Experience the best of Lençóis

Lençóis lies in the Chapada Diamantina, a highland of flat-topped hills, canyons and waterfalls in the interior of Bahia. Diamonds were found in the highlands in the 1840s, and the town prospered; its colonial houses with colourful doors and shutters, and a river running through the centre, recall that boom. Today it is the main base for visits to Chapada Diamantina National Park.

Morro do Pai Inácio, a flat-topped hill north-west of town, gives sunset views over the plateau. Poço Azul and Poço Encantado are caves with pools of luminous blue water. The Cachoeira da Fumaça, or Smoke Waterfall, one of the highest in Brazil, drops about 340 metres and is reached by a trail from the Vale do Capão. The Vale do Pati offers a long trekking route, and Igatu is a village of stone ruins.

Carne de sol, sun-dried beef, with cassava dishes and tropical fruit juices, is the local table, and Bahian cooking adds spice. The rains between November and March swell the waterfalls.