Water curtain
A broad waterfall.
Vitor 1234 — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Otávio Nogueira from Fortaleza, BR — CC BY 2.0 · Otávio Nogueira from Fortaleza, BR — CC BY 2.0 · Otávio Nogueira from Fortaleza, BR — CC BY 2.0 · Otávio Nogueira from Fortaleza, BR — CC BY 2.0
The São Romão waterfall is the signature image of the Chapada das Mesas: a broad curtain where the Farinha River pours over a long rock ledge, filling the air with spray that throws rainbows in the sun before the river runs on between rocks and forest. It lies inside the national park and, with the nearby Prata waterfall, was for years its best-known sight. Getting there is part of the adventure: the falls are 70 to 80 km from the town of Carolina, much of it on sandy dirt road that only four-wheel-drive vehicles can manage, so most visitors come on a day tour with a local guide, usually combined with the Prata falls. A small per-person environmental fee is paid on arrival. Guides show visitors where it is safe to swim, away from the force of the falls; bring water, food and sunscreen, since there are few services on site. The best months are May to September, when the roads dry and the water turns clear.
A broad waterfall.
In the spray.
A 4x4 adventure.
Farinha River, Chapada das Mesas National Park, about 70-80 km from Carolina, Maranhão
On a day tour by 4x4 with a guide from Carolina, 70-80 km away, mostly on sandy dirt road.