Presidente Figueiredo Waterfalls & Caves Guide: Day Trip North of Manaus

Just 107 kilometres north of Manaus along paved federal highway BR-174, the flat alluvial plains of the Amazon basin give way to ancient Paleozoic sandstone plateaus, subterranean rivers, and more than one hundred catalogued cascades. Known across Brazil as the Terra das Cachoeiras (Land of Waterfalls), the municipality of Presidente Figueiredo is the easiest and most rewarding full-day nature excursion by road from the capital.

1. Cachoeira do Santuário and Cachoeira da Pedra Furada

Turning east off BR-174 onto state road AM-240 (the Estrada de Balbina) brings you to a cluster of accessible ecological reserves where tannin-rich streams tumble over stepped red-and-gold rock ledges:

• Cachoeira do Santuário (km 12 of AM-240): Reached via a short paved forest path with wooden handrails, Santuário is the region's signature cascade, where three broad curtains of amber water plunge 15 metres into natural rock pools. During the high-water months (March to June) it roars with white foam; from July to November the gentler flow reveals calm natural swimming basins and rock ledges.
• Cachoeira da Pedra Furada & Cachoeira do Mutum: Further along AM-240, Pedra Furada sends three distinct streams pouring through natural circular holes eroded into a sandstone overhang, while Cachoeira do Mutum is famous for its circular stone potholes (jacuzzis naturais) carved into the riverbed during the dry season.

2. Cachoeira da Iracema, Maroaga Cave, and the Cock-of-the-Rock

Just west of BR-174 near km 115, a guided rainforest trail leads through towering primary jungle to the dramatic sandstone amphitheatre of Gruta do Refúgio do Maroaga and the subterranean gallery of Caverna da Judéia, where a clear golden stream trickles across a sandy cave floor framed by mossy cliff walls. Nearby, the 8-metre curtain of Cachoeira da Iracema drops into a wide forest pool. Between January and April, the rocky ravines around Maroaga and Iracema are also the prime nesting habitat of the brilliant flame-orange Guianan cock-of-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola, called galo-da-serra). Start from Manaus by 07:30 by rental car or guided tour to combine two waterfalls, a cave hike, and a grilled tambaqui lunch before returning to your hotel by dusk.