Igatu, Poço Azul and Poço Encantado are one of the most important attractions of the Chapada Diamantina.
Igatu is a district in the municipality of Andaraí, in the state of Bahia, in Brazil.
Igatu has a historic stone house from the XNUMXth century, a holdover from the Diamond Cycle era in the Chapada Diamantina region.
Because of this characteristic, the district is known by the nickname “Machu Picchu Bahia”, in reference to the historic Peruvian stone city.
Poço Azul and Poço Encantado have crystal-clear water and the beauty of the places is formed by the combination of the transparency and the blue reflection of the water, which at a time of year gain a natural phenomenon that makes them even more fascinating.
Videos about Igatu, Poço Encantado and Poço Azul
Igatu, Enchanted Well and Blue Well
Igatu in Chapada Diamantina
Igatu has a historic house12:58
Igatu the Brazilian “Machu Picchu” - Reportage
See also the Chapada Diamantina Landmarks
History of Igatu in Chapada Diamantina
The architectural, urbanistic and landscape complex of Igatu – district of the municipality of Andaraí – was listed by IPHAN in 2000.
The city is also known as Xique-Xique do Igatu and Cidade de Pedras. The listing covers the ruins of stone dwellings located between the bridge over the river Coisa Boa and the left bank towards the trail of the old mining of precious stones .
The original core foundation, dating from the mid-nineteenth century, is in excellent condition and the listed perimeter has approximately 200 properties.
Igatu is considered a living museum of the history of diamond mining in Brazil, and in the Arte e Memória Gallery (an open-air museum) there are utensils used by miners and slaves.
The small village of Igatu lived through the heyday and decline of mining, leaving the signs of its history stamped in the architecture and lifestyle of current residents.
Close to the Piaba River, a tributary of the Paraguaçu River, it borders the Chapada Diamantina National Park. The rivers Coisa Boa, Pombos, Laranjeiras and Tamburis pass through it.
Nestled between rocky outcrops, historic ruins, rivers and waterfalls, Iguatu has historic houses from the XNUMXth century, built with stones and remnants of the diamond mining era in the region. Because of this characteristic, the district is known as the “Machu Picchu Bahia”, in a reference to the historic Peruvian city of stone.
Besides architecture of its layout and assets with individual value, the tipping highlighted the existing historical ruins around the urban center built by prospectors who worked in the locality.
Using the trails of the Indians, slave labor, and building new paths, the miners turned the Serra do Sincorá almost completely upside down, transforming the region into one of the richest places in the world. THE
The burrows and ranches of the early days began to coexist with large colonial mansions, which housed the diamond barons in their splendor.
In the past – prosperous and populous – it had more than ten thousand inhabitants. However, with the decline of diamond activity in the region, it went into decline and most of the population left the place in search of better living conditions.
Vila de Igatu was left empty, with abandoned houses and businesses. Despite the difficulties, some people resisted and remained in place. Gradually, Igatu returned to develop and stand out in Chapada Diamantina.
Currently, it attracts visitors from all over the world and tourism is its main economic activity. It houses around 380 inhabitants, mostly children of diamond mining.
Vila de Igatu is a place conducive to historical and cultural tourism, as well as nature and adventure tourism, and is also known for being the birthplace of writer Herberto Sales, who immortalized Colonel Aureliano Gondim in his novel Cascalho. As occurred throughout the Northeast, coronelismo influenced the life and customs of society in the municipality.
The white of the buildings contrasts with the always blue sky of the village frozen in time.
Chapada Diamantina Trails and Sights Map
During the month of October 2008, the small village was the setting for the Brazilian film Besouro.
Architectural richness of Igatu
The village of Igatu, which currently has around 500 inhabitants, was once one of the main prospecting areas in the region. In addition to the historic houses and churches, it still has the famous stone ruins, one of the remnants of the mining era.
By using irregular stones, of different sizes and shapes, the garimpeiros built most of the walls of the houses and the walls like a sandwich: on the outside, they placed the larger stones, and on the inside, as a kind of stuffing, smaller stones, such as gravel.
Many walls and walls were made with dry joints, using small chips of inlaid stone. The laying or coating mortars (rendering) were made with clay and ashes, to give the alloy, covered with straw or tiles.
By using local materials and reused from another activity, these dwellings can be considered extremely sustainable”, highlights Liziane.
The stone and lime São Sebastião Church in Vila de Igatu draws attention in the landscape of Igatu due to its preservation. To the side and in front are the Byzantine-style cemeteries, which are equally well preserved.
Tourist attractions in Igatu
O mining of precious stones do brejo is an old mine restructured for tourist visits.
Another attraction is the Igatu art gallery.
Another interesting tourist point is the climb to the Rampa do Cain, an easy walk of approximately ten kilometers, culminating in the lookout point where you can have an impressive view of the Pati and Paraguaçu valleys.
About three hours walking to reach a place that gives one of the most spectacular views of the Pati Valley and the Paraguaçu and Preto rivers, both with their dark waters.
The trail is good and the arrival is not even talked about, but you need to be very “zen” to enjoy the trail. You have to be very careful as there are many loose and slippery stones and a tumble there wouldn't help at all.
The arrival requires one or more minutes of silence (contemplation, thanks to God, it is to hear the silence and the grandeur of nature).
From there it is possible to go ahead, making a trail that goes through Pati, Capon e Palmeiras, other immensely beautiful areas of Chapada Diamantina. THE Rampa do Cain and the trail are also being explored by local agencies.
In recent years, Igatu has also been much sought after by climbers for the practice of sport climbing and bouldering.
It has several sectors, such as the Labirinto, which has approximately 50 lanes of various degrees of difficulty, Verruga, with approximately 25 lanes, California, Cruzeiro and Rosinha.
Poço Azul and Poço Encantado in Chapada Diamantina
The caves with crystal-clear water wells are one of the most unique attractions of Chapada Diamantina.
The beauty of the places is formed by the combination of the transparency and the blue reflection of the water, which in a period of the year acquire a natural phenomenon that makes them even more fascinating.
During autumn and winter, due to the position of the sun, the sun's rays penetrate the caves and pass through the wells, forming an incredible beam of turquoise light that lights up its color even more.
One of the most impressive things about the wells is that, even with the depth, with areas ranging from 20 to 61 meters, it is possible to clearly see everything that is at the bottom, such as rocks and tree trunks at more than 50 meters.
At first glance, it is still possible to confuse where the rock ends and where the aquatic environment begins.
To see the light show, at Poço Azul the season runs until October 20th, and at Poço Encantado the period runs out faster, on September 10th. In addition to the date, to see the lightning, also pay attention to the times.
At Poço Azul, the beam of light lasts an average of two hours, from 12:30 pm to 14:30 pm. At Poço Encantado, the average incidence is three hours, from 10 am to 13:30 pm.
This tour is one of the most recommended for people of all ages. In addition to the impressive beauty, it is possible to reach the attraction by car and the only physical efforts are the stairs to access the wells and the floating in Poço Azul, one of the funnest parts of the tour.
The two caves have similar characteristics, but each has its own peculiarity.
The Enchanted Well is larger and deeper, 98 meters long and 49 meters wide. In the Poço Azul, it is allowed to float along its 40 meters long and 20 meters wide, as the water is running, preventing the oiliness of the bathers' bodies from dirtying it.
Information about the Poço Azul and Poço Encantado
Poço Azul
Best time to see lightning: February 08th to October 20th
Best time to see lightning: 12:30 pm to 14:XNUMX pm
Length of stay at the attraction:
low season – up to 40 min.
high season – up to 20 min.
Visiting fee: BRL 15,00 per person
Location: Municipality of Nova Redemption
Distances by car from: Andaraí 46 km, Mucugê 64 km, Lençóis 86 km.
Poço Azul
Best time to see lightning: April 01st to September 10th
Best time to see lightning: 10 am to 13:30 pm
Length of stay at the attraction:
max. 15 min. in low and high season
Visiting fee: BRL 20,00 per person
Location: Municipality of Itaetê
Distances by car from: Andaraí 45 km, Mucugê 47 km, Lençóis 141 km.
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