Tocantins: nature tourism paradise is still little explored

Young, 29 years old – his emancipation from Goiás was recognized on October 5, 1988, but only made official on January 1, 1989 –, Tocantins still has a lot to discover for the rest of Brazil. Even the jalapãomuch explored by the 21:00 telenovela “The Other Side of Paradise” is still not such an unvisited destination.

Owner of a breathtaking nature, the state has waterfalls, dunes, river beaches, mountains, ruins and historic buildings and a warm climate all year round – with those typical rains of the northern region from October to April. Anyway, it’s beautiful.

No wonder its strongest attraction is nature tourism, focusing on adventure and contemplation. QHow about knowing a little more about the highlights of the landscapes that the state has to offer?

jalapão

Clear waters, plateaus, orange dunes, rivers with waterfalls, incredible rock formations and mountains: the Jalapão region has it all and, if you dabble, a little more in some corner that has yet to be discovered. You can go rafting, canoeing, abseiling and trails. Or just look at how wonderful nature can be.

Everything is in the cities of Mateiros, Novo Accord, Ponte Alta do Tocantins and São Félix do Tocantins.

Look at this almost orange sand from the dunes!

The sunset at Pedra Furada is beautiful!

Praia do Alecrim is a fluvial beach and has a lot of green around it:

And in Jalapão there is even a center of golden grass handicrafts, where you can take souvenirs for everyone.

Serras Gerais

Brazil is full of mountain ranges, but those in Tocantins are part of the largest chain of mountain ranges in the country. In addition to being beautiful by nature, the region has colonial architecture and traditional festivals since the time of the Empire.

The cities that are home to the Serras Gerais are located between Aurora do Tocantins and Taguatinga (not to be confused with the administrative region of the Federal District, where João de Santo Cristo earned a hundred thousand a month in “Faroeste Caboclo”).

There is the Enchanted Canyon:

It has colonial architecture:

And the Shrovetide Carnival takes place, which dates back to the Empire:

Canton

Rivers, forests, fauna, flora and, mainly, the transition between the Amazon forest and the cerrado. This is the Canton region. Alligators, dolphins and more than 500 types of birds can be seen there. Precisely for this reason, it attracts tourists who want to observe rather than agitate and many researchers from all over the world.

In it are the municipalities of Araguacema, Caseara, Lagoa da Confusion and Pium.

In Cantão, you can enjoy Caseara beach, on the banks of the Araguaia and Coco rivers:

It is possible to see up close the ruins of the Nossa Senhora da Divina Providência church, in Araguacema:

And there’s an adventure on the Rust Trail, on the Coco River:

parrot’s beak

It is located in the extreme north of the state, on the borders with Pará and Maranhão, and is a region made up of 25 municipalities, such as Esperantina, Augustinópolis and Tocantinópolis. The strong point there are the freshwater beaches.

How about a swim in the waters of Praia da Santa, in Tocantinópolis?

Or enjoy the meeting of the waters of the Araguaia and Tocantins rivers?

Banana Island

It is just the largest river island in the world, with 25,000 km². Bananal Island is located between the Javaés and Araguaia rivers, on the borders with Goiás and Mato Grosso. There are the indigenous villages of the Javaés and Karajá ethnic groups, in addition to several species of birds and fish that are only seen there.

To enter Bananal Island, you need to get a permit from the Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity (in Pium) or Funai (in Palmas).

The region has four municipalities: Formoso do Araguaia, Gurupi, Lagoa da Confusion and Peixe.

The Tropeço Archipelago is a stronghold for sport fishing (and the second largest river archipelago in the world):

And Praia da Tartaruga offers clear water and sand on all sides: