Top 10 Caves in Brazil
Brazil's cave heritage is comparatively underexplored internationally, but the country has the highest cave count in South America. Minas Gerais and Bahia hold the major karst systems; Para hosts the world's longest quartzite caves.
1. Gruta da Lapa Doce, Chapada Diamantina
Karst cave. The largest accessible cave in Brazil — 850-m guided walking tour through enormous decorated halls. Tour grade B.
2. Gruta Azul, Chapada Diamantina
Karst cave. Sunlight enters at midday to turn the underground lake electric blue — Brazil's answer to Bisevo's Blue Cave. Tour grade A.
3. Pratinha and Lagoa Encantada, Chapada Diamantina
Karst cave. Swim-through caves with crystal-clear water — snorkel tours are popular. Tour grade A.
4. Toca da Boa Vista, Bahia
Karst cave. The longest cave in South America at 114 km — speleological expedition territory. Tour grade D.
5. Gruta do Lago Azul, Bonito
Karst cave. Iconic Mato Grosso do Sul site — sunlight illuminates a deep blue underground lake. Tour grade A.
6. Gruta de Maquine, Cordisburgo
Karst cave. Six well-decorated halls — the first Brazilian show cave to open to tourism. Tour grade A.
7. Caverna do Diabo, Sao Paulo state
Karst cave. The "Devil's Cave" — 8 km of passage, the most visited cave in Sao Paulo state. Tour grade B.
8. Caverna da Tapagem, Eldorado
Karst cave. Companion to Caverna do Diabo, with an underground river you can hear throughout the visit. Tour grade B.
9. Gruta do Janelao, Peruacu
Karst cave, national park. Enormous karst windows where the cave roof collapsed; rock paintings nearby. Tour grade B.
10. Buraco das Araras, Mato Grosso do Sul
Karst sinkhole. A 100-m diameter, 124-m deep dolina where macaws roost — viewed from a rim platform, not entered. Tour grade A.
Planning a Brazil cave trip
Chapada Diamantina is the major cave-tourism region. Bonito is the Pantanal gateway and second-most-developed cave area. Toca da Boa Vista expeditions are organised through Brazilian speleological societies.
From reading to planning
See every Brazilian cave on the interactive map.