Sete Cidades National Park

Sete Cidades National Park (Portuguese: Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades) is in Piauí, Brazil.

Understand

History

Created as a national park mainly because of the paintings, although most visitors find more pleasure in rock formations and wildlife.

Landscape

The Elephant

Climate

Rainy season from January to June, March to May being the wettest. This leads to somwhat lower temperatures and more wildlife, but you could get your day completely ruined by walls of water.

Get in

The nearest sizeable towns are Piripiri and Piracuruca, both about 25 km away. You must (can) take a taxi or mototaxi to the park from either of these two. A taxi from Piripiri which included the circuit within the park could cost R$150 (Dec 2017).

Brasileira is a small town about 9 km from the park entrance. You can walk to the park from there. Yet taxi from Brasileira will cost you R$30-100, might double up as a transport/guide in the park.

Fees and permits

A guide is mandatory, from R$25 for three hours. A guide for cities 2, 5 and 7 would cost R$80 (Dec 2017).

Eat

Once inside the park, your only option is the hotel. There are several suitable places for picnics along the trails.

Drink

They sell some soft drinks at the visitors' centre. Here they will also refill your water bottles.

Sleep

Lodging

There is one hotel within the park:

• Hotel Fazenda Sete Cidades, Deep inside the park. Good restaurant, dishes for 2 at around R$30. Single R$55, double R$80. 

, and another just outside. Otherwise, sleep in Piripiri(better if you rely on public transport) or Piracuruca.

Camping

At the hotel for R$10 per person.

Backcountry

Camping or hiking without a guide is probably illegal, discouraged (at least by a guard at the gate with a gun) and dangerous -- some kind of scary animals inside the park, yet there are people living just outside the fence.