Rio Grande do Sul is the southernmost state inBrazil, borderingUruguay andArgentina. It is in some sense a unique region that merges clearly identifiable elements ofBrazilian culture, the culture ofPampas region which also includesUruguay and a large portion ofArgentina, as well as the culture ofGerman andItalian immigrants.
| Central West Famous for paleontological tourism along the "Paleorrota" |
| Central East A major center ofgaúcho culture, hosting the state's most important art event in the city ofSanta Cruz do Sul |
| Northeast Contains part of theSerras Gaúchas, with a richItalian heritage, and part of the Aparados da Serra National Park |
| Northwest Contains theSete 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 cityPorto Alegre, the popular destinations ofGramado andCanela in theSerras Gaúchas, and the state's most popular beaches |
| Southeast The Patos and Mirim lagoons, the Taim Ecological Station, and very tranquil beaches |
| Southwest The vastness and cultural richness of thePampas region on all its glory |
People born in Rio Grande do Sul are calledgaúchos. The state has a unique history that sets it somewhat apart from the rest of the country. It was initially settled by Spanish Jesuits in the 17th century, which founded there seven Jesuit missions, theSete Povos das Missões. The region would become subject of violent disputes between Spanish andPortuguese settlers, often using local indigenous tribes as proxies. While the Spanish eventually were expelled, 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 ofArgentina andUruguay).
Rio Grande do Sul is the onlyBrazilian state which managed to obtain de-factoindependence for some period of time. A few years afterUruguay became independent fromBrazil, the state, during the 1835-1845Ragamuffin War (Guerra dos Farrapos), rebelled against Brazil's Imperial government, and formed theRiograndense Republic, which existed for 9 years. Although it was defeated, the revolution and its commanders such as Bento Gonçalves and Garibaldi remain a strong source of pride and of regional identity forgaúchos, as well a source of inspiration forBrazil's South Region timid separatist movement.
After the Ragamuffin War in 1845 and until the beginning of the World War II in 1939, the state received a large number of immigrants, especially fromGermany andItaly, 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, thegaúcho unique regional identity.
Rio Grande do Sul is a state known for its beaches on the coast, its canyons and cities influenced by European immigrants, the ruins of the old Jesuit missions in the northwest of Rio Grande do Sul and its rural culture, which has the gaucho (the typical South American cowboy) as a cultural icon. Due to being a state with a very strong rural culture, mainly inland, Rio Grande do Sul is sometimes referred to as theTexas of South America.
Rio Grande do Sul gets much less foreign visitors than its beach-famous neighbouring stateSanta Catarina. However, its mountainous region ofSerra Gaúcha north of the capitalPorto Alegre, which contains the municipalities ofAntônio Prado,Caxias do Sul,Gramado andCanela, is very popular among Brazilian tourists, due to its cool weather, beautiful nature, legacy of German and Italian immigrants, and excellent wineries. Still in the region of theSerras Gaúchas, the municipalities ofBom Jesus,Cambará do Sul andSão José dos Ausentes still has its impressive canyons.
Outside theSerra 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 uniquegaúcho culture, including traditional dances and arguably the best BBQ meat (churrascos) ofBrazil and theChimarrão, the typical drink. South and west of the capital, a vast portion of the state is covered by thePampas Gaúchos, a mostly rural area with culture more close to the neighbouring countries ofArgentina andUruguay, famous for the high-quality cattle production. A good point to get to better know the culture of the region is the city ofBagé, near the border ofUruguay, which hosts severalgaúcho events such as theFesta Internacional do Churrasco.
The coast of the state is entirely lined up with sand beaches, but the state is not a famous beach destination due to the seawater, which is considered cold by the locals and has a brownish color (nicknamed by the locals "chocolatão", big chocolate). Only the city ofTorres gets some fame from its beaches, due to its beautiful basalt cliffs. Finally, the capitalPorto 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.
Due to its geographic location in the south, below the Tropic of Capricorn, most of Rio Grande do Sul has a humid subtropical climate, with defined seasons and rainfall distributed equally throughout the year, without a dry season. Winters are usually cold and often have frost. Average minimum winter temperatures are usually 10º C (50º F) on the coast and 9º C (48º F) inland, and maximum temperatures are usually between 17º C (63º F) and 20º C (68º F). However, there are times when temperatures are above 30ºC (86ºF) in mid-winter. This phenomenon is called by the locals "veranico" (Indian summer). In the region of the Serra Gaúchas, the altitude greatly decreases temperatures during winter, reaching less than 0ºC (32ºF). Summers are very hot and humid, making temperatures sometimes close to 40° C (104° F) in many cities, although in the Serra Gaúchas region, altitude makes temperatures cooler than that.
Rainfall is well distributed throughout the year and is sometimes intense, with average annual rainfall around 1200mm on the coast (47.2 inches) and 1700mm inland (66.9 inches). Cities with altitude between 900 and 1400 meters, such as Cambará do Sul, Bom Jesus and São José dos Ausentes, often have snow in winter.
The state has two types of winds: thepampeiro and theminuano. Thepampeiro is a very strong wind that comes from Argentina, causes rain, quickly lowers the temperatures and causes frosts. Theminuano is the most famous wind in the state. It is a wind of polar origin that occurs after the passage of cold fronts.
Natives of the state typically speak theGaúcho Portuguese dialect, strongly influenced by theSpanish of the Pampas region. The dialect is notably different from standardBrazilian Portuguese, has many unique words and expressions (such as "bah!" and "tchê!" used to express amazement) and is remarkably recognizable by using the pronoun "tu" instead of the "você" (you) widely used in the rest of Brazil, an influence of the Spanish colonization. However, but gaúchos will generally switch to a more regular Brazilian Portuguese when talking to Brazilians of other regions.
As in the rest of Brazil, English is not widely spoken, except in big cities likePorto Alegre, where younger people probably will have a good knowledge of English.
In the border areas withArgentina andUruguay,Portunhol — that is, a mixture of Brazilian Portuguese and Spanish — is commonly used as a lingua franca among Brazilians and their Spanish-speaking neighbors.
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 instanceNova Petrópolis orSerafina Corrêa.
The best way to get to Rio Grande do Sul is to fly toPorto Alegre (Salgado Filho International Airport) fromSão Paulo-Guarulhos orRio de Janeiro-Galeão airports, where most international flights to Brazil arrive. However, Porto Alegre also receives international flights from other cities in the Americas, such asBuenos Aires,Montevideo,Santiago,Lima andPanama City.
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 International Airport, you can take the commuter train (Trensurb) to the Historic District of Porto Alegre or get off in the Rodoviaria Station (Central Bus Stations) from which you can continue to many other destinations - the buses are pretty safe and comfortable.
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 andChuí, which are in full conurbation with the respective cities ofRivera andChuy 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 toSantana do Livramento and move freely there, but visitors who want to go to any other place in Brazil must pass through emigration/immigration formalities.
Buses are available fromUruguay,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. If you're taking a direct bus from Uruguay to Brazil, 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.
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, Porto Alegre Bus Station) that serves several cities in the interior of the state.
Just like in the rest of Brazil, in Rio Grande do Sul, railway transport was being scrapped from the 1960s onwards. The only regular passenger railway line that operates in Rio Grande do Sul is a surface metro line known by the local habitants asTrensurb (abbreviation in Portuguese for "Urban Trains"), which is operated inPorto Alegre and the metropolitan cities ofCanoas,Esteio,Sapucaia do Sul,São Leopoldo andNovo Hamburgo. There is also a touristic steam train line, calledTrem do Vinho (Wine Train), which runs 23 km betweenBento Gonçalves,Garibaldi andCarlos Barbosa, in theSerra Gaúcha region. This line hosts theatre and music presentations that tells the history of Italian immigration in the region, and here, it is possible to observe beautiful landscapes and wineries.
The state of Rio Grande do Sul has one of the worst road networks compared to the more developed Brazilian states, such as the state ofSão Paulo, or even the neighboring state,Santa Catarina. Few highways are duplicated (most of them federal highways close to Porto Alegre) and many can have a bumpy lane. This is especially true on state highways (which begin with the initials RS, e.g.: RS-118, RS-122, RS-020). Some may have potholes in the track or poor signaling conditions and may have sinuous curves, especially in the mountains of Serra Gaúcha. Highway traffic can also be high, particularly on long weekend holidays. Caution is recommended when driving on highways in the state.
Flying within the state may not be a viable option, as flight schedules are limited to a few flights per week and it can cost more to fly than traveling within the state in a comfortable, air-conditioned bus. The only airports of the state with regular flights departing from Porto Alegre International Airport are the airports inBagé,Santa Maria,Santa Rosa,Santo Ângelo,Pelotas andUruguaiana.
For many Brazilians, Rio Grande do Sul is synonymous withchurrasco, 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 theFogo de Chão Brazilian restaurant chain, although the chain has far more branches in theUnited States than in Brazil, and no branches at all in Rio Grande do Sul. Every year, the city ofBagé hosts a festival dedicated tochurrasco, along with typicalgaúcho music and dance.
Other famousgaúcho dishes are thecharque (dried salted beef), thearroz carreteiro (a sort ofrisotto based oncharque) and thegaleto ao primo canto (grilled spring chicken).
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Rio Grande do Sul's trademark beer is theSerramalte, 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 beers and for producing the best wines of the country - according to theIl Sommelier magazine, no less than 13 of Brazil's 16 best wines are from Rio Grande do Sul. Most of these wines are produced in theItalian-settled area of theSerras Gaúchas, in particular, the triangle formed byBento Gonçalves,Pinto Bandeira andGaribaldi. Not surprisingly, this area should be the starting point for enotourism enthusiasts.
Chimarrão, also known asmate, is a hot beverage made fromyerba 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 extentSanta Catarina. You'll see the distinctivechimarrão 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.
| Thisregion travel guide toRio Grande do Sulis ausable article. It gives a good overview of the region, its sights, and how to get in, as well as links to the main destinations, whose articles are similarly well developed. An adventurous person could use this article, but pleasefeel free to improve itby editing the page. |
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