Piauí is one of several states in Brazil, it's located in the northeast of the latin-american country.

It has only 66 kilometers of coastline, the shortest one of all the states in Brazil which have access to the coast. It's state capital is Teresina, a city in the inland, which is quite unusual for the states in the northeast part of Piauí. The state has a total area of approximately 250.000 square kilometers and a population of more than 3 million people. The local name of the state is Piauiense. Wellington Dias is it's current Governor, the Vice Governor is Wilson Martins.

The National Park called "Serra da Capivara" in the southeastern part of Piauí is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, mainly because of it's more than 400 archaeological sites among which is the largest accumulation of rock paintings worldwide.

Most tourists arrive by bus from other states. There is a regular bus link from Teresina, the state capital, to Fortaleza and São Luis, even busses to Brasilia or Rio de Janeiro are available. Since the last cities are more further away than a 48 hour bus drive and the streets are partly in a catastrophic state, it's not recommended to take these routes.
There is also the possibility to get there by plane, but Teresina and Parnaíba both have only quite small airports, mainly for domestic flights. Therefore most travellers fly first to Fortaleza and take a connecting flight to one of the two airports mentioned above.

Teresina is the origin for most tours in the state. It's very hot all year round and there are not many attractions in the city, therefore it's by most tourists only used as a transport hub.

Parnaíba is the second largest city in the state and it's located on the small strip of coast. It's a long way to get there and there is not much around, but the beaches are excellent. Daytrips to see the sand dunes and the fauna and flora around this city are very popular among tourists.

The island Ilha do Cajú is not in Piauí, but it's only accessible from this state. The only way to get there is by boat and the trip there, which takes a few hours is itself worthwile. The island is privately owned and there is only one guesthouse with a restaurant. There are many possibile cayaking and hiking tours available on this island which are coordinated by the staff of the guesthouse. You have to reserve a place at the guesthouse, since there is no other sleeping - opportunity.

The Sete Cidades National Park is next to Teresina. Since there are many great rock formations and prehistoric cave paintings, it is well worth a visit. Inside the park there is a guesthouse and outside of it another one. The ususal way to visit the park is by bicycle, which is rented at the visitor's center. It is also possible to travel the park by car or by walking, but since it can get very hot it's not as relaxed and nice as with the bike. No matter which option you choose, you have to hire an official tour guide at the visitor's center.

Other sightseeing places include the Cachoeira do Urubu with it's white water rapids where you can great spots for picknicking and the Poços Jorrantes where you can admire water-jets which are naturally pressurised.