In the northern part there are escarpments along the transition to the peripheral depression of southern Pará, where the rivers descend in rapids and waterfalls such as the Salto do Curuá.

[1] The Nascentes da Serra do Cachimbo Biological Reserve covers part of the range.

[1] The southwest of the Rio Novo National Park is dominated by the Serra do Cachimbo, rising to 500 to 650 metres (1,640 to 2,130 ft), with a sharp escarpment forming its northern face.

Jamanxim, Curuá and other rivers of Serra do Cachimbo are home to many endemic fish.

This richness is in part explained by the diversity of habitats, as it is in a region mostly covered by Amazon rainforest, but the Serra also has isolated patches of Cerrado vegetation.