The South: Places to Explore

The cradle of the prosperous Vale do Itajaí region, Blumenau is a pleasant city of more than 260,000, with clean streets and friendly people. Its name is indicative of its German origins. Downtown... Read more

Gramado's "smaller sister" is quieter and more low-profile. Brazilians immediately associate this city of 35,000 with the Caracol Waterfall, but it also has great shopping, for cotton and wool-knit apparel... Read more

A 300-year-old city, Curitiba is on the Paraná plateau, at an elevation of 2,800 feet. It owes its name to the Paraná pinecones, which were called kur-ity-ba by the native Guaranis. In a... Read more

Around Garopaba you can find great beaches and sand dunes, green hills, and rocky cliffs that end right in the ocean. Praia do Rosa and Praia da Ferrugem have acquired national recognition for their awesome... Read more

No doubt it was Gramado's mild mountain climate that attracted German settlers to the area in the late 1800s. They left a legacy of German-style architecture and traditions that attract today's travelers... Read more

Iguazú consists of some 275 separate waterfalls—in the rainy season there are as many as 350—that plunge more than 200 feet onto the rocks below. They cascade in a deafening roar at... Read more

Its nickname is "Magic Island," which is an appropriate moniker for this island with breathtaking shoreline, 42 easy-to-reach beaches—some with warm waters—and seemingly endless vacation activities... Read more

Most of Brazil's coffee and soybeans are shipped out of Paranaguá, the nation's second-largest port, which also serves as chief port for landlocked Paraguay. Downtown holds many examples of colonial... Read more

Porto Alegre's hallmark is the hospitality of its people, a trait that has been acknowledged over and over by visitors, earning it the nickname "Smile City." The capital of one of Brazil's wealthiest states... Read more

The seafront town of Porto Belo lies at the base of a peninsula dotted with beaches, bays, and coves, and it has a great reputation among Argentine and Paraguayan tourists for its natural beauty, nice... Read more

Of seven large missions in the area dating from the late 1600s to mid-1700s, São Miguel is the best preserved and the only one that has tourism infrastructure and allows visitors. The 120-acre Parque... Read more

The beaches around the city of Torres are Rio Grande do Sul's most exciting. The sophistication of the seaside areas attracts international travelers, particularly Argentines and Uruguayans. Some of the... Read more

The Serra Gaúcha produces 90% of Brazilian wine. Grapevines grow throughout the hilly terrain, but the heart of the winemaking country is within the municipality of Bento Gonçalves, settled... Read more