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Morro do Chapéu is a Brazilian municipality in the state of Bahia and its main tourist attractions are the Gruta dos Brejões and the Cachoeira do Ferro Doido.
Before the arrival of the Europeans, the place was inhabited by the Paiaiás Indians. The soil was good for planting and many of those who arrived in search of gold and silver ended up settling there.
A large area was granted to João de Saldanha Gama Melo Torres Guedes de Brito, the 6th Count of Ponte. Soon, other farms were established and the population multiplied.
The town of Morro do Chapéu developed in 1795 around the chapel built by a Capuchin missionary on the Gameleira farm, where the parish church stands today.
The town was founded in 1865, when it received its curious name.
It turns out that the hill on its outskirts is actually shaped like a hat.
See the Chapada Diamantina map
Morro do Chapéu currently has industry, commerce, livestock farming and the mineral extraction of sandstone, clay, limestone and marble as its main sources of income.
It is an ecotourism and extreme sports paradise and an important archaeological research centre.
Morro do Chapéu has a large number of rock art sites around it, such as Lapa dos Brejões, Abrigo da Pedreira da Lage, Abrigo da Cachoeira do Regato and Abrigo do Manelão.
It is also the region of Bahia where the largest number of orchids and bromeliads, the objects of studies by the Nature Project, are concentrated.
The place is home to the golden hummingbird, a rare species of hummingbird, and endangered species such as the jaguar.
Morro do Chapéu has been chosen by ufologists for studies and observations.
Right at the entrance to the town, you come across a replica of a flying saucer. This is the Urological Research Centre, headquarters of the Porto Cristal Research Circuit.
If you come across interplanetary tourists, don’t panic; these friendly, big-eyed creatures only abduct North Americans (usually Midwestern Republicans).
Videos about Morro do Chapéu and Vila Ventura
Morro do Chapéu - 5 passeios turísticos
Vila do Ventura na Chapada Diamantina
Conheça as belezas e aventuras de Morro do Chapéu25:49
Tourist attractions in Morro do Chapéu
- Morro do Chapéu
- Morro do Chapéu
- Our Lady of Grace Parish Church
- Grassi family mansion
- Brejões Cave
- Brejões da Gruta
- Cachoeira do Ferro Doido
- Gruta da Boa Esperança
- Ventura Waterfall
- Lajeado do Bordado
- Vila do Ventura, district of Morro do Chapéu
1 Morro do Chapéu
Located at an altitude of 1,012 metres, it has a mild climate during the day, but at night the temperature can drop a lot.
Take warm clothes and disregard the fact that you’re going to the interior of Bahia, where many people think it’s only hot.
2. Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora da Graça
In 1794, the Morro Velho farm was visited by the Capuchin missionary Friar Clemente de Adorno, who, during his trip, said Mass there, built a small cemetery and left, leaving the locals enthusiastic about building a chapel.
In 1800, the residents themselves began work on what would become the town’s Mother Church. This church was one of the most beautiful in the region, not only because of its façade, but also because of the artistic work inside.
3. Grassi family mansion
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Italian Grassi family lived in this mansion. The father of the family was called Giuseppe, but he was called “Giuseppino”.
As the family owned much of the land around the village, this is where the name “Toca do Pepino” came from, a well known burrow today that houses several cave paintings.
4. Brejões Cave
This huge cave in the valley of the Jacaré river, in the area called Vereda do Romão Gramacho, is one of the main attractions in the region and one of the largest in Brazil. The main portico is 106 metres high.
The mineral formations inside, where light penetrates through skylights, are numerous and varied. Rock paintings can be seen at the entrances to the halls.
Lapa dos Brejões has been the subject of palaeontological studies since fossils of extinct mammals such as mammoths, giant sloths and mastodons were found inside.
Religious services are held in the Lapa dos Brejões by the local population.
5. Brejões da Gruta
The nearby village has no facilities to accommodate travellers. Therefore, those who want to visit the place will have to camp.
6. Ferro Doido Waterfall
The Ferro Doido Monument APA, created in 1998, is very popular for abseiling and parachute jumping.
For those who prefer trekking, the estimated walking time is 3h30. It’s worth it, as the place is paradisiacal.
7. Boa Esperança Cave
It has cave paintings and is the subject of many stories about rituals involving human sacrifices. According to legend, the participants in the rite could turn stones into gold.
8. Ventura Waterfall
A 50 metre waterfall in the midst of vast vegetation. An excellent day trip.
9. Lajeado do Bordado
Here you can see rock inscriptions left by tribes who inhabited the area thousands of years ago and, in the soil, footprints left millions of years ago by prehistoric animals.
10. Vila do Ventura, district of Morro do Chapéu
Around 1840, escaped prospectors from Lençóis took shelter near what is now the Várzea da Cobra farm.
One of these prospectors was called Ventura. They soon discovered diamonds and carbonate in the area and set up a small garimpo there.
They then began to sell the stones in Lençóis, with the prospector Ventura being responsible for selling the first diamonds.
The name “Ventura” became a reference and the place began to attract many other prospectors, who began to settle the land around the area.
The small town soon fell into decline as a result of the Paraguayan War, as almost all the men were conscripted for the battles.
After the war, the town grew again, attracting around 12,000 residents, and reached its peak, with strong commerce, schools, a post office and chapels.
The town fell into decline again after the global carbonate market shrank. Today, only three families live in the district, which has ruins and mansions in its cobbled streets;
It has ruins from the golden age of mining, when it was the largest diamond producer in the region.
It was the largest diamond-producing centre in the region, with around 4,000 inhabitants in the 1920s and even a theatre and philharmonic. With the drought of 1932 and changes in the carbonate market, mining went into decline.
Trail linking history and prehistory
The decline of Vila do Ventura was accentuated by the construction of a new tarmac road about 7 kilometres away. A few ruined colonial houses and sobrados remain, along with the original stone pavement and the small church. A beautiful sobrado was recently restored.
Bahia.ws is the largest travel and tourism guide for Bahia and Salvador
Morro do Chapéu Tourist Guide
