that my friends paid to stay at the Pousada Beco do Guiné was a ride to the start of the trail.
Where our ride dropped us off to start
We had a few minutes of hiking through the flat grass plain, and then the uphill started. Our guide said it would take an hour, but we were able to make it in 45 minutes (!) with almost no breaks. It wasn’t easy with so much weight in my pack, but I’m also it would be easier for a seasoned backpacker.
The good news is once you’re through the steep switchbacks, you’re done with 95% of the incline for the day! We hiked through a few kilometers of flat plains before getting to the top of the biggest waterfall in the Chapada - Cachoeirão. We took a long break here and ate lunch, took pictures, rested, etc before heading down to go to the bottom of Cachoeirão. Unfortunately, once we arrived at the bottom of the valley, we realized we didn’t have time to backtrack to the bottom of Cachoeirão, so we instead headed on to the house (Casa do Seu Eduardo) where we would stay the first night.
The view from the right side (facing valley) of the top of Cachoeirão.
View from the middle of the top of Cachoeirão
Casa do Seu Eduardo in the moonlight
The houses that you’ll stay at through the trek all have hostel style bunking accommodations. Some are more open and multiple beds per room, and some had couples rooms with only one full/queen bed - it depends on availability and when you arrive. Each night, the accommodation including a bed, shower, towel, dinner and breakfast the next day costs R$120. If you opt for camping at some places, it cuts costs by almost half. If you opt for bringing your own food, you’ll save R$30 per meal. BUT the meals are absolutely worth the cost, and not having to carry a tent throughout the hike makes it so much easier!
Day 2:
On day 2, we woke up early and had breakfast at the house before heading out for the day. The day 2 hike was probably the easiest of the four days in Pati and mostly flat. We hiked from the house to the Prefeitura (mayor’s house). The mayor has the biggest home in Pati with the nicest spread of food. There is even a convenience stand (that we didn’t see) that sells snacks and possibly some small other things. Once there, we dropped off our big bags and continued onto one of the waterfalls in the area: Cachoeira do Calixto. Once almost to the waterfall, we went a little off trail on accident to the waterfall downriver, but we liked it so much, that we stayed there!
We headed back to the Prefeitura after a couple hours at the waterfall, purchased some beers, and enjoyed the evening chatting with some of our fellow hikers. Dinner had endless options and was easily the best of the 4 days! One thing to note about the Prefeitura is that it fills up quickly, so it’s best to arrive early!
Enjoying a couple cold ones with this view at the Prefeitura!
Day 3:
Breakfast at the Prefeitura was AMAZING! Something like 4 different cakes, eggs, multiple breads, fruit, etc. It was impossible to try everything. With full bellies, we packed up and hiked about an hour or two to the next house, dropped off our things, then hiked up to the Morro do Castelo (Castle Hill). The hike to the top of the Castelo is really short, but almost all straight up. There’s also no water along the way, so bring plenty at least 2 liters each and extra sunscreen. Once at the top, we found a shady spot to have our lunch while we waited for the crowds to clear. Eventually, everyone except our group left, so we were able to fly the drone a bit!
The hike back down wasn’t difficult, but it was pretty slow given how steep the downhill is. We arrived back at Dona Leia’s right around sunset to find out we were the only guests at her house for the night. I had a room of about 8-10 beds to myself! While we showered and waited for dinner, her son offered to let us try some of his infused cachaca at his bar, “Bar do Edi.” I’d recommend the cinnamon one as it’s probably the smoothest! Dinner was a little smaller here because of the group size but still delicious.
Day 4:
Day 4 was our last day in Pati. The best part about the breakfast before we left was Dona Leia’s fresh pão de queijo - it’s a must! She also sells fresh bread that you can buy in the morning before leaving to take on the trail. The trails were a little messy in the rain, so we hiked the first part of the trail along the river - jumping across stones. Eventually, we came across a few pretty waterfalls and sunbathed for a bit.
Cachoeira do Funis
After this, we hiked about an hour on a mostly flat/downhill route until coming up to another section of houses near the Igrejinha (little church). Although we weren’t going to be staying there, the owners were happy to sell us a few beers and let us have lunch at their outdoor picnic area. After spending an hour here, we proceeded up the subida that would take us out of the valley. This last subida (climb) is no joke, but we made it in decent timing. There is a route that isn’t as steep that the mules take, but it’s much longer. Plus the steep route leads to the main viewpoint of the valley. At the top is the most iconic view of the Vale, and you see many people at the top that just hike to the viewpoint and back to town. We sat up here enjoying the view for a little before hiking the several hours through the grassy plains. Once we reached the last cliff, we had a big downhill section, but it wasn’t steep - a nice break for the tired knees :)
Mirante Vale do Pati
View on the way down from the valley
As we were descending, our guide was in communication with the pousada owner via walkie talkie, so he was able to meet us with his pickup right when we reached the end of the trail. After getting our rental car in Guiné, we headed to busier Capão for the night. Known for it’s laid back, free-spirit atmosphere, Capão was the perfect place to end our last night in the Chapada. We enjoyed a delicious 3/4 savory, 1/4 sweet pizza at Pizzeria Capão Grande that sent us into an immediate food coma and a great sleep.
