Lençóis

Lençóis needs 3 days: the 19th-century colonial old town, a legacy of the diamond boom, on one, and excursions into the Chapada Diamantina -the Poço Azul, a cave with translucent blue water, and the Cachoeira da Fumaça, one of Brazil's tallest waterfalls, whose water sometimes evaporates before reaching the ground- on the other two. April-September brings the driest weather for hiking. It's inexpensive by Brazilian standards. It was the center of the 19th-century diamond boom, drawing garimpeiros (prospectors) from across the country, and remains the essential gateway to Chapada Diamantina National Park.