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The Serra das Confusões National Park is located in the south-western region of the state of Piauí, more specifically in the upper middle reaches of the Gurgueia river. In addition, its gateway is located in the city of Caracol.
To get to the municipality, you need to take the BR-116 motorway, following the BR-343 and the BR-230.
When you arrive in Floriano, you need to “take” PI-140 until you reach Canto do Buriti. Then, go through Raimundo Nonato, and after passing through PI-144 until you reach the city of Caracol.
The name Serra das Confusões National Park is justified by the rocky mountains that reflect colours of various shades, bewildering those who observe them from afar.
Still wild, the Serra das Confusões National Park was created in 1998, to protect a territory of 502,411 hectares that houses little-known prehistoric sites, scattered between rocks and extensions of caatinga.
In this scenario, animals such as the giant anteater, the puma and the jaguar coexist, as well as the largest bat in the Americas, of the species Vampyrum Spectrum, whose wings have a wingspan of up to 1 metre.
The Bois Creek Cave, a 3 kilometre-long crevice, is the attraction of the park, which has no facilities for visitors.
The most accessible, where you can go by smaller car and others walking, are the Cores da Caatinga trail, Mirante Janelas do Sertão, Gruta Riacho do Boi and Olho d’água Escondido.
Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusões PI
Tourist spots in Serra das Confusões
1. Caatinga Colours Trail
Before you start “sightseeing” here, prepare your bottle with plenty of water. You will need it! On the Cores da Caatinga trail, you can already feel the strong sun characteristic of this Brazilian biome.
With a well-defined trail, you walk through the most varied types of vegetation and fauna of the Caatinga. As the name of the trail says, it is the colours of the Caatinga.
2. Viewpoint Janela dos Sertões
As you go along the paths, you may notice the change of colours in the rocks, according to the temperature, causing a certain “confusion” in the view. Hence the name Serra das Confusões.
All this is best seen at the Janelas dos Sertões viewpoint. To arrive there is to be faced with a multicoloured immensity to clear the view. It is also where you can get a little insight into the grandeur of the park. It really is the window that opens your eyes to the hinterland.
3. Cave Riacho do Boi
Inside the park there is a kind of paved road that is where you can go by car to a certain point. From here, you will walk along a trail until you reach the Riacho do Boi cave.
To access the paths inside the cave, you descend almost as if through a 1.5 metre high well. There is a wooden ladder on site to facilitate your descent.
Once you reach the ground, you can just enjoy the cave, almost a kind of canyon, which is 1 km long and is formed by impressive stone walls over 20 metres high, by shadows, fresh air, gardens, humidity, taller vegetation. Arriving here makes it seem as if, out of nowhere, you are in another region.
4. Baixão das Andorinhas
The Baixão das Andorinhas is a beautiful trail that has a structure adapted for people who have difficulty walking. Later, at the end of its route, it is possible to observe a beautiful sunset and contemplate the whole spectacle of nature in the interior of Piauí.
It is worth mentioning that in addition to the sunset, the visitor can also observe another phenomenon of nature in the place. This is because every day, around 5.30 pm, several swallows fly towards the canyons of the region. This beautiful phenomenon can be observed from the Baixão Variant.
5. Sítio de Moquém
Sítio de Moquém is a place that has a great variety of rock paintings, being considered a historical place in the region. Therefore, this tourist spot is perfect for those who like archeology.
Firstly, to access the site you need to make a journey using 4 x 4 transport. Next to this tourist spot, there are the viewpoints of the Serra das Confusões National Park. Therefore, it is worthwhile to pass by the Moquém site and then observe the local beauties from the pavilion.
Access to the park
The entrance that gives access to all these wonders is through the Caracol Gate. It is 20 km from the urban area of the municipality of Caracol, on a dirt road. Caracol is located 620 km from Teresina and 80 km from São Raimundo Nonato.
Tourism Guide Serra das Confusões National Park and North-East Region
