Tocantins River: The Waterway That Created Palmas
The Tocantins River — dammed to create the lake that surrounds Palmas — was the original reason for the city's location; the river's history, ecology, and the communities it sustained before the dam define the region's identity
Palmas Cerrado: Central Brazil's Ecological Heartland
Palmas is surrounded by the cerrado biome — the world's most biodiverse savanna and one of the most threatened; the wildlife around the city includes giant anteaters, maned wolves, and extraordinary birdlife
Karajá Culture: The Araguaia's Living Art Tradition
The Karajá people of the Ilha do Bananal — the world's largest river island, accessible from Palmas — create the Ritxòkò ceramic dolls that are Brazil's most recognised indigenous art form
Lago de Palmas: Brazil's Newest Capital on the Tocantins
Palmas — founded in 1989 — is Brazil's youngest and last planned capital; the artificial lake created by a hydroelectric dam, the cerrado landscape, and the planned grid create a unique Amazonian frontier city
Tocantins at the Table: Pequi, River Fish & Frontier Flavours
Palmas's food blends the cerrado ingredients of central Brazil with the river fish of the Tocantins and the cultural influence of the nordestino migrants who settled the state — small-pei and pequi define the table
Palmas: The Last Great Planned City of the 20th Century
Palmas was founded in 1989 as Tocantins's state capital — the last major planned city of the 20th century; its modernist urban plan, massive civic square, and the story of its rapid construction are fascinating
Jalapão: Tocantins's Desert Paradise of Crystalline Springs
The Jalapão region — 300 km from Palmas — is one of Brazil's most extraordinary natural landscapes: orange dunes, crystal springs (fervedouros), and the cerrado wilderness of central Brazil
Palmas Birdwatching: Cerrado & Araguaia Avifauna
The Palmas region is a world-class birding destination — the cerrado around the city, the Araguaia River wetlands, and the artificial lake all contribute to an extraordinary bird diversity