Byzantine cemetery
White tombs in the rock.
Turismo Bahia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Turismo Bahia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Turismo Bahia — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Turismo Bahia — CC BY-SA 2.0
Mucugê is a historic town in the southern Chapada Diamantina at 983 metres, home to about 12,600 people. The land belonged to the Maracás people until prospectors came after gold was found near the Contas River in 1710, and it truly boomed after diamonds were discovered near the Mucugê River in 1844. Its name comes from a Tupi word for a local plant. Its best-known sight is the «Byzantine cemetery», the Santa Isabel cemetery begun in 1854, with white Byzantine-style tombs that seem to grow out of the rock at the foot of the mountain; it has been listed national heritage since 1980 and can be seen from the road for free. The municipal park holds the Sempre Viva project, protecting the endangered sempre-viva flower, with entry at R$20 in cash, daily 8:30-17:30, and 300 metres from its base the Piabinha waterfall, a five-minute walk. The town has stone streets and colonial buildings for wandering, and makes a good base for the southern Chapada.
White tombs in the rock.
Five minutes' walk.
A diamond town.
Southern Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, at 983 metres
R$20 per person in cash, daily from 8:30 to 17:30, including access to the nearby Piabinha waterfall.