The increased number of direct flights from Europe to Brazil's Northeast Coast does not only reduce flying time to beach life in Brazil, but also opens up the chance to visit Brazil's fascinating caatinga, the semi-arid area in the interior, that was once a hideout for bandits, rebels and visionaries, hosts a treasure trove of paleontological sites and offers the visitor spectacular landscapes.

In the caatinga (also known as sertão), you can walk with dinosaurs and megafauna. Near the town of Sousa, in the state of Paraíba, about 420 km inland from Natal, lies Brazil's Dinosaur Valley Natural Moment. In an area called Rio do Peixe a great abundance of dinosaur tracks (including one of the longest tracks in the world) from the Cretaceous have been found in dozens of sites. Part of the area is now a well structured park with museum and well worth a visit. The drive from the coast through the forest zone into the caatinga is very interesting because of the changing scenery and the fascinating places you pass through.

The first traces of the existence of dinosaurs in Brazil were discovered in 1897, in the area called Passagem das Pedras, in Sousa. In 1920 the geologist Luciano Jaques de Moraes confirmed the existences of the footprints and published the discovery in the book called "Serras e Montanhas do Nordeste" (Mountain Ridges and Mountains of the Northeast). The search for archeological sites has not stopped ever since. More than twenty sites with footprints of dinosaurs have already been found, most of which are in Sousa. That is why the town has its Dinosaur Park (Parque dos Dinossauros, in Portuguese), where replicas of footprints, maps and models are exhibited, and visitors can also use the services of its library. Films about the history of the animals are also shown there. Those who visit the Parque dos Dinossauros can go for hikes in the interesting trails that are found in the place. Sousa is part of the so-called Vale dos Dinossauros (the Dinosaur Valley), as long as 12 other towns, with the highest incidence of dinosaur footprints in the world.

One of those places is the Basin of Rio do Peixe (Fish River), where, in the silted bed of the river, one of the world's longest traces of dinosaur footprints has been discovered, about 50 m (164 feet) in length, with 51 footprints, besides other tracks of specimens of carnivorous and herbivores animals. The passage of this 130 million year-old pre-historic animals through Paraíba's countryside arouses the interest of scientists from all around the worlds, attracting tourists and curious people on the subject.

1- Arrival in Natal
Meet and greet at the airport and arrival transfer to your hotel. Your room will be ready by noontime, if you prefer we can also arrange you an early check-in (at a surcharge) and you will have your room ready upon arrival, so you can freshen up and rest before exploring Natal.

2- Natal - Seridó - Dinosaurs Valley
Departure at 07:00am for the Seridó region, renowned for its tidy towns and hospitable people. There, you will visit the Brejuí Mine which was one of the world’s largest producers of scheelite, a mineral from which tungsten is extracted. You will explore a couple of hundred meters of the mine's 60 kilometers of galleries – a world record – and be able to observe the finer point of mining at first-hand. Continuing on the tour, visit the Acari Historical Museum, to see objects used by the sertanejos (backlanders) and their way of living in the traditional Seridó region. Lunch on the banks of the beautiful Gargalheiras Dam, before moving on to the Dinosaurs Valley region. The afternoon ends with an unforgettable sunset. After this, check-in at a nearby hotel, where you will have dinner and spend the night.

3- Dinosaurs Valley - Cariri
You leave at 07:30am to visit the fascinating Dinosaurs Valley. Various dinosaur species of different sizes lived here 120 million years ago, on the banks of a large, shallow lake. Their tracks and footprints are visible throughout the area. You will also visit the scientific exhibition at the local museum, and then leave for Cariri, having lunch on the way to this fantastic region. On your arrival there, first visit the Sítio do Bravo. Prehistoric man and animals such as the mastodon and saber-toothed tiger inhabited this exotic region. Hills and granite outcrops, encrusted with small rainwater-filled pools, make this one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Northeast. This presents a good opportunity to try to decipher the mysterious prehistoric paintings and petroglyphs. After that, proceed to the Hotel Fazenda Pai Mateus. Before dinner, there will be an opportunity to relax in the swimming pool and the wood-fired sauna. The dinner served will be typical Cariri local fare. The evening program is to view the pristine, star-spangled Sertão (Sertão is the Brazilian equivalent of the Australian Outback) night sky and count the shooting stars. Overnight at the Ranch.

4- Cariri
After breakfast you will take a pleasant short walk to Saca de Lã site. This unique rock formation resembles an enormous pile of wool packs. Nature or human made structure? We invite you to uncover this secret. After that you will visit Cabaceiras - a typical Sertão village. Stroll through the streets, meet local hospitable people. This is also an opportunity to buy interesting handcraft goods made from goat leather. Return to the Ranch for lunch. After a short rest you will visit a fantastic rocky landscape, where 70 huge boulders are found scattered throughout an area once inhabited by early tribes and an eighteenth century shaman, called Pai Mateus. The mystical landscape brings different thoughts and emotions to everyone while you experience a spectacular sunset. Return to the Ranch for dinner and overnight.

5- Cariri - Ingá - Areia - Natal
After a typical local breakfast meal, departure to Ingá, to visit Brazil's principal archeological monument. This is a 23 meter-long granite monolith, covered with enigmatic inscriptions, carved by indigenous people thousands of years ago. After this visit, proceed to Areia, a small colonial town where houses from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries have been preserved, as well as sugar mills from that period. There, you will visit an old theater built of cedar, imported from Europe, and a rapadura sugar mill, which continues to use centuries-old methods and machinery in manufacturing this important foodstuff from sugar cane. Lunch in a restaurant in the town and departure to Natal. On the way, you will have a short stop in a small town called Passa e Fica to view, from a distance, the Pedra da Boca, a prehistoric shelter which enhances the beauty of the Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba state border. Arrival in Natal is scheduled for 07:00pm. Overnight in the hotel.

6- Depart Natal - Next City
Check-out at noon. Transfer to the airport in Natal. Homebound flight or proceed to your next destination.

Land-Only prices in US-Dollars per person in double occupancy (single supplement available), including:

• Regular roundtrip transfers Airport NAT in Natal/Hotel/Airport NAT in Natal featuring air-conditioned vehicle with English speaking guide.

• • All mentioned activities in Seridó/Cariri/Ingá/Areia as per description with experienced English speaking guide.

• From 1 to 4 persons services will be carried out in a Land Rover, from 5 to 9 persons it will be in a van and with more than 10 persons it will be in a minibus.

• Personal accident insurance.

• Visitation taxes.

• Accommodation in the hotel of your choice.

• Daily Brazilian buffet breakfast, unless indicated above.

• Meals as per description (B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner).

• Hotel taxes.

-> To reduce or extend number of nights in this package, please contact us for a specific quotation.

To receive more information, please email us at office@opcotours.com.