Deep in the interior of Brazil is a land for the truly adventurous traveler. Two mighty rivers, the Araguaia and the Tocantins, flow north to the Amazon Basin. The wilderness here is a transition zone between the Amazon and the Cerrado, where you also find flooded forests and wetlands. This is frontier country, where agriculture and logging advance. Distances are large, logistics not always easy, but the rewards can be huge for those who love natural paradises and adventure.

The oldest town in the region is Natividade, an 18th century mining town and a national heritage site. Today the main city is modern Palmas, capital of the Tocantins state, surrounded by green hills and waterfalls in places like Serra do Lejeado and Taquaruçu. The state also has important Indian lands.

To the east lies the huge Bananal Island (part National Park, part Indian Reserve). The Araguaia river, where beaches appear in the dry season, is great for wildlife observation, camping/canoeing expeditions and also for sports fishing. To the west you find the beautiful Jalapão region, where clearwater rivers pass through dunelands and savannas and you find some of the most wonderful rafting in Brazil. Further out and not yet open for visitors, is a new national park in the Chapada das Mangabeiras protecting the sources of the Parnaiba river.

To the north you find historic Carolina, where economic cycles included mining and sugarcane.

Today this tranquil town with its many waterfalls and caves and the spectacular Chapada das Mesas National Park is starting to attract tourists.