Visiting a quilombo respectfully: community tourism rules

A quilombo is a living community. Visit one only through its own association, agree the price and what it pays for before you arrive, and follow the rules the residents set. The Fundação Cultural Palmares registers communities that define themselves as quilombo remnants, but a registration is not an invitation to tourists.

Why visit

Quilombos began as communities formed by people who escaped slavery, and many grew from Black farming families who held onto land after abolition in 1888. Today there are thousands of quilombola communities across Brazil, in every region. Most have nothing to do with tourism, and that is their right.

A few communities have chosen to host visitors on their own terms. A well-run visit means walking the land with a resident guide, eating food grown and cooked in the community, and hearing its history from the people who carry it. The money goes to the community, and the community decides how you are received. That is the kind of visit this page covers.

What a quilombo is, in official terms

The Fundação Cultural Palmares, a federal body, keeps the Cadastro Geral de Remanescentes das Comunidades dos Quilombos. Its Portaria nº 57 of March 31, 2022 sets how a community obtains a certidão de autodefinição (certificate of self-definition). The community submits minutes of a meeting called to decide on self-definition, a report on the group’s shared history and a written request to the Palmares president. Palmares issues the certificate free of charge.

A certificate records a registered self-definition. It does not rank communities, does not say who may guide visitors and does not mean a community welcomes tourists. Palmares also does not settle internal disputes among community members.

Land titling is a separate process. Under Decreto 4.887/2003, INCRA is the federal authority responsible for titling quilombola territories, and many titling processes are still open. Land is a serious and sometimes painful subject, so leave it for residents to raise.

CONAQ, the Coordenação Nacional de Articulação das Comunidades Negras Rurais Quilombolas, is the national movement of quilombola communities. It was formed in 1996 and has coordinators in 23 states. Its site explains how the movement describes itself, but it is not a booking channel.

Two community-run examples

Quilombo Kalunga, Goiás

The Kalunga are one of the largest quilombola communities in Brazil, spread across a wide territory of the Cerrado in northern Goiás. The Engenho II community, in Cavalcante, near the Chapada dos Veadeiros, runs its own tourism. Decisions are taken in assembly by the Associação Kalunga Comunitária do Engenho II (AKCE), which won the community-based tourism category of Brazil’s Prêmio Nacional do Turismo in 2023.

The community network includes about 200 visitor guides, five restaurants, three lodgings and 17 transport providers. Residents set the visiting rules, organize the services and guide visitors to waterfalls and trails on their land. Santa Bárbara, a waterfall with clear blue pools, is the best-known site.

On money, the association pays staff, running costs and maintenance first. Part of the rest goes to projects the community chooses, such as roads, vehicles, internet, water, courses, health and cultural events. Part of the waterfall entry fees also goes to community infrastructure, education, health, sport and culture.

Rota da Liberdade, Recôncavo Baiano

The Rota da Liberdade is a community tourism project in the Santiago do Iguape district, in the Recôncavo region of Bahia, about 50 km (31 mi) from Salvador in a straight line. It began in 2005, with quilombola women in its leadership. Participating communities include Kaonge and Dendê, set among the mangroves of the Iguape bay. Local quilombos here also coordinate through a council of 14 communities across Santiago do Iguape and São Francisco do Paraguaçu.

The project has run several tour routes, led by young people from the communities, with visits from Monday to Saturday and bookings needed at least 48 hours ahead. It follows a solidarity economy model: ingredients and crafts come from many community members, so income spreads across the households involved. Visits often center on fishing and shellfish work in the mangroves, food, palm oil production and local history.

An old web address once used by the project, rotadaliberdade.net, now leads to an unrelated gambling site. Do not use it to book.

Check before you go: community projects change over time. Before you travel, confirm with the Associação Kalunga Comunitária do Engenho II, or directly with the Rota da Liberdade communities, that visits are running, how to book and how fees are shared.

Getting there

Routes depend on the community, and the association is the best source for directions.

Recôncavo. Santiago do Iguape is about 1 hour 30 minutes from Salvador by car or bus. The project does not provide transfers, so arrange your own transport or ask the community to recommend a local driver. The historic town of Cachoeira is nearby and makes a good base. See the Cachoeira and Recôncavo day trip for the region.

Kalunga. Fly into Brasília, then drive north to Cavalcante. The Engenho II community lies outside the town on unpaved roads, which can be rough in the rainy season. Ask the association about road conditions and whether a community transport provider can collect you.

When to go

Ask the association which weeks suit the community. Harvests, festivals, funerals and community meetings can all close a community to visitors for a time.

The climate gives a second guide. In the Cerrado around Kalunga, the dry season, roughly May to September, brings clear water at the waterfalls and easier roads. The rainy season, roughly October to April, brings heavy storms and possible closures of trails and falls. The Recôncavo is warm all year, with more rain in the first half of the year.

Where to stay

Many community projects offer lodging and meals. At Kalunga, residents provide food, lodging and transport through the community network, so staying inside the community puts your money where it helps most. Cavalcante town has more conventional pousadas if you prefer.

For the Rota da Liberdade, most visitors stay in Cachoeira or Salvador and visit for the day. Only the association can tell you what it offers and who is paid for it.

What to do and how to behave

• Book through the association. Do not hire a third party who offers a quilombo visit without naming the community that benefits.
• Ask before photographing people, homes, ceremonies and children. A no is final.
• Pay what the community asks, in the form it asks. Bring small notes. See money in Brazil.
• Do not treat the visit as a demonstration. Residents guide you through their own land and work.
• Skip politics and land questions unless a resident raises them.
• Learn who is paid. Ask the association how fees are shared. Some communities decide this in assembly.
• Buy local. Crafts, food and produce sold by residents keep money in the community.
• Dress modestly and follow your guide’s lead at religious or ceremonial events.

Costs

Prices for visits, meals, lodging and waterfall entry are set by each community and can change. Ask the association for a full price before you go, and ask what each part pays for. Expect to pay separately for a guide, entry to sites on community land, meals and transport. Carry cash, since card machines and signal can be unreliable in rural areas.

Questions to ask the association before you book

1. Who runs the visit, and is the fee paid to the community association?
2. What does the fee cover: guide, meals, lodging, transport?
3. Which parts of the community are open to visitors, and which are not?
4. What are the rules on photographs, drones and recordings?
5. How many people can the community host at once?
6. Is there a cancellation rule, and who do you contact if roads or weather stop you?

If an intermediary answers instead of the association, ask which community benefits and how. If nobody can say, choose another host.

Skip it if

• You cannot contact the association in advance. An unannounced arrival puts the host in a difficult position.
• You want a quick photo stop. Community visits are slow, personal and set by the hosts.
• You expect a fixed schedule. Community tourism follows the community’s calendar.
• You dislike rough roads and simple lodging. Many quilombos are rural, with basic facilities.
• You do not speak any Portuguese and cannot bring an interpreter. Many guides speak only Portuguese, so ask in advance.

Related

The wider trail is in the Afro-Brazilian travel guide.