Course  |  Brazilian regions and geography  |  Introduction to Brazil Online Training by VBRATA

Lesson 5:

The South and Iguassu Falls

There are three states in the South Region: Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina.

Traditionally the main attraction for visitors in the south of Brazil, and one of the world’s great natural wonders, are the falls at Foz do Iguaçu (Iguassu Falls) that border Brazil and Argentina. Five times larger than Niagara, the 275 individual falls stretch nearly 2 miles (3 kilometres) across the Iguaçu River. Nevertheless, the main fall, the Devil’s Throat, the largest fall in the world in terms of volume of water per second, is located in the Argentinian side.

While Foz is the main attraction in the south, the southern states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Paraná are full of contrasts and surprises. It is the region most responsible for Brazil’s fine wines and the majority of the country’s outstanding beef.

It is also the region where European influences mix with those of the ’gaúchos’ and where, in the 17 century, the Jesuits built their missions alongside the settlements of the Guarani Indians. Attractions also include the city of Porto Alegre and the highlands (pampas) in Rio Grande do Sul; Curitiba no Parana; Florianopolis and Curitiba, the beaches of Santa Catarina, from where whale watching is growing in popularity.

Foz do Iguaçu (Iguassu Falls)

Foz do Iguaçu can easily be reached by plane from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. It is also possible to take a bus, but it is a drive of over 600 miles from São Paulo and 900 miles from Rio. A visit to Foz is often combined with tours that include Rio de Janeiro and the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, which is located a further 670 miles to the south.

The Falls can be visited at any time of the year and viewed from both Brazil and Argentina. The main Brazilian viewing area is situated in a national park covering an area of more than 656 square miles of sub-tropical rainforest that houses an immense diversity of flora and fauna. The Falls and park, an attraction in its own right, were designated a World Heritage Site in 1986.

The only hotel located in the park, and directly at the falls, is the Hotel das Cataratas, part of the Belmond group, the same group that operates the Copacabana Palace in Rio.

Foz do Iguaçu also offers visitors the chance to see one of man’s greatest engineering feats, the Itaipu Dam. To make room for the Dam, which is one of the most powerful hydroelectric plants in the world, enough earth and rock were removed from the Paraná River between 1970 and 1984 to fill 25 silos the size of the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The Dam, which runs five miles across the river from Paraguay to Brazil, can be visited as part of a guided tour and even has a special light show played out on the Dam’s surface every Friday and Saturday night.

Besides Foz, attractions in the south include the Itaimbezinho Canyon, the largest in Latin America at over 2,000 feet deep, four miles in length and over a mile wide in places. There is also the picturesque railway journey that, since 1885, can be taken between Curitiba and Paranaguá on the coast, while, between July and November, there is the option to whale watch off the coast of Santa Catarina.

The south is home to Blumenau, with its distinct Bavarian architecture and Germanic influences, including its own Oktoberfest; Curitiba, a town considered by urban planners to be near perfect in its concept and the geological site Vila Velha in Parana; Florianopolis and its outstanding beaches; and Porto Alegre, the largest and best-developed city of the southern states and the gateway to the mountain resorts of Gramado and Canela.

Vila Velha State Park is a geological site located at Ponta Grossa, in Parana. The set of mystical rock formations that have been carved for over 350 million years by the rain and wind resembles a medieval city with its ruined castles and towers, hence its name. The stone columns and walls’ average height is twenty meters and can reach thirty meters or more at some points, depending on the rugged terrain.

The south of Brazil has four distinct seasons, including a real winter when, between July and August, the temperatures dip noticeably.

Contact Us

If you have a question about our training courses or related topic
please contact us and we will reply to you as soon as possible.

Brazil Online Training by VBRATA

VBRATA Visit Brazil Travel Association
Tel: +44 (0)20 7617 7284
www.vbrata.org

Email Us

Or follow us on our social networks

© 2021 Brazil Online Training by VBRATA | Designed by Bossa Online Training

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience