Marimbus is a marshy region located in the Chapada Diamantina, between the municipalities of Lençóis and Andaraí. It is known as the ‘mini pantanal’ of the Chapada Diamantina, due to its similarity to the Pantanal in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem, but with semi-arid characteristics typical of north-eastern Brazil.
The starting point for the so-called ‘semi-arid Bahian mini-pantanal’, or simply Marimbus, is the Quilombola Community of Remanso, located around 20 kilometres from the city of Lençóis.
The Quilombola Community of Remanso is recognised as a cultural heritage site by the Ministry of Culture and originated in the 1920s. Today, around 300 Afro-Brazilian inhabitants live there.
The trip to Marimbus begins at the Remanso Quilombola Community. Canoes or rowing boats are hired to take you down the river to the Roncador waterfall, where it flows into the São José river.
The Marimbus is an environmental protection area, and its stunning scenery allows you to see the region’s fauna and flora, with aquatic flowers similar to those in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso and the Amazon.
As well as caves, waterfalls and hills, the Chapada Diamantina offers other incredible walks, such as the famous Marimbus Walk, also known as the Chapada Diamantina mini wetland.
It’s a must for adventurers and people willing to paddle, as it takes about an hour and a half to get there and another two hours against the current to get back.
Videos about Pantanal dos Marimbus: The Mini Pantanal of the Chapada Diamantina
Pantanal de Marimbus Parte 108:32
Pantanal de Marimbus Parte 205:12
Pantanal de Marimbus na Chapada Diamantina04:56
Pantanal de Marimbus - Natureza12:22
Marimbus e Rio Rocador na Chapada Diamantina02:43
Map of the Chapada Diamantina Trails and Tourist Spots
Marimbus and Rio Roncador route from Lençóis
A 40-minute drive takes you to Remanso (a slave settlement and quilombola community). From there, it’s a 15-minute walk to the bank of the Santo Antônio river to board a boat and sail for 1 hour and 30 minutes through a flooded region full of aquatic plants called Marimbus (known as the ‘mini-pantanal of the Chapada’).
After the boat trip, there is a 30-minute walk to the Roncador River, where you can enjoy a pleasant swim in natural pools with small falls that provide a relaxing hydromassage.
The Marimbus Pantanal: The Mini Pantanal of the Chapada Diamantina
At the foot of the eastern slope of the Serra do Sincorá in the Chapada Diamantina, the Marimbus wetland is a vast floodplain with a network of interconnected calm-water lagoons fed by the Santo Antônio river.
All the water collected by the mountain range on its northern and north-eastern slopes passes through this region, from the outskirts of Vale do Capão in Palmeiras (where the sources of the Santo Antônio River, originally known as the Rio Preto, are located) to the Garapa River near Andaraí. On this route, the São José river also contributes, flowing from Lençóis to the south and receiving tributaries such as the Ribeirão, Capivara, Capivari, Caldeirão, Funis and the Roncador river. In addition to the waters of the mountains, Marimbus also receives drainage from the piedmont to the east, via the Utinga river basin.
Thus, practically all the tourist attractions with water to the north of Andaraí – such as the Fumaça, Mixila, Ribeirão do Meio, Mosquito, Serrano, Mucugezinho, Poço do Diabo and Pratinha caves – contribute to this unique ecosystem called Marimbus.
Of African origin, the word marimbus means, in a Bantu dialect spoken in Angola, ‘farmland, far from the village’. With its fertile soil and abundant water, this floodplain became known as the Marimbus Pantanal.
This extensive wetland is made up of four main areas, each with several lagoons, occupying around 30 km in a north-south direction and ranging from a few hundred metres to a few kilometres in an east-west direction: Marimbus do Remanso, near the confluence of the Utinga River with the Santo Antônio River; Marimbus do Ferreira and Fazenda Velha, in the central portion; and the Marimbus do Baiano or Andaraí.
In the final stretch, framed by the Sincorá mountain range, the wetland expands into large lagoons that are home to birds and vibrant aquatic vegetation, making up a cinematic scene of tranquil landscapes with water mirrors. This is where Fazenda Marimbus is located, a private protected area created to conserve this environment in the Bahian hinterland.
Marimbus is home to the region’s largest fish, such as the Tucunaré, as well as capybaras, caimans and countless species of birds. The community of Remanso, 45 minutes from Lençóis, is the gateway to this mini wetland.
In small wooden boats with oarsmen or in kayaks (available for hire), the journey takes about an hour and forty minutes to the mouth of the Roncador river, where visitors disembark to continue on foot.
Chapada Diamantina Tourist Guide in Bahia
