The Pacaás Novos National Park is one of the Brazilian destinations focused on ecotourism and little known in the country, it is located in the extreme west of the state of Rondônia (RO).
The Pacaás Novo National Park has 764,000 hectares ( 187800 acres) spread over 650 square kilometers and spread over eight municipalities.
Parque Nacional de Pacaás Novos (Pacaás Novos National Park)
Founded in the late 1970s with the aim of protecting the region’s biodiversity, the immense conservation unit is practically untouched and has a wide variety of animal and plant species from the Amazon. Incidentally, the park also houses an indigenous reserve where indigenous peoples of the Uru-Eu-Wau-Wau and Uru-Pa-In ethnic groups live.
It is worth mentioning, however, that although this is one of the most beautiful regions in the North of the country, the infrastructure of the place is practically non-existent, since, as it is a Conservation Unit, tourist exploitation was not as widespread as in other places in the Amazon.
Now, if you want to live a unique experience and you are one of those people who can’t do without ecotourism, adventure tourism and good doses of adrenaline, this is the place.
In the Pacaás Novos National Park there are several waterfalls. Photo: Araquém Alcântara.
What is a Conservation Unit?
Before continuing talking about the destination, it’s nice to better understand what Conservation Units are. Well, a Conservation Unit is nothing more than a natural area demarcated and protected by the Government with the aim of preserving fauna, flora and ensuring the traditional populations that live there, such as riverside communities and indigenous populations, for example, the use of natural resources for their livelihood. Therefore, in the case of the Pacaás Novos National Park, it is an APA (Environmental Protection Area).
How to get to Pacaás Novos National Park
Access to the region is not the easiest, after all, we are talking about a Conservation Unit. In any case, access can be made by air, land or river.
By land, the most used route, visitors must do the following: leave Porto Velho, take the BR-364 to the municipality of Ariquemes, on a journey of 205 km in all. Then, turn right onto BR-421 and continue for another 50km to the municipality of Montenegro – another 60km – to the municipality of Campo Novo. Finally, from Campo Novo to the Pacaás Novas National Park is another 40km.
Due to the difficulty of access, it is necessary to consult IBAMA and the body responsible for managing the park, in this case, the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (ICMBio), to check availability for visitation.
When to go Pacaás Novos National Park
Although there is no specific time to visit the park, our tip is that you visit the region between the months of June, July and August – the dry season and with milder temperatures around 25ºC (77ºF).
Attractions Pacaás Novos National Park
The Pacaás Novos National Park offers several natural attractions such as waterfalls, small rivers, mountainous regions and majestic forests. In addition, the area is home to Pico do Tracoá, the highest point in Rondônia with an (impressive) 1130 meters (3707 feet) in altitude.
