There are many ways to get to Chapada Diamantina National Park, depending on your schedule and your budget. In this post, we going to share it with you.
The most practical way to get to Chapada Diamantina is from Salvador, the capital of Bahia. From there, it is possible to go by plane, bus, or car. It is important to remember that Chapada Diamantina is a territory of 38 thousand km² full of attractions and it is necessary to know which are the closest cities to the attractions you want to visit.
How to get to Chapada Diamantina by bus
Going by bus to Chapada Diamantina is the cheapest way and gives you the freedom to cross between cities by walking through the mountains, for example, if you want to do the Vale do Pati crossing or others like Vale do Capão – Lençóis. The bad part is that public transport for some of these cities is not so rotating and for others, there are specific days for arrivals and departures, or there is no direct line and it is necessary to take two or more transports.
If you are coming by bus from Salvador we recommend the Real Expresso/Rápido Federal company, which operates the same line to the cities of Lençóis and Palmeiras, in clean and comfortable buses.
In Lençóis, the bus station is in the city center. To go to Vale do Capão and Guiné, it is necessary to go to the bus station in the city of Palmeiras, one stop further from Lençóis, and then take different vans to the destination city. There will be vans available to take you to Vale do Capão in the morning and afternoon. We do not recommend taking the bus that arrives in Palmeiras at night, as there will be no vans at this time. If you want to go to Guiné to start the trail to Vale do Pati, it is safer that you arrange with your agency, as the vans are not compatible to start the trail.
If you want to visit the southern part of Chapada Diamantina, going to Ibicoara or Mucugê, the best option is to leave Salvador using the line offered by the company Cidade Sol, which leaves only on Friday night from Salvador and arrive in Ibicoara on Saturday morning, and also the other way around only on Sunday evenings.
How to get to Chapada Diamantina by car
Going by car will give you the flexibility to move between cities and attractions more freely, needing no transfers. If you are coming from Salvador by car, the most used route to get to Chapada Diamantina is the BR-324 and BR-242 highways. To Lençóis, the distance is 427 km, an average of 6 hours by car. If you are going to Vale do Capão or Guiné, you need to get first to Palmeiras, around 450 km, and follow the dirt road to the cities, 20 km, and 34 km, respectively.
How to get to Chapada Diamantina by plane
Going by plane is the fastest but also the most expensive way to get. We recommend coming from the city of Salvador on the Gol/Voepass airline, which offers lines on Wednesdays and Sundays. There are also new flights being operated by Azul airline from Confins Airport (CNF), in the city of Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Tuesdays. All flight routes to Chapada Diamantina arrive at Tanquinho airport (LEC), 25 km from the city of Lençóis and 285 km from Palmeiras, so it is important to remember that from the airport there are no bus lines to take you to the city, so you will need to arrange a transfer in advance to take you to your destination.
If you want to get to Ibicoara or Mucugê, you can fly to Vitória da Conquista airport (VDC) through the Azul airlines, Latam or Gol, coming from Salvador, and then, rent a car there and drive for 20 km to Ibicoara on the BA-142 highway, or 271 km if you are going to Mucugê.
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Frequently asked questions about Chapada Diamantina
- What is Chapada Diamantina?
- How to get to Chapada Diamantina?
- How long to spend in Chapada Diamantina?
- What to do in Chapada Diamantina?
- 10 facts about Chapada Diamantina National Park?
