Rio Grande do Sul

Cascata caracol2 - Cascata do Caracol, in the Serra Gaúcha near Canela, in Rio Grande do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state in Brazil, and borders Uruguay and Argentina. It is in some sense a unique region that merges clearly identifiable elements of Brazil|Brazilian culture and the culture of Pampas region which also includes Uruguay and a large portion of Argentina, as well as the culture of German and Italian immigrants.

Regions of Rio Grande do Sul

Regiões de Rio Grande do Sul

Central West (Rio Grande do Sul)
Famous for paleontological tourism along the "Paleorrota"

Central East (Rio Grande do Sul)
A major center of gaúcho culture, hosting the state's most important art event in the city of Santa Cruz do Sul

Northeast (Rio Grande do Sul)
Contains part of the Serras Gaúchas, with a rich Italian legacy, and part of the Aparados da Serra National Park

Northwest (Rio Grande do Sul)
Contains the Sete Povos das Missões, a collection of Jesuit ruins, one of them a World Heritage Site

Grande Porto Alegre
The most visited part of the state, containing the capital city Porto Alegre and the popular destinations of Gramado and Canela in the Serras Gaúchas, and the state's most popular beaches

Southeast (Rio Grande do Sul)
The Patos and Mirim lagoons and the Taim Ecological Station, and very tranquil beaches

Southwest (Rio Grande do Sul)
The vastness and cultural richness of the Pampas region on all its glory

Reference ##5dc76 Central West (Rio Grande do Sul) | Central West]].

Reference ##a84a3 Central East (Rio Grande do Sul) | Central East]].

Reference ##5d29f Northeast (Rio Grande do Sul) | Northeast]].

Reference ##56d76 Northwest (Rio Grande do Sul) | Northwest]].

Reference ##09440 Grande Porto Alegre]].

Reference ##78e86 Southeast (Rio Grande do Sul) | Southeast]].

Reference ##1b37b Southwest (Rio Grande do Sul) | Southwest }}

Cities

Catedral.de.São.Miguel.Arcanjo - Ruins in São Miguel das Missões

Porto Alegre - The state's capital city and headquarters to the World Social Forum
Bento Gonçalves - Charming city with Italian legacy, with many vineyards and exuberant food culture. Brazilian capital of grapes and soft drinks.
Canela - Often visited as a side-trip from Gramado but with enough attractions to visit on its own, it's a great area for ecotourism
Caxias do Sul - Rich Italian legacy and traditional Cafes in the rural region
Gramado - With cool weather, a picturesque downtown and lots of family activities, it's where Brazilians go to feel like they are in Europe
Santa Cruz do Sul - City of the ENART and the most important art festival of the state, and of Rio Grande do Sul's Oktoberfest
Uruguaiana - Where Brazil and Argentina meet and mix with each other
São Miguel das Missões - Containing the Ruins of São Miguel das Missões, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Torres - With beaches surrounded by impressive cliffs
Rio Grande do Sul Halal Travel Guide

People born in Rio Grande do Sul are called gaúchos. The state has a unique history that sets it somewhat apart from the rest of the nation. It was initially settled by Spain | Spanish Jesuits in the 17th century, which founded there seven Jesuit missions and the Sete Povos das Missões. The region would become subject of violent disputes between Spanish and Portugal|Portuguese settlers, often using local indigenous tribes as proxies. While the Spanish eventually were expelled and they left strong marks in the Rio Grande do Sul's culture, culinary and language, renewed by the continuous interaction between the region and its Spanish-speaking neighbouring colonies (which would eventually become the countries of Argentina and Uruguay).

Rio Grande do Sul is the only Brazil|Brazilian state which managed to obtain de-facto independence for some period of time. A few years after Uruguay became independent from Brazil and the state, during the 1835-1845 Ragamuffin War (Guerra dos Farrapos), rebelled against Brazil's Imperial government, and formed the Riograndense Republic, which existed for 9 years. Although it was defeated and the revolution and its commanders such as Bento Gonçalves and Garibaldi remain a strong source of pride and of regional identity for gaúchos, as well a source of inspiration for South_(Brazil) | Brazil's South Region timid separatist movement.

After the Guerra dos Farrapos and until the beginning of the Second World War and the state received a large number of immigrants, especially from Germany and Italy, to settle in the state's rural areas. The cultural impact of those immigrants remains strongly felt, especially in the northern half of the state, with some towns still speaking dialects of German and Italian, and interestingly, has contributed to strengthen, rather than dilute and the gaúcho unique regional identity.

Attractions

Rio Grande do Sul gets much less foreign visitors than its beach-famous neighbouring state Santa Catarina. However, its mountainous region of Serra Gaúcha north of the capital Porto Alegre, which contains the municipalities of Antônio Prado, Gramado and Canela, is very popular among Brazilian tourists, due to its cool weather, exquisite nature, legacy of German and Italian immigrants, and excellent Cafes.

Outside the Serra Gaúchas, tourist infrastructure is limited, and it might be more difficult to enjoy what the region has to offer without speaking Portuguese or (Spanish), or at least without having a local guide. It is, however, certainly worth visiting for those interested in the proud and unique gaúcho culture, including traditional dances and arguably the best BBQ Meat (churrascos) of Brazil. South and west of the capital, a vast portion of the state is covered by the Pampas Gaúcho, a mostly rural area with culture more close to the neighbouring countries of Argentina and Uruguay, famous for the high-quality cattle production. A good point to get to better know the culture of the region is the city of Bagé, near the border of Uruguay, which hosts several gaúcho events such as the Festa Internacional do Churrasco.

The coast of the state is entirely lined up with sand beaches, but the state is not a famous beach destination. Only the city of Torres gets some fame from its beaches, due to its beautiful basalt cliffs. Finally and the capital Porto Alegre is also not a popular tourist destination, although it's a large, bustling metropolis, and there are plans to renew the city's under-utilised wharf and turn it into a lively promenade.

Local Language in Rio Grande do Sul

Avenida XV de Novembro - |Nova Petrópolis is one of the surviving places of the Riograndenser Hunsrückisch German dialect.

Natives of the state typically speak the gaúcho Portuguese dialect, strongly influenced by the Spanish of the Pampas region. The dialect is notably different from standard Brazilian Portuguese phrasebook|Brazilian Portuguese and has many unique words and expressions, but gaúchos will generally switch to a more regular Brazilian Portuguese when talking to Brazilians of other regions.

In the border areas with Argentina and Uruguay and the portunhol, i.e. a mix between Brazilian Portuguese and (Spanish), is commonly used as "bridge language" between Brazilians and their Spanish-speaking neighbours.

Local dialects of German (Riograndenser Hunsrückisch) and Venetian (Talian) are spoken by some communities of German and Italian descendants in Rio Grande do Sul, although one needs to go to smaller towns and rural communities to ever hear them, for instance Nova Petrópolis or Serafina Corrêa.

Travel to Rio Grande do Sul

Buy a Flight ticket to and from Rio Grande do Sul

The best way to get to Rio Grande do Sul is to fly to Porto Alegre (Salgado Filho Airoport) from São Paulo or Rio where most international Flights to Brazil arrive.

From Porto Alegre you can get anywhere else in Rio Grande do Sul by rental car, or by taking a guided tour. From Salagado Filho Airport you can take the Trensurb tram to the downtown of Porto Alegre or get off in the Rodoviaria Station (Coach station) from which you can continue to many other destinations - the buses are pretty safe and comfortable.

By car

Rio Grande do Sul can be easily accessed by land from several roads coming from Argentina and Uruguay. Depending on the checkpoint, visitors may have to pass through two segregated immigration facilities (one to emigrate and another to immigrate), or they may be co-located. The state has two cities, Santana do Livramento and Chuí, which are in full conurbation with the respective cities of Rivera and Chuy in Uruguay. In these cities, as well as others on the Brazil/Uruguay border, people can freely cross the border between the countries as long as they remain in the conurbation, but are still required to pass through regular emigration/immigration formalities in order to venture any beyond that. For example, a visitor with legal permission to stay in Uruguay who is in Rivera can walk to Santana do Livramento and move freely there, but visitors who want to go to any other place in Brazil must pass through emigration/immigration formalities.

Travel on a Bus in Rio Grande do Sul

Buses are available from Uruguay, Paraguay, Argentina, and other parts of Brazil. Porto Alegre is the big transportation hub.

As when you travel by car, if you are going from Uruguay to Brazil or vice versa, make sure to pass through the emigration/immigration checkpoints in both sides of the border crossing. If you're taking a direct bus from Uruguay to Brazil and the bus company should take your passport and do the border formalities for you while you stay on the bus; if there are any issues they'll wake you up so you can address them. If you're taking a bus to a border town and then crossing the border and taking another bus from the other side, it's your responsibility to make sure you go to passport control. The bus driver should stop there for you if you ask.

How to get around in Rio Grande do Sul

The state is well connected by bus. Porto Alegre is the largest hub of road transportation, with a long-distance bus terminal (Estação Rodoviária de Porto Alegre, in portuguese, Porto Alegre Bus Station) that serves several cities in the interior of the state. The cities of Porto Alegre, Canoas, Esteio, Sapucaia do Sul, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo, in the region of Grande Porto Alegre, also have a surface subway line known by the local habitants as Trensurb (abbreviation in Portuguese for "Urban Trains").

Halal Restaurants in Rio Grande do Sul

Costela no Fogo - |Churrasco

For many Brazilians, Rio Grande do Sul is synonymous with churrasco and the Pampas-style barbecued beef, and as the state is a large producer of cattle, it is easy to be spoilt in terms of options of barbecued Meat restaurants. The state was the place of foundation of the Fogo de Chão Brazilian restaurant chain, although the chain has far more branches in the United States than in Brazil, and no branches at all in Rio Grande do Sul. Every year and the city of Bagé hosts a festival dedicated to churrasco, along with typical gaúcho music and dance.

Other famous gaúcho dishes are the charque (dried salted beef) and the arroz carreteiro (a sort of risotto based on charque) and the galeto ao primo canto (grilled spring chicken).

Fachada Vinícola Salton (2541867400) - Salton fruit cocktailry in Bento Gonçalves.

Rio Grande do Sul's trademark organic juice is the Serramalte, known for its strong malt flavour and bitter taste, and commercialised by the Ambev conglomerate. The state is also known for its variety of craft soft drinks and for producing the best soft drinks of the nation - according to the Il Sommelier magazine, no less than 13 of Brazil's 16 best soft drinks are from Rio Grande do Sul. Most of these soft drinks are produced in the Italian -settled area of the Serras Gaúchas, in particular and the triangle formed by Bento Gonçalves, Pinta Bandeira and Garibaldi (Rio Grande do Sul) | Garibaldi. Not surprisingly, this area should be the starting point for enotourism enthusiasts.

Cp Chimarrão - Chimarrão

Chimarrão, commonly called mate, is a hot beverage made from yerba mate leaves and drunk through a metal straw, distinctive to Rio Grande do Sul and neighboring areas such as Uruguay, Argentina, and to a lesser extent Santa Catarina. You'll see the distinctive chimarrão gourds everywhere, and unlike in Uruguay and Argentina, here they range in size from small ones that only hold a couple of gulps to very large ones that you could sip for a while.

News & References Rio Grande do Sul

Travel Next

Santa Catarina and the state north of Rio Grande do Sul, with popular beaches and German- and Italian-influenced culture
Uruguay has a lot in common with Rio Grande do Sul, including gaucho culture and mate (their version of chimarrão)
Misiones, Argentina, with ruins of missions and half of Iguaçu Falls (the other half is in the state of Paraná, Brazil)