Hike Brazil's Lost World

Welcome to Salvador - the colourful capital city of the state of Bahia. You’ll be picked at the airport and taken to your hotel in the historic part of town. Home to a fusion of cultural influences, Brazil’s third-largest city hums with life and basks in a tropical climate. Explore the sights if you have time, or catch up on sleep in preparation for the adventure which begins tomorrow.

Meet your guide and your fellow travellers for breakfast and to chat through the adventure ahead. Hop in the van for a road trip westwards through the Bahia countryside, to Lençóis. This compact and characterful colonial town is the gateway to Chapada Diamantina National Park. Explore your new surroundings, before going for dinner at a local restaurant.

Journey by van to the trailhead in the village of Guiné - you'll travel over paved and dirt roads. Begin hiking up Beco Hill, where you'll take in the first of many great views of the Serra do Esbarrancado. Walk down into the valley, cross the Rio Preto and push on up the other side to reach a lookout point over to the remote Pati Valley. Begin the craggy downhill scramble that leads onto the trail and into the open valley, pressing onwards to your first homestay.

Set off this morning following the path of the Funis River, past tumbling waterfalls and deep pools, until you reach Funis Falls. Take a breather, enjoy a refreshing dip in the pools and tuck into lunch, before heading up the Serra da Lapinha trail to reach the Gruta do Castelo. Here, a cavernous quartz cave glistens and leads to a stunning view of the valley's far side. Steadily make your way down the muddy trail to your next homestay.

Fuel up on breakfast - you're going to need it, today's hike is a big one. Lace up your boots, grab your pack and head up a steep section of the trail leading to the spectacular Cachoeirão Waterfall. The towering 300m walls of the canyon spring several waterfalls, with more cascades appearing in the rainy season. Take a dip in a nearby pool, explore the canyon and get a unique view of the Pati Valley. Then follow the trail, winding downwards and on to your next homestay - and a very well deserved dinner.

Head into the valley to traverse the lowland Pati de Baixo, hopping over rocks as you follow the Pati River. Today is a less arduous day where you can take in the mountain views, stop for wild swims in the river and soak up the remote beauty of the national park. After a spot of lunch, continue the trail onwards to your homestay for the night. Kick back and relax ahead of the final hike day tomorrow.

Hit the trail, which wind upwards on an ascent through the Império mountain range, with views of the Pati Valley getting more sublime with each step. Appreciate nature at its best whilst tucking into lunch, then continue over the crest to hike the long and steady descent into the town of Andaraí. Jump in the van for your undulating, dirt road journey back to Lençóis, stopping en route at the stunning Poço Azul - a cave with a subterranean pool of luminescent blue water, where you can take a dip and soak up the natural beauty.

Travel to Mosquito Waterfall, where the water cascades from a height of 60m and has carved a towering cleft in the vegetation-draped rock. There are 200 steps up (and back down), but this is one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Brazil to swim in.

Back in Lençóis, set off on a short sunset hike up to Morro do Pai Inácio. Take in the picture postcard views and admire the contoured curves of the Serra do Espinhaço mountain range.

Bid farewell to Lençóis and take a road trip back to Salvador. Wander the charming, historic streets of this UNESCO World Heritage city and savour the flavours of the Afro-Brazilian culture in one of the many local restaurants.

Enjoy breakfast in Salvador and explore some more of the sights before your host takes you to the airport in time for your onward flight.