Cachoeira do Evilson

Updated April 15, 2024

## Cachoeira do Evilson: Powerful Waterfall Escape in Taquaruçu, Palmas (Tocantins)

Cachoeira do Evilson is one of the headline waterfalls in Taquaruçu, the ecotourism district of Palmas famous for its dozens of cascades, forest trails and rustic stays. Taquaruçu sits in the hills about 30 km from downtown Palmas and is widely promoted as a nature escape and gateway stop for those heading on to the Jalapão region. e Caminhos

If you’re mainly planning logistics, jump straight to Practical information: prices, opening hours and rules and Hiking, access and safety considerations further down this guide.

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## Quick facts about Cachoeira do Evilson

– Location: Rural area of Taquaruçu, district of Palmas, Tocantins, Brazil; access via highway TO-030, on private rural property. TO
– Distance: Taquaruçu is about 30 km from Palmas; Evilson sits roughly 14 km beyond the village, with ~11 km on dirt roads. e Caminhos
– Height & water volume: Approx. 25 m high and described as the waterfall with the greatest water volume in Taquaruçu. e Caminhos
– Natural pool: Large pool that starts shallow near the sand and gradually deepens, suitable for careful bathing. e Caminhos
– Landscape: Semi-circular rock wall behind the falls, covered in ferns and mosses; it’s possible to walk behind the curtain of water when conditions allow. e Caminhos
– Property & facilities: Private site with restaurant and camping area, plus an additional waterfall (Cachoeira do Bugio) on the same property. e Caminhos
– Type of visit: Officially listed as a paid, unguided visit with activities including trail, camping and waterfall bathing. TO
– Entry fee (subject to change):
– Tocantins state tourism site currently lists an entrance fee of around R$15. TO
– A recent travel operator article mentions about R$20 per person.
– Expect prices to vary slightly by season and updates by the property owner.
– Payment: A TripAdvisor review notes there is an entrance fee and that only cash was accepted (no Pix) at the time of that visit, and that the site has a camping area. This may have changed, so it’s worth confirming before you go.
– Popularity: Listed among Taquaruçu’s main outdoor attractions and rated around 4.4/5 by visitors on TripAdvisor; ratings naturally change over time as new reviews are added.

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## Why Cachoeira do Evilson stands out in Taquaruçu

Taquaruçu has more than 80 catalogued waterfalls, but only a fraction are easily visitable. Evilson consistently appears in recent guides and official tourism material as one of the area’s key attractions. e Caminhos

A few features make it special:

– Strong, consistent flow: Among the Taquaruçu waterfalls open to visitors, Evilson is described as the cascade with the greatest water volume, which gives it a more dramatic curtain of water than many smaller falls in the area. e Caminhos
– Photogenic amphitheatre: The rock wall behind the waterfall forms a half-moon shape, covered in ferns and mosses. From the pool, you’re looking at a natural amphitheatre with the falls in the centre – one reason it appears so often in tourism photos and promotional reels. e Caminhos
– Possibility to go behind the falls: Reports from recent guides mention that, depending on water level and safety conditions, visitors can walk behind the waterfall, experiencing the drop from a different angle. e Caminhos
– Large, graded pool: The pool starts shallow and deepens gradually, which can be more comfortable for a mixed-ability group than sudden drop-offs. Even so, depth increases and currents can vary, so swimming always requires caution. e Caminhos
– On the way to Jalapão: Several Jalapão itineraries include Taquaruçu on the way into or out of the state park, and Evilson is frequently highlighted in day tours that combine multiple waterfalls. e Caminhos

For travellers using Palmas as a base and looking for waterfalls near Palmas before or after Jalapão, Evilson is one of the best-documented options.

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## Where Cachoeira do Evilson is and how to get there

### Taquaruçu in context

– Taquaruçu is an official district of Palmas, in the hills about 30 km from the capital’s centre, connected by the TO-030 highway. e Caminhos
– It’s recognised nationally as an ecotourism destination, with a mix of cerrado vegetation, patches resembling caatinga and even larger trees typical of Amazonian transition zones in the wider region.
– The district is known for handicrafts using local materials such as capim dourado and babaçu, and for outdoor activities like zip-lining (the Voo do Pontal zipline is one of the longest in northern Brazil).

### Getting from Palmas to Taquaruçu and Evilson

Current guides and official information outline the following access pattern:

– From Palmas to Taquaruçu:
– Drive roughly 26–30 km via TO-030 to the village of Taquaruçu. e Caminhos
– The road is paved and is the main route used by both locals and tour operators. e Caminhos
– From Taquaruçu to Cachoeira do Evilson:
– A recent on-the-ground guide notes that the property lies about 14 km from the village, with around 11 km on unpaved rural roads in generally good condition in the dry season. e Caminhos

Because the waterfall sits on private rural land, there is an entrance gate where the fee is charged. Both the Tocantins state tourism portal and recent travel blogs confirm that access is via TO-030, followed by rural roads, and that it is a paid attraction. TO

### Independent visit vs organised tour

– A number of agencies in Palmas and Taquaruçu offer “cachoeiras de Taquaruçu” day trips, which typically combine several waterfalls and sometimes high-adrenaline activities like the Voo do Pontal zipline.
– Guides are not mandatory for Evilson itself according to the state tourism listing (“visita não guiada”), but going with a local operator can simplify logistics if you don’t speak Portuguese or prefer not to drive on dirt roads. TO

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## Hiking, access and safety considerations

### Trail options and difficulty

The experience at Evilson varies depending on how you approach it:

– From the property gate:
– The Tocantins tourism site and Brazilian travel guides describe a trail on private land leading from the entrance area to the falls, but they do not state the exact distance. TO
– Full-day hike variant:
– A popular route logged on the hiking platform AllTrails classifies “Cachoeira do Evilson” as a hard trail, around 23.7 km round-trip with roughly 668 m of total elevation gain, requiring about 6.5–7.5 hours.
– This reflects an extended hiking itinerary rather than the short internal access path from the property’s parking area. It’s useful if you’re planning a long trekking day rather than a straightforward waterfall stop.

Because there are different route options, the most reliable way to plan your effort level is to:

– Confirm with the property or guide agency how long their chosen approach walk is right now.
– Check recent trail logs or reviews to see if rain, erosion or road works have altered access.

### Terrain and accessibility

– Official tourism information marks an “accessibility” section for the site but does not describe specific adaptations such as ramps, handrails or adapted toilets, which suggests limited formal accessibility infrastructure. TO
– Photos and hiking descriptions show dirt paths, uneven ground and rocks around the pool, which can be challenging for visitors with reduced mobility or balance issues.

If anyone in your group has mobility limitations, it’s worth phoning ahead (using the contact information from the property or a local agency) to understand how close a vehicle can get and what support is available on site.

### Water safety

Based on recent descriptions:

– The pool starts shallow and deepens gradually. Children and less confident swimmers should stay near the shore and use flotation support if needed. e Caminhos
– Rocks around and behind the falls can be slippery, especially after rain. The possibility of going behind the waterfall is appealing but should only be attempted with care and, ideally, after checking local advice on the day. e Caminhos

As with any natural swimming spot in Brazil, conditions can change quickly during heavy rainstorms or in the peak of the rainy season, so always follow on-site guidance and avoid the water if locals advise against it.

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## Practical information: prices, opening hours and rules

This section is where you’ll likely want to double-check details shortly before your trip, as prices and procedures can change.

### Entry fees and what they include

– The Tocantins state tourism portal lists Evilson as a paid attraction with an entrance fee of R$15 per person (value shown on the current cached version). TO
– A detailed 2025 travel guide focused on Taquaruçu mentions a fee around R$20, charged on the property that also gives access to the smaller Bugio waterfall. e Caminhos

These references show that there is a mandatory entrance fee, but the exact value has fluctuated between different recent sources. Treat the numbers above as a ballpark and confirm the current price with:

– The property’s Instagram account (which actively advertises reservations and camping), or
– A local tour operator when booking your day trip.

### Payment methods

– A TripAdvisor review points out that the site charged an entrance fee and did not accept Pix at the time of that visitor’s experience, only cash, and noted the presence of a camping area.
– Payment policies can change quickly in Brazil as businesses adopt Pix and card machines, so it is safest to bring sufficient cash and treat electronic payment as a bonus rather than a guarantee.

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