Chapada's Top 10

Also spelled Catuá. The gem of the village of Campo Alegre (Mocambo/Mucambo district), in Paranã (TO), on the disputed GO–TO border strip north of Cavalcante. Guides say the drop is ~70 m; the state tourism registry lists 101 m. A tall fall set into a rock wall, whose great distinction is two pools side by side: one of cold emerald-green water fed by the waterfall, and another of warm turquoise-blue water welling up from a spring in the rock. An isolated place with no facilities, visitable only with an accredited guide.

Complexo de várias quedas e piscinas no Rio dos Couros, com quedas de até ~100 m e uma 'borda infinita' debruçada sobre o vale, dentro do Parque Estadual de Alto Paraíso (PEAP). Entrada gratuita — no estacionamento pede-se contribuição voluntária. Pela regra da Semad, o acesso é em grupos de até 6 pessoas acompanhados de condutor local.

A complex of five waterfalls on the Rio da Prata, from Pratinha to the monumental Rei do Prata: clear water, pools for swimming, and far fewer people. The local pick when someone asks for 'the truly most beautiful one'.

A free fall of about 115 m (some sources say 120 m) on the Simão Correia stream, a tributary of the Rio São Bartolomeu, in the rural area east of Alto Paraíso de Goiás — an area recently added to the National Park's expanded bounds. Access is via ~33 km of dirt road (GO-239 toward Nova Roma) and a ~12 km round-trip trail that starts by crossing the Rio São Bartolomeu, with crystal-clear pools and a secondary waterfall with a deep pool along the way. Open daily 7am to 6pm, with entry allowed only until 11am.

One of the wildest itineraries in the Chapada, in the Rio Macacão valley, between Alto Paraíso and São João d'Aliança: the Cachoeira da Escadaria and the Macacão/Catedral, with a drop of at most ~40 m. An area where maned wolf and pampas deer are often sighted; the base is the Aldeia Macaco.

A series of natural pools and rock slides in warm-ish water among the cerrado. A playful spot, great for a full day with the family.

The giant falls of the National Park: Salto I plunges ≈120 m. A long, self-guided trail with lookouts and a swimming pool below the second drop.

The "Complexo das Lajes" doesn't exist as a separately cataloged attraction: the name refers to the Córrego das Lajes and Fazenda Lages, on the GO/TO border, which together with the Córrego Canjica form the well-known Complexo Águas Lindas e Canjica. It's a set of waterfalls, canyons, and infinity-edge pools set into rock slabs, with turquoise and emerald water. It sits on Kalunga land, about 75 km from Cavalcante by dirt road, with a guide required.

One of the most unexplored waterfalls in the Chapada, hidden in the Vão do Moleque, within Kalunga land. The fall plunges off an imposing wall into a pool of crystal-blue water up to 12 m deep, with a natural rock diving platform. Almost the entire trail runs along the bed of the Rio Curriola, over rocks, inside the canyon. A Kalunga community-based tourism attraction, open to visitors since 2018.

A waterfall that passes through a natural stone arch, at Reserva Renascer in Cavalcante (access via the dirt road from Cavalcante toward Colinas do Sul, at KM 9). A rock formation about 30 m high and 1.8 billion years old — one of the oldest spots in the Chapada, a true open-air museum. The Rio São Domingos runs through the arch; about 100 m below, the canyon opens up, with an infinity-edge waterfall of roughly 70 m and two lookouts (views of the Catingueiro and of the Ponte de Pedra itself). There's a stretch you drive to the parking area before setting foot on the trail.

The Chapada's postcard shot: transparent turquoise-blue water over a pool that looks like a natural swimming pool. It sits on Kalunga land (Engenho II) and visitor access is controlled.