Serra Gaúcha: Wine Country & Italian-Brazilian Villages
The Serra Gaúcha — accessible from Curitiba via overnight bus — is southern Brazil's wine country and Italian-immigrant heartland; Gramado, Canela, and the vineyards of Bento Gonçalves are extraordinary destinations
- 1
Gramado: Brazil's European Village
The mountain range of Gramado has a deliberately European aesthetic — Swiss-style architecture, a German Christmas festival in Natal Luz and chocolate companies in a setting reminiscent of the Alps
- 2
Bento Gonçalves Wine Valley
Vale dos Vinhedos in Serra Gaúcha produces some of Brazil's finest wines — Italian varieties (Merlot, Cabernet, Moscato) grown by descendants of Italian immigrants in hillside vineyards
- 3
Canela and Parque do Caracol
Parque do Caracol near Canela — with a 131-meter waterfall into a forested canyon — is one of southern Brazil's most dramatic natural areas; the cable car above the canyon provides aerial views
- 4
Italian Immigrant Villages
The small towns of Veranópolis, Garibaldi and Caxias do Sul were founded by northern Italian immigrants from the 1870s onwards - the dialect, cuisine and festivals sustain Italian culture in Brazilian translation
- 5
Espumante wine tradition
Serra Gaúcha's production of sparkling wine (espumante) – using the traditional method – has achieved international recognition; the Miolo, Casa Valduga and Chandon-Brazil estates offer exceptional tours
- 6
Vale dos Vinhedos Cycling
Cycling through the Vale dos Vinhedos between the vineyards – the hills, the vines, the stone yards and the cellar doors that offer tastings – is the best way to experience the wine valley