Brazilian Tourism & Travel: Araxá | State of Minas Gerais

Brazilian Tourism & Travel: Araxá | State of Minas Gerais



Located in the West of the state of Minas Gerais, Araxá is a town that has some of the most relaxing tourist attractions in Brazil. It is there that we find the famous thermal and sulfurous springs, whose waters fill the many pools where we can take baths in therapeutic waters. The so-called Termas de Araxá are located in the town’s outskirts, and they may be reached from the Tropical Grande Hotel through a suspended gallery, approximately 100 meters (109.36 yards) long. The view from there is simply unforgettable.

The hotel was built in 1944, and it was one of the greatest symbols of the town’s economic development. Details from that time can be seen in the finely worked mirrors, in the Carrara marble floors, and in the majestic chandeliers that embellish the ballrooms. The gorgeous gardens were planned by the famous landscaper Burle Marx.



The town is also famous for having been where lived Dona Beja, a daring courtesan, greatly respected in the town. The stories of that exuberant and luxurious inhabitant are still alive in Araxá. Dona Beja’s old big house was transformed into a museum by the journalist and communications tycoon Assis Chateaubriand, and nowadays displays some articles that belonged to Beja, who used to bathe in one of the towns fountains. Besides the natural beauties, the town of Araxá is a destination that offers many museums and old churches, mostly built in the nineteenth century.



The Chapel of São Sebastião (Saint Sebastian's Chapel), built in colonial style, is an example. The place also houses a sacred art museum. Those who visit the town also get to see the most beautiful women craft pieces made in looms, and the delicacies of the cuisine of the state of Minas Gerais, such as compote candy and cookies. As a natural frame for the cozy streets of Araxá we see the beauty of the Bocaina Mountain Ridge, whose peaks reach 300 meters (984.25 ft) of height. The weather and the relief are perfect for the practice of adventure sports, such as hang-gliding.



Attractions



Barreiro Complex

Located at six kilometers (3.73 mi.) from the center of Araxá, the Complex of the Barreiro district is one of the most visited places of the town. It is there that we find the famous radioactive and sulfurous mineral water springs. The architectural group of the place, which includes the Grande Hotel e Termas de Araxá, has been listed as a landmark by the government of the state of Minas Gerais and has great historical, cultural, and artistic value for Brazil. In the Complex visitors can also stroll around woods, lakes, squares, and it is possibly to walk around the gardens that were especially projected by the landscaper Burle Marx.



Ruin of the Hotel Rádio and Cascatinha Woods (Little Cascade Woods)

The place where the oldest hotel of the Barreio district was built in 1919 is today a beautiful park for leisure and fun. It has walking trails and cycling lanes, promenades and orchards, with much varied fauna and flora. From there, it is possible to get to the Cascatinha Woos, an ecological sanctuary in the area. The hotel became famous because Alberto Santos Dumont, the father of the aviation, stayed there many times.



Argenita Waterfall

A gorgeous waterfall, with a fall of 40 meters (131.23 ft.), formed with the water of the São João River. To get there we have to take the Sacramento road, in the town of Ibiá, and we need to be escorted by a local guide.



Andrade Júnior Spring

The fame of the healing powers of the waters that come from that spring has been known since the nineteenth century. Those waters are indicated for the treatment of diabetes, obesity, gastric, rheumatologic, urologic, and hepatic problems, among many others.



Dona Beja Spring

That place became famous because Dona Beja used to bathe naked there. The spring is in a rock, and its waters have radioactive properties.



Dona Beja Museum

The big house, built in the beginning of the nineteenth century, was one of Dona Beja's residences and has house, since 1965, a museum and a cafeteria. It is a cozy place for a coffee break and a chat with friends.

Brazilian Tourism & Travel: Gramado | State of Rio Grande do Sul

Brazilian Tourism & Travel: Gramado | State of Rio Grande do Sul

Gramado, located 126km from Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul State, is the stage for major events – such as the Film Festival and the Winter Festival – and boasts a schedule full of attractions to please all tastes.

The charm of the streets and gardens embellished with countless hydrangeas in bloom, the details of the colonial architecture, the cozyness of the vast hotel network, the sophistication of the gastronomy, the quality of products and services, the hospitality within the people, the scent of nature, actually, everything in Gramado seems to conspire so that unique pleasant moments can be experienced.

Joining the natural beauty with the Italian and German traditions – brought with the settlement – makes Gramado a destination that is more than charming and picturesque to visit and enjoy. There one can find all the reasons to feel good and want to return often.

Events

Gramado Film Festival
Main Brazilian event in the field and one of the most important in Latin America, the Gramado Film Festival happens annually since 1973, for six days in the month of August.

Actors, directors, technicians and visitors give prestige to the competition, which shows dozens of films and offers prizes in two categories: Brazilian productions and Latin-American, Portuguese and Spanish films. The program also incudes short films, independent films, workshops and talks. The screenings are at the Festivals Palace – with capacity for 1,200 people – and at the Municipal Culture Center. All the screenings are open to the public, who can even participate on the judgment of the films.

Winter Festival
This Festival brings together music, literature, crafts and cinema in Gramado. It happens between July 1st and September 20th, when the city becomes the capital of winter and culture. The schedule includes established events such as the Film Festival and the Book Fair, and also new events such as the Gramado Canta e Encanta project. Altogether there are over 50 musical shows.

Colônia’s Party
Event with food stalls and many other typical products, crafts, music and dance from the Italian and German communities. The Party happens every year, between the months of March and April.

Attractions

Paragliding
The sport is one of the hang gliding modalities and arrived in Brazil in 1989; a year later it could be seen in the skies of Rio Grande do Sul. Since then the techniques and gear have been evolving, allowing ever better performances. Age or physical type don’t matter for those wishing to learn to “fly” on a paraglider.

The greatest excitement of the flight is in the combination of the right techniques with the Nature factors. It is possible to fly without engine, for long distances, and at great heights – two or three thousand meters, for example. What determines the duration of a flight is the climate conditions, and it should be possible to remain flying for up to ten hours.

Mini World
Miniature city with replicas of castles and homes in typical European style, mills, squares, railways and cascades. The miniature city is featured permanently at Horácio Cardoso Street with Pedro Candiago Street, and is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday from 1pm to 5pm.

CTG Rodeio Velho Museum or Museum of the Gaúcho Serrano
The only museum in the State dedicated exclusively to show the habits of the gaúcho serrano. It was organized by Lúcio and Cilda Petersen for 50 years, and brings rare pieces from the time of the Farroupilha Revolution and the so called Leather Era.

There one can find exclusive crafts, such as the surrão, a leather storage for keeping cereals, the genuine boleadeira, the tirador, the badana, the soveu and many pieces made of Bolivian silver; all collected from the region of São Francisco de Paula, Bom Jesus, Lajeado Grande, Vacaria, Cambará, Canela and Gramado. In total there are over 1,500 objects registered. There are also viola players playing typical music from the highland gaúchos. The museum is located at Rua Augusto Zatti, 55. It is open to visitors twice a month – every first and second Thursday – from 8pm to 10pm.

Perfume Museum
The first of this kind in the Country. There the visitor can know the world perfumery classics. The place has around 450 bottles of the main international perfumes, with data on the composition, manufacturer, history and curiosities. Besides the Museum, there is also a shop and a perfume factory. It also sells sachets, soaps, shampoos and conditioners. The Perfume Museum is located at Hortênsias Avenue, 3662 and opens daily, including weekends and public holidays, from 9am to 6pm.

Santa Claus Village
Created by Oscar Knorr in 1940, there’s a Santa’s House, a wood and the Vale dos Quilombos observatory. It is on Bela Vista Street and is open for public visiting from Monday to Friday, from 2pm to 9pm and on weekends from 10am to 9pm.

Shopping

Colonial Furniture
Shops in the city center and on the road to Canela.

Crystals
There are crystal pieces of all types, formats and sizes. Shop opens from 9am to 7pm. At the back there is a demonstration of crystal making, from 9am to 7pm. Access through the RS-115, towards Taquara, km 37.

Chocolates
At the city center, many factories and shops such as Caracol, Lugano, Planalto and Prawer sell the famous “Gramado chocolate” in bars, branches, bombons, truffles, liqueurs and different shapes for children.

Brazilian Tourism & Travel: Matinhos | State of Paraná

Brazilian Tourism & Travel: Matinhos | State of Paraná

The town of Matinhos is located on the coast of the state of Paraná, at 110 km (68.35 mi.) from the state’s capital, Curitiba. Along its coast there are 36 resorts, the first one being at the Jardim Monções Beach Resort, where we have the border between the towns of Matinhos and Pontal do Paraná, and the go up to the famous Caiobá Beach Resort. In total, there are approximately 17 km (10.56 mi.) of beaches. Within the limits of the town there are also nine different rivers: the Draga, Matinhos, Onça, Canal da Lagoa Amarela (Yellow Pond Canal), Indaial, Novo, Cambará, Meio, and Cachoeirinha rivers. In the town there are also the Cabaraquara, Escalvado, Canela, Bico Torto, Taguá, Pedra Branca, Batatal, and Boi (Ox) hills. All of the mare excellent places for those who enjoy spending time in direct contact with nature. The Caiobá Beach Resort is among the most sought attractions in Matinhos. There, among its mane beaches, the Mansa, Bela, Brava, and dos Amores beaches are the most favored by tourists, having beautiful landscapes and allowing delicious sea baths. The Tartaruga or Farol Island (Turtle or Lighthouse Island) are also greatly appreciated by the visitors. To complete the tour, a great option is paying a visit to the João José Bigarella Ecological Museum, located in the town’s center and having in its collection many samples and collections of corals, minerals, crustaceans and shells, besides other rarer items. In case there is any energy left, the tip is paying a visit to the Rio da Onça State Park, where tourists will find a Visitor’s Center and trails of easy access, amidst formations of sandbanks, coppices, and caxetais (patches of growths of bigonisceous trees).

Weather
The climate of the area is the temperate super-humid. The annual average temperature is around 18°C (64.40°F), with average highs around 26°C (78.80°F), and average lows around 15°C (59°F).

• Attractions
  

Águas-Claras Water Park
Located on the Alexandra-Matinhos highway – at about kilometer 20 (12.43 mi.) – the Águas-Claras Water Park has an excellent leisure structure. There, visitors find beautiful fishing lakes, waterslides, rapids swimming pool with buoys, infantile water park, sports courts, barbecue grills, snack bars, restaurant, souvenir stores, and ice-cream parlor. The place offers adequate structure for walking, trekking, and hiking.

Igrejinha de São Pedro (Small Church of Saint Peter)
A construction built between the years of 1938 and 1944, it housed the Mother Church of São Pedro (Saint Peter) for many years. It is the only historical site that pays homage to the town's past. In 1987 it became listed as a landmark by the Institute for the Historical and Artistic Patrimony of the State of Paraná.

São Pedro Mother Church (Mother Church of Saint Peter)
Church of simple architectural lines, located in the town’s center. It was built to accommodate the growing number of followers that used to attend masses and go to the Igrejinha de São Pedro, the old Mother Church.

João José Bigarella Ecological Museum
It is located in the town’s center. In its collection it has many samples and collections of corals, minerals, crustaceans and shells, besides other rarer items.

Rio da Onça State Park
It is located near the Riviera and Praia Grande Beach Resorts. With an area of 118.5 hectares (292.82 acres), it shelters rich samples of fauna and flora, playing an important role in the preservation of the coastal ecosystem. The Park has a Visitor’s Center and trails of easy access, amidst formations of sandbanks, coppices, and caxetais (patches of growths of bigonisceous trees).

Boi Hill (Ox Hill)
It has approximately 160 meters (524.93 feet) of height and trails that take to the sea; it is an excellent place for fishing, technical climbing, parasailing, and hiking.

Escalvado Hill
With 260 meters (853.02 feet) of height, it is also known as the Cruz Hill (Hill of the Cross) It has accesses by trails and, in cloudless sunny days, from there it is possible to have a beautiful view of almost all beaches and towns of the area. The trails take visitor from the Bela Beach to the other side of the Costão (Wild Coast), where the open sea provides good places for the practice of the fishing. The place is also adequate for the practice of action sports such as rappel, technical climbing, and parasailing.

Tartarugas or Farol Islands (Turtles or Lighthouse Islands)
It is connected to the Amores Beach by an isthmus of natural rocks. It is small, and covered with rich flora. It gained that name because of the lighthouse that exists in the place, which guides the fishing boats that enter the Guaratuba Bay. It is an excellent place for fishing, hiking, and diving.

Mirante das Pedras (Belvedere of the Rocks)
It is one of the main tourist attractions of the town of Matinhos and it is located between the Brava and Mansa beaches. It is a hill amongst rocks and stones, washed by the sea. It is one of the best places for surfing on the coast of the state of Paraná.

Brava Beach
It is located in a bay of shallow and somewhat rough waters, surrounded by a yard and some vegetation. In one of its ends we find the Boi Hill, and in the other, the Matinhos Rock. It is there that the surf championships are organized. In total, this beach stretches over a span of 3,500 meters (11,482.94 feet).

Mansa Beach
It is also located in a bay, at the entrance of the Guaratuba Bay, having very calm and somewhat deep waters, besides a beautiful yard surrounding it. It is approximately 1,500 meters (4,921.26 feet) long. From there, it is possible to reach the Bela Beach or the Prainha do Farol (Small Beach of the Lighthouse) and the Tartarugas Island.

Did you know that: Rio de Janeiro

Did you know that: Rio de Janeiro

The first Samba Schools parade in Rio de Janeiro was held in 1935. Since then, the show has become greater year after year. Today, there is a “samba-drome” built especially for the annual vent. Some Schools spend up to R$2 million to prepare for their parades.