Lush valleys, waterfalls, ancient ruins, and diamonds can all be found in Brazil’s Chapada Diamantina National Park, the backdrop for one of NOLS’ newest alumni trips. Murilo Bellese and Moaci Dantas, the trip’s primary architects, share a little more about the trip and what makes it special.
Looking out over Chapada Diamantina National Park. Photo by Danielle Pereira
The opportunity to create new trips, explore new parts of the world, and bring new experiences to our alumni is part of what makes Alumni Trips at NOLS so exciting. For a while now, we’ve been dreaming of getting NOLS alumni back to Brazil. Fortunately, longtime Brazilian instructors Murilo Bellese and Moaci Dantas were up for the challenge of building a new trip, and they knew the perfect place to do it, Brazil’s incredible Chapada Diamantina National Park. Recently, we had the opportunity to sit down with Murilo and Moaci to learn why Chapada Diamantina is the perfect setting for an alumni trip and why this trip is so special.
Q: What inspired you to create this particular trip?
Murilo: The Chapada Diamantina is one of the most iconic hiking locations in Brazil, mostly due to its beauty and unique landscape.
Q: What makes it beautiful? Is Chapada Diamantina well-known as a hiking place in Brazil?
Moaci: It’s a region well-known for its waterfalls and impressive terrain. The Cachoeira da Fumaça is there, one of the largest waterfalls in Brazil, which is approximately 400 meters high. The vegetation is a mixture of cerrado, caatinga (a unique type of biome found only in Brazil; the word caatinga comes from the Tupi language, meaning "white forest"), Atlantic forest, and rocky fields — the flora and fauna are extremely varied, a unique combination for Brazil.
The Chapada Diamantina is widely visited by Brazilians, but unfortunately, they are still limited to the main attractions, and few know the extent of Chapada Diamantina.
Q: What is special about this area? Why visit?
Murilo: I think it is the combination of the nature and the people who live there. I believe visiting places like Chapada Diamantina is always an opportunity to see more of the world and expand your perception by having contact with unique places and people who still live in a very simple and genuine way for many generations.
Q: What is something that is distinct about Brazil?
Murilo: Its culture, food, and nature. Brazilians are very hospitable and welcoming.
Simple house in the Vila do Pati. Photo by Murilo Bellse
Q: Days 9, 10, and 11 of the trip are homestays in a remote village in the Vila do Pati (Pati Valley). Can you tell us about the village we will visit and what the homestay is like?
Murilo: The “Patizeiros,” the people living in the Vila do Pati, are living in this amazing valley surrounded by waterfalls and steep cliffs. They treat you in a very kind and welcoming way. They have a very positive outlook on life as a default way of living.
We will sleep in those very simple houses. Some of them are made with bamboo and clay. And the locals will make unforgettable meals for us!
Q: What makes the meals unforgettable?
Moaci: The food in Chapada Diamantina is a reflection of the historical cycles of the region, which was influenced by diamond mining and was also a region where many people were enslaved.
The meals are simple but tasty. Beans and rice are practically an obligatory dish in all these homes. It is common to find different types of beans, such as green beans or string beans, and also some typical dishes made with green bananas, like the famous Godó.
Q: What is your favorite food of the area?
Murilo: That is a hard question. The state of Bahia is known for its cuisine and has some of the best food in the country. One good memory I have is of an ice cream store with a great variety of local fruits from the Cerrado (the most biodiverse savannah in the world) and the Atlantic rainforest. But the list is very big of the incredible food and meals of this place.
Q: Can you give an example of a couple of the fruits?
Moaci: Fruits such as umbu, cajarana, maracujá do mato, and ciriguela can be found in the region, mainly in the form of juices or ice cream. The fruits we will see on the trip will depend on the season.
One other fruit is the licuri, which is not exactly a fruit, but a small coconut from which sweets, liqueurs, and oils are made.
Q: What is your favorite thing about being Brazilian?
Murilo: Always having joy and gratitude about life, no matter what is going on.
Murilo is enjoying some sunshine in the National Park. Photo by Murilo Bellese
Q: What should people expect on this trip — in 3 to 5 words!
Murilo: Discovery, joy, surprise, peace, and fun.
Q: What makes this uniquely a NOLS trip?
Murilo: NOLS does this trip in a very great way! We go to places where most people have not gone before. We take care of the places we visit and leave them even better.
Moaci: Tourism is basically community-based, and our idea is to have part of the expedition in remote areas, but also to utilize local resources, leaving both a positive impression for NOLS participants and helping the local economy.
Q: OK, last questions for fun…What’s your favorite backcountry luxury item?
Murilo: One of my favorites is a cotton shirt to be used during a rest day after a good “shower,” on this trip, possibly in a pretty waterfall!
Learn more about one of NOLS' newest Alumni Trips, Backpacking in Brazil's Chapada Diamantina National Park-Alumni| HERE
Moaci Dantas has been an outdoor educator since 2012 and with NOLS since 2023. While he works mainly in Alaska for NOLS, he calls Brazil home. His love of the Chapada Diamantina region was fostered over many weeks of fieldwork there. He especially loves the geological diversity of the region and its unique culture.
Murilo Bellse has been an outdoor educator since 2001. He’s been an instructor at NOLS since 2008 and was a core instructor at NOLS Brazil for an amazing 4 years, instructing both hiking and canoeing. Outside work, Murilo is passionate about life and planet Earth. He’s a father, a planter, a meditator, an Outdoor Educator, a surfer, and an activist for the preservation of life, whose greatest motivation is to promote compassion among all living beings.
