Taquaruçu do Porto and Its Waterfalls

Taquaruçu do Porto is a district of Palmas, about 32 km from downtown, known for its cozy spots and cold-water waterfalls. It’s accessible via TO-030, and the district is considered an ecological sanctuary.

The Indigenous name means “Big Bamboo,” originally given to the local river. It’s one of Tocantins’s oldest settlements, with plenty of rural properties, and it grew as a rest stop for the tropeiros (mule train traders) traveling between Porto Nacional and other towns.

Since we had a car, we did a day trip from Palmas rather than staying overnight.

We visited four waterfalls, though there are many more to explore in the area — we just ran short on time, and it was the only day of our trip that brought rain.

What to do in Taquaruçu do Porto

Cachoeira da Roncadeira

• Easy trail
• Distance: 3 km round trip
• 70-meter drop
• Private property, inside a protected environmental area (APA), so visits are controlled, along with Cachoeira Escorrega Macaco
• Good for swimming
• Rappelling is available at the waterfall, though we didn’t try it
• Cost: R$15 per person

The site is well organized, though there are pandemic-related restrictions — visitors are limited to one hour on-site, in groups of up to 20 people.

Cachoeira Escorrega Macaco

• On the way to Cachoeira da Roncadeira
• 50-meter height
• Shallow water, ankle-deep
• Well-marked trail
• Named after a vine-like plant nearby that monkeys use to slide down from the trees

Due to accidents on the slippery rocks, swimming is no longer allowed here — photos only.

Cachoeira do Evilson

• Easy trail
• Distance: 1.5 km round trip
• 25-meter drop
• Named after Evilson, who personally manages entry and fees
• Cost: R$15 per person
• Has an on-site restaurant
• Access via dirt road

We thought this was the most beautiful waterfall in the area — definitely worth a visit.

Cachoeira do Bugio

• Easy trail
• Just turn left right before reaching Cachoeira do Evilson — there’s a sign
• 12-meter drop

We visited during the dry season, so there wasn’t much water flowing.

Where to eat in Taquaruçu do Porto

We were torn between two restaurants, Vila dos Sabores and Restaurante Sabor da Serra, and initially preferred the first — but discovered at the door that it only opens at night.

Restaurante Sabor da Serra

The menu is small, but everything comes in generous portions of home-style cooking.

Setting: spacious and airy, covered but open on the sides — since Taquaruçu tends to be a bit cooler, the ventilation works out nicely.

Main course: we ordered half a free-range chicken (galinha caipira) with rice and beans on the side (not included with the main, so they’re charged separately).

Dessert: we ordered baked cocada with ice cream and murici fruit syrup, which actually won the sixth Taquaruçu food festival.

At that festival, every dish must include at least one ingredient typical of Tocantins cuisine, made by a Palmas resident, and it happens during the first week of September.

Price: R$120 for the couple.

Fun fact about Taquaruçu do Porto

Around town, whether at a restaurant or at Cachoeira da Roncadeira, you’ll find a babaçu coconut candy — babaçu being a coconut native to the region, and genuinely tasty.

Learn more about our trip through Tocantins in Palmas and Jalapão.