Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra
Rio Grande do Sul
Located 18km southeast of Cambará do Sul, this magnificent park occupies 102.5 sq km on the border between Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. It's here…
Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra
Rio Grande do Sul
Located 18km southeast of Cambará do Sul, this magnificent park occupies 102.5 sq km on the border between Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. It's here…
Parque Nacional da Serra Geral
Rio Grande do Sul
Parque Nacional da Serra Geral, 23km east of Cambará do Sul, contains canyons that rival Itaimbezinho. The Cânion da Fortaleza is an 8km stretch of…
Sítio Arqueológico São Miguel Arcanjo
Rio Grande do Sul
The most moving of the Brazilian missions, this elegant church, designed by an Italian architect who was also a Jesuit friar, earned Unesco World Heritage…
Rio Grande do Sul
Bigger and more dramatic than Gramado's stone church, this English Gothic stone cathedral dominates Canela's main square.
Rio Grande do Sul
The major attraction of Parque Estadual do Caracol, 9km from Canela, is the spectacular Cascata do Caracol, a 131m waterfall. It’s particularly attractive…
Rio Grande do Sul
One of the region's most awarded vineyards, Almaúnica's syrahs and Quatro Castas blends are top notch. The friendly owner is often in the tasting room,…
Sitio Arqueológico São Nicolau
Rio Grande do Sul
About 120km west of Santo Ângelo, this mission was once an artistic center, producing painting, ceramics and wood sculpture. Today, all that remains at…
Sitio Arqueológico São Nicolau São Lourenço Mártir
Rio Grande do Sul
In 1690, a group from the Argentine reduction of Santa Maria founded São Lourenço Mártir. It is located about 18km west of the turnoff to São Miguel das…
Gramado
Gramado's stone church on the main square is a favorite photo point with Brazilians.
Rio Grande do Sul
A homage to São Miguel Arcanjo, this 1929 sandstone church dominates the plaza with its intriguing mix of baroque, Renaissance and Guarani architecture…
Rio Grande do Sul
Both a winery and a homey pousada, Don Giovanni is a one-stop shop in Pinto Bandeira. It's most famous for sparkling wines (the tasting fee works as a…
Museu Municipal Dr José Olavo Machado
Rio Grande do Sul
A small but well-done municipal museum housing several rooms of historical artifacts (including an epic accounting machine), agricultural tools, sculpture…
Rio Grande do Sul
About 20km west of São Miguel, the Santuário de Caaró is the place where the region’s spiritual history is most alive. A modest monument honors three…
Rio Grande do Sul
This small, modern-day church across the street from the ruins at São Nicolau is a far cry from the religious epicenter that once stood on this site, but…
Rio Grande do Sul
One of Brazilian wine's big guns, Valduga has R$20 tastings (five wines) in its wine shop or tasting-and-tour combos almost hourly from 9:30 to 4:30pm (to…
Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul
Porto Alegre
A pedestrian promenade runs into Praça da Alfândega, the leafy square that is home to the Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul. The neoclassical building is…
Rio Grande do Sul
The cleverness of the wine barrel-shaped church aside, the real reason to visit this Planalto landmark is for a real sense of local culture – on sunny…
Porto Alegre
This early 20th-century neoclassical cathedral is a Porto Alegre landmark. It sits atop the hill that divides downtown from a series of prosperous…
Rio Grande do Sul
Sparkling wines, cabernet sauvignon and merlot are the specialties at Vinícola Miolo. The huge complex spreads out from an artificial lake and guided…
Rio Grande do Sul
Founded by famed Chilean winemaker Mario Geisse, Cave Geisse produces Brazil's most internationally heralded sparkling wines and is a cult favorite abroad…
Rio Grande do Sul
Midway between Santo Ângelo and São Miguel, little remains from the mission at São João Batista. With a little imagination, it is possible to make out the…
Rio Grande do Sul
The gardens of the 350-hectare Parque Guarita, 2km south of Av Beira Mar, make for a gorgeous natural setting, while the nearby beach of the same name is…
Porto Alegre
On the northern side of Praça da Matriz, you’ll find the elegant mid-19th-century Teatro São Pedro, inaugurated in 1858.
Rio Grande do Sul
Designed by Lúcio Costa of Brasília fame, this museum contains an impressive collection of religious artifacts that were rescued from the ruins.
Porto Alegre
About 1km southeast of the cathedral lies Parque Farroupilha, the city’s largest park and home to a sprawling flea market on Sunday morning.
Rio Grande do Sul
The excellent Museu Oceanográfico is one of the best in Latin America and is home to the continent's most important collection of mollusks.
Museu Histórico Júlio de Castilhos
Porto Alegre
Near the Praça da Matriz is Museu Histórico Júlio de Castilhos, displaying gaúcho artifacts in a typical 19th-century home.
Gramado
About 1.5km southwest of the center, Lago Negro is an attractive artificial lake surrounded by hydrangeas and crowded with swan boats.
Porto Alegre
On the northern side of Praça da Matriz, you'll find the sculpted facade of the Biblioteca Público, dating to 1912.