Paranaiba Headwaters National Park
Hyacinth Valley - Hyacinth Cliffs - Greenwing Valley

Special Group Tour now available. See the link at the bottom of this page.

In the heart of southern Piaui state Brazil, there's no better place to see Maned Wolves, Hyacinth Macaws, and amazing nut-cracking monkeys.

Click to view the Hyacinth Camp Brochure.

The Hyacinth Camps, part of the Tropical Nature conservation system (Our Mission), are the best place in the world to see the Maned Wolf and the Hyacinth Macaw – the largest of macaws. You'll also get up-close looks at Capuchin and Howler monkeys. Deep red mesas tower over sweeping grasslands dotted with palm groves in this wooded savannah ecosystem that covers much of central Brazil.

In 2002, a scenic area of dry forest and red rock escarpments was named a national park, Parque Nacional das Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba (National Park of the Parnaíba River Headwaters), the largest outside the Amazon. Inside this park straddling four states are Hyacinth Camps. The three sites that make up Hyacinth Camps – Hyacinth Valley, Hyacinth Cliffs, and Greenwing Valley – sit within a 10,000-acre reserve managed by our local conservation partner, the BioBrasil Foundation. This reserve is vital for the conservation of the savannah as lands to the south are increasingly being cleared for agriculture.

Hyacinth Macaws
A large flock of Hyacinth Macaws feed at a favorite spot – only 30 feet in front of a custom-built photo blind 15 minutes from the Hyacinth Valley Camp!

Palm nuts – the food of choice – are tough to crack. The macaws hop down to the ground, select a nut, and then return to the low bushes and trees to crack the nuts and eat. Manipulating the nuts with tongues thick as thumbs, they open them in their powerful beaks with explosive cracks. The huge blue birds also jockey for favorite nut-cracking perches as they feed and play.

Please note that Hyacinth Macaw viewing is guaranteed only from April 15 to July 15.

Maned Wolves, Monkeys and Other Wildlife

Hundreds and hundreds of multicolored macaws live in the cliffs surrounding one of these lodges, and purple clouds of hyacinth macaws descend on the palm nut feeding area nearby. At nightfall catch a look at the elusive and endangered Maned Wolf, which hunt mice in the region’s long grasses, and look like long-legged foxes. You'll relax in hammocks as you wait for this long-legged creature to visit it's favorite feeding spot.

Click to play video...

Peter Oxford

Accommodations
Hyacinth Valley and Hyacinth Cliff sites each feature seven bungalows that include:

• Two twin beds
• Private, tiled bathrooms with solar-heated showers
• Screened windows and mosquito nets

Greenwing Valley is equipped with double occupancy bungalows and private bathrooms.

Meals are served in a thatched-roof open-air dining room. The home-cooked meals are prepared using fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and local Brazilian staples. Vegetarian and special diets can be provided on request.

How to Get There
From the cities of Salvador da Bahia or Brasilia, fly (weekdays only) on Passaredo Airlines or travel by overnight bus to the inland town of Barreiras. From here, it is a six-hour drive through the wooded savannah, dry scrubland, and the red mesas of Hyacinth Cliffs to the camps.

You can choose to bypass the bus and fly. For information about chartering private flights, please contact a Tropical Nature Travel representative.

The Kaytee Avian Foundation in association with Tropical Nature and Tropical Nature Travel announces their official Foundation trip to the Parnaiba Headwaters National Park and the Hyacinth Macaw Conservation Project in the dry, sunny, mosquito-free forests of northeastern Brazil. June 13 - 20, 2009 click for more information.

• Hycinth Camp Brochure
• Hyacinth Macaw viewing blind
• Capuchin monkey viewing blind
• Endangered Maned Wolf sightings

Booking
Prices are per person and based on a minimum of two people traveling together. Trips depart daily. Rates include:

• Roundtrip travel from Barreiras to Hyacinth Camps
• Private bungalows with private bathrooms
• All meals and snacks
• Purified drinking water and juices
• Bilingual naturalist guide
• All excursions

Soda, beer and wine are available but not included.

Hyacinth Camps
Trip length	5 days/4 nights	6 days/5 nights
Departs	Daily	Daily
Number of travelers	2	2	4	6	8
Cost per person	$1843	$2198	$1836	$1836	$1430
Single supplement	$550
Price is per person based on 2- people sharing double accommodation. Customized travel plans available. Price does NOT include domestic flights within Brazil or international flights.  Approximate cost of round trip air from Brasilia/Barrieras is $400.00 per person. An overnight bus is available for approximatley $150.00 per person.

Staying on in Brazil? Whether your interest is wildlife or culture, in a short extension tour you can experience more of the rich living heritage of this vibrant country. And for the adventurous wildlife enthusiast, why not visit Hyacinth Camps? We can even arrange hotels and transportation.