THE BRAZILIAN GRAND CANYONS

By Andrea Alves
Collaboration: Heloisa Azevedo

It’s nature teaching us. Nothing is great, strong or powerful forever. Everything is relative, everything is temporary. The dinosaurs are gone, empires collapsed, rivers and oceans dried up, continents were deformed. Everything changes, witnessing the evolution of life. It’s just a matter of time.

In the extreme south of Brazil, what today we call the state of Rio Grande do Sul, a constant transformation resulted in the canyons gaúchos, which make up a natural border line with the state of Santa Catarina. Several phenomena contributed to the creation of this display of rare beauty: the successive volcanic eruptions 200 million years ago, the crack of Gondwanaland (creating Africa and America), and the constant erosion caused by the rivers.

It’s an area of outstanding canyons with exuberant green vegetation, abundant in rivers and waterfalls. A varied fauna and even some animals endangered with extinction live in the area. There are two national parks near the cities of Cambará do Sul and São José dos Ausentes: Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra, preferred because of its infrastructure, and Parque Nacional da Serra Geral that doesn’t have any infrastructure, but has free access and admittance. Nature did a great job there!

The average temperature is around 68o F, with a maximum of 97o F, and a minimum of 21o F. Winter is the best time to visit the parks (from June to August), when we have clearer views of the scenery and fewer fog. Because it’s a high and humid area, it’s cool all year round. Ecotourists have a great menu of activities to exercise their love for Nature. From hiking various trails, to horseback riding, and biking through secondary roads and into the woods. Those who prefer a more exciting or more interaction with nature can do mountaineering, rappel and rafting.

Where you can start your trip to the Brazilian Canyons?

You can start from Porto Alegre (POA), capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul or Praia Grande (surprise! it’s neither a beach, nor a big city!), in Santa Catarina. You can reach the park’s entrances in Cambará do Sul easily by car or bus.

Cambará do Sul is 116 miles from Porto Alegre and 14 miles from Praia Grande. The population is less than 10,000 people. Quiet town that gets shaken by the many visitors. It has several small hostels and farmhouses available to receive the exhausted travelers. Food in the city is plenty and delicious. Try arroz de carreteiro and churrasco (the local barbecue), of course!

Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra

It has almost 40 square miles of mountains and deep valleys and has a good infrastructure with parking, visitors center, snack bar, and park rangers. Here you can find the the biggest canyon in Brazil, the Itaimbezinho, with 3.6 miles long, walls up to 2,952 feet tall, and many waterfalls, including the Bridalveil Fall with 2,362 ft. It can be either spectacularly beautiful or treacherously deadly. The name means “Sharp Rock” in guarani, the language of the local native indians.

Guided groups leave every half hour to various trails. You can explore the top parts of the canyon as well as the bottom. The trails in the bottom part of the canyon reveal big walls covered by humid forest and araucária pine trees (typical of the South of Brazil). Because of the many rivers and creeks crossing, the water temperature is an important factor. Summer time (December through February) would be perfect if it weren’t for the “trombas d’água” caused by strong rains, when the rivers quickly overflow. During the rainy season, the best thing to do is to raft the rivers holding on to your breath!

Parque Nacional da Serra Geral

It has 66.8 square miles of ups and downs, and are near by the Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra. It contains the following canyons: Fortalezinha, Churriado, Malacara and Faxinalzinho. Fortalezinha Canyon is 4.3 miles long, and Its name refers to the shape of the rocks that look like the walls of a fort.

An interesting trail takes you to “Pedra do Segredo” (Secret Rock), a huge 16-foot rock that rests over a small 20-inch pedestal. You will pass the “Tigre Preto” waterfall, the tallest around, with its waters moving impressively down the canyon.There are many attractions besides the canyons, but unfortunately the lack of space will only allow me to “whisper” their names straight into your imagination: Cachoeira do Passo do S, Passo da Ilha, Lajeado das Camisas, Cachoeira dos Venâncios, etc, etc!

If time allows, try to visit São José dos Ausentes, 33.6 miles from Cambará do Sul. It’s a very cold small town of less than 3,000 people. They have at least 3 snowstorms per year. The best place to stay is in the farms. There are many attractions in the region: Monte Negro Canyon with the highest spot in the state (4,636 ft). The rivers Silveira and Divisa that run parallel to each other, just 66 ft apart. Cascata do Perau Branco has two rocks sculpted by the time and the wind that look like real guardians of this mysterious place.

Works on It!

Finally, take advantage of the different scenery: forests of araucárias, tiny hills that reach the infinite, sheep and the grand canyons. Interact with the legitimate gaúcho peope that has not been influenced by the German or Italian colonization. Don’t forget to drink chimarrão, eat pinhão assado, and enjoy an authentic barbecue of the “pampas gaúchos,” cooked in a hole in the ground.

In the state of the “Gauchos” you will find the blend of Brazilian-Portuguese and River Plate-Spanish cultures and a strong European heritage that gives to the state a unique background within Brazil. Porto Alegre, the capital, is the biggest urban agglomeration of south Brazil and one of the richest metropolis in the country. With its highest quality of life and literacy rate (97%), it is considered the “intellectual “capital of Brazil. The state has beautiful small towns with European style.

* For airline tickets from the U.S to Brazil or Latin America, customized travel packages, hotels and cruises, please visit our travel agent page or contact Magali Da Silva directly by phone or whatsapp: 1 (323)428-1963.