Pelotas and Rio Grande in Brazil
Pelotas
Ins and outs 8 km from the town centre, receives flights from Porto Alegre. The
Excursions from Pelotas
Bagé and the border with Uruguay
Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul's second largest city, was founded in the early 19th century and grew rich on the
charque
(dried beef) trade. On the BR-116, 271 km south of Porto Alegre, it lies on the banks of Rio São Gonçalo, which connects the Lagoa dos Patos with the Lagoa Mirim. The heyday was 1860-1890 and its early colonial architecture enhances the city's air of being stuck in a time warp. It is sleepy yet prosperous, with much typically Brazilian charm. It has an array of shops in the pedestrianized town centre, and pleasant parks with lots of green spaces. There is a 19th-century cathedral,
São Francisco de Paula
, and, as testament to British settlers of the time, the Anglican church
Igreja Episcopal do Redentor
, a couple of blocks from the main square on Rua XV de Novembro. The tree-lined Avenida Bento Gonçalves offers a pleasant escape from the summer heat. Pelotas is famous for its cakes and sweets; try some of the preserved fruits from the many small confectioners.
The
airport
rodoviária
is out of town. There's no official tourist information centre but
Terrasul
, www.terra sulpelotas.com.br
, has local maps and can organize good-value city and regional tours. Recommended.
Within a radius of 60 km (about an hour's drive), there are numerous excursions to the farms of settlers of German descent in the hilly countryside (for example Cerrito Alegre and Quilombo), where you can find simple and clean accommodation, with cheap, good and plentiful food.
West of town, the Lagoa dos Patos is very shallow; at low tide it is possible to walk 1 km out from the shore. During heavy rain, saltwater entering the lake brings with it large numbers of crabs, which are a local delicacy. Fishermen are generally happy to take tourists out on sightseeing or fishing trips for a small fee (it's best to go in a group). Praia do Laranjal is full of local beach houses and there are several friendly bars. Barro Douro is very green with a campsite but no beach. It's the site of a big local festival for Iemanjá on 1-2 February; well worth visiting. From Pelotas, take a Ze3 bus.
South of Pelotas, on the BR-471, is the Taim Water Reserve, www.ibama.gov.br, on the Lagoa Mirim. The road cuts the reserve in two and capibaras, killed by passing traffic, are sadly a common sight along the route. Many protected species, including black-necked swans and the quero-quero bird, migrate to the Taim for the breeding season. There are no facilities. About 5 km from Taim there is an ecological station with a small museum of regional animals; there is some accommodation for scientists or other interested visitors, however, most visitors stay in Rio Grande, 80 km away, or in Pelotas.
Rio GrandeWest of town, the Lagoa dos Patos is very shallow; at low tide it is possible to walk 1 km out from the shore. During heavy rain, saltwater entering the lake brings with it large numbers of crabs, which are a local delicacy. Fishermen are generally happy to take tourists out on sightseeing or fishing trips for a small fee (it's best to go in a group). Praia do Laranjal is full of local beach houses and there are several friendly bars. Barro Douro is very green with a campsite but no beach. It's the site of a big local festival for Iemanjá on 1-2 February; well worth visiting. From Pelotas, take a Ze3 bus.
South of Pelotas, on the BR-471, is the Taim Water Reserve, www.ibama.gov.br, on the Lagoa Mirim. The road cuts the reserve in two and capibaras, killed by passing traffic, are sadly a common sight along the route. Many protected species, including black-necked swans and the quero-quero bird, migrate to the Taim for the breeding season. There are no facilities. About 5 km from Taim there is an ecological station with a small museum of regional animals; there is some accommodation for scientists or other interested visitors, however, most visitors stay in Rio Grande, 80 km away, or in Pelotas.
At the entrance to the Lagoa dos Patos, 274 km south of Porto Alegre, is Rio Grande, founded in 1737. The city lies on a low, sandy peninsula, 16 km from the Atlantic Ocean. Today it is the distribution centre for the southern part of Rio Grande do Sul, with significant cattle and meat industries.
During the latter half of the 19th century, Rio Grande was an important centre. It has lost much of its importance but is still notable for the charm of its old buildings. The Catedral de São Pedro dates from 1755-1775. The Museu Oceanográfico, has an interesting collection of 125,000 molluscs. To get there take a bus or walk along the waterfront. At Praça Tamandaré is a small zoo. There is a tourist office at the junction of Rua Duque de Caxias and Rua Gen Becaler.
Excursions from Rio GrandeDuring the latter half of the 19th century, Rio Grande was an important centre. It has lost much of its importance but is still notable for the charm of its old buildings. The Catedral de São Pedro dates from 1755-1775. The Museu Oceanográfico, has an interesting collection of 125,000 molluscs. To get there take a bus or walk along the waterfront. At Praça Tamandaré is a small zoo. There is a tourist office at the junction of Rua Duque de Caxias and Rua Gen Becaler.
Cassino
is a popular seaside town with hotels and shops, 24 km from Rio Grande via a good road. There are several beaches within easy reach of Cassino, but they have no facilities. A wrecked ship remains on the shore where it was thrown by a storm in 1975. Travelling south, the beaches are, in order:
Querência
(5 km),
Stela Maris
(9 km),
Netuno
(10 km), all with surf.
The barra (breakwater), 5 km south of Cassino, through which all vessels entering and leaving Rio Grande must pass, is a tourist attraction. Barra-Rio Grande buses, from the east side of Praça Ferreira, pass the superporto where there is very good fishing. The coastline here is low and straight, lacking the bays found to the north of Porto Alegre. One attraction is railway flat-cars powered by sail (agree the price in advance); the railway was built for the construction of the breakwater.
Across the inlet from Rio Grande, the little-visited settlement of São José do Norte makes a pleasant trip. Founded in 1725 and still mostly intact, the village depends on agriculture and crab fishing. There are only three hotels and a good campsite, Caturritas, in pine forests 5 km from the town. There are also several long beaches. Ferries link São José with Rio Grande. Information is available from the tourist office.
The barra (breakwater), 5 km south of Cassino, through which all vessels entering and leaving Rio Grande must pass, is a tourist attraction. Barra-Rio Grande buses, from the east side of Praça Ferreira, pass the superporto where there is very good fishing. The coastline here is low and straight, lacking the bays found to the north of Porto Alegre. One attraction is railway flat-cars powered by sail (agree the price in advance); the railway was built for the construction of the breakwater.
Across the inlet from Rio Grande, the little-visited settlement of São José do Norte makes a pleasant trip. Founded in 1725 and still mostly intact, the village depends on agriculture and crab fishing. There are only three hotels and a good campsite, Caturritas, in pine forests 5 km from the town. There are also several long beaches. Ferries link São José with Rio Grande. Information is available from the tourist office.
There are
pousadas
and cheap guest houses in Bagé. See www.bage.rs.gov.br for more information on the town. Getting to and from Bagé is a struggle, although this will surely change with the closing of the Brazilian side of the border at Chui. Currently the only bus connections are via Pelotas, Cassino and Santana do Livramento.
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This is edited copy from Footprint Handbooks. For comprehensive details (incl address, tel no, directions, opening times and prices) please refer to book or individual chapter PDF
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