Natural water slide of the Ribeirão

Natural water slide!

An easy walk suitable for all abilities, including children. Want to have fun on the water slide, hop in a natural jacuzzi, or simply chill out on the red rocks?  Take your time to relax at this popular local swimming spot!

About “Ribeirão do Meio”

It’s about an hour of walking from Lençóis’ city centre to the Ribeirão do Meio natural water slide. The trail is easy to follow and a guide is not really necessary if you just stay with the main trail. First find the Lumiar Camping and the Rosario Church, then enter the ‘Rua dos negros’, and at the end of this street you’ll find a steep hill and a few country homes. Follow the main road until it ends in a fairly ample parking area.

The trail itself is actually in an old water channel. After a short downhill section, it gradually inclines before flattening out completely.

Once at the river, be very careful when diving, for the dark water can hide underwater rocks. Just watch the locals, they know where it’s safe to jump. The rocky water slide is bumpy, but very smooth. It’s a lot of fun, and although it may look rough, it presents no danger at all. Just make sure to ascend on the dry rocks at the left side of the water slide, because the wet rocks can be extremely slippery.

Pay attention to the trail when you are heading back to Lençóis. About a 100 metres after leaving the river, the trail makes a sharp turn to the right.

Optionally, you can visit another nice large swimming pool downstream. This riverbed trail is not accessible to children. There’s one small stretch of canyon wall that requires a bit of attention and caution to cross, allthough it’s not in itself dangerous. You can also float down the river at this point, if you wish to. But you should never use this trail during or after rainfall, because the rocks get very slippery when wet.
After clearing the narrow canyon, you’ll find another fairly large pool where you can swim. There are trails on both sides of the pool. After walking another 200 meters, you’ll meet the main road. Go left on the dirt road and Lençóis is about 3 km away.