Lajeado: A Quick Tocantins Stop

Lajeado is a town located 52 km from Palmas via TO-010, known for its crafts, local food, and folklore.

Crafts: clay, wood, coconut palm, and buriti straw — though the shop was closed, since the owners are elderly and hadn’t reopened due to COVID-19. Local food: cajá fruit juice with fried traíra, tucunaré, and caranha fish — though we didn’t get the chance to try it either.

We didn’t enjoy the town, honestly — it felt run-down, and the tourist spots were quite littered. Our honest recommendation: drive another ten minutes down the road to Miracema instead.

What to do in Lajeado

We visited the town, but honestly, it’s not worth a special trip — it felt run-down and dirty, especially around the natural attractions, so we’d recommend heading straight to the beaches in Miracema instead.

Morro do Segredo

• A 250-meter elevation, 1 km from town
• Located at the town entrance

You can only really see it as you’re leaving town, not on the way in — so when you spot the entrance sign, look back over your shoulder.

Cachoeira Viva Vida

• A 12-meter waterfall

We wouldn’t even recommend getting close — the waterfall was quite dirty when we visited.

There’s a spot near the falls where you can photograph the hydroelectric plant.

Usina Hidrelétrica Luís Eduardo Magalhães

• Completed in 2002
• Reservoir spans 170 km
• 902 MW capacity
• Right next to Cachoeira Viva Vida

You can get a photo of it from town, so there’s no real need to drive out to the dam itself — it’s really just a photo op.

Balneário Ilha Verde

• A series of waterfalls forming a natural pool
• Decent infrastructure with bars and restaurants

We wouldn’t recommend this one either — it was dirty and crowded. It’s close to the hydroelectric plant.

Praia do Segredo

• On the riverbank
• Closed during our visit due to COVID-19

Cachoeira do Lajeado

• Three waterfall drops, 30 meters tall
• The water flow here powers the Usina Hidrelétrica Luís Eduardo Magalhães
• We weren’t able to find it

Morro do Leão

• A rock formation resembling a resting lion
• 9 km from downtown
• Poorly marked, so we couldn’t find it either

Other tips for Lajeado

Only part of the Serra do Lajeado range sits within Lajeado itself — Parque Estadual do Lajeado is actually located in Palmas, and it’s the part we would’ve liked to visit, about 50 minutes from downtown, though in a different direction. We’d recommend doing it on a separate day, since the lookout and sunset both look genuinely worth it.

We didn’t have time to fit it in ourselves, but here are the highlights.

Parque Estadual do Lajeado

• Covers the Serra do Lajeado range, which spans Palmas, Lajeado, and Aparecida do Rio Negro, protecting the local biome

Mirante da Serra do Lajeado

• Offers views of Palmas and the hydroelectric dam
• 22 km from downtown
• A paragliding launch site

Morro do Chapéu at Serra do Lajeado

A planned Christ the Redeemer-style statue here, 50 km from downtown Palmas, has been paused following a request from Brazil’s National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan). The view is stunning regardless, making it a great spot for photos.

Learn more about our trip in Palmas and Miracema.