Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 357

PORTO ALEGRE
The capital of Rio Grande do Sul,
PORTO ALEGRE lies on the eastern bank
of the Rio Guaiba some 450km south of
Florianópolis. Founded in 1772 by
settlers from the Azores, it's a hard-
working industrial city with run-down
charm - and a lively bar and restaurant
scene - but it's best to avoid the business
centre and area around the bus terminal
after dark and take taxis at night.

circuits that take in the historic centre
and southern zone. Tours leave from
outside the main office, Travessa do
Carmo 84 ( W portoalegre.travel;
Tues-Sun 9am-4pm every hr; R$15).

Mercado Público and around
The golden-coloured Mercado Público
(Mon-Sat 7.30am-7.30pm) stands at the
heart of the lower town, located alongside
Praça Rui Barbosa and Praça XV de
Novembro. A replica of Lisbon's Mercado
da Figueira, this imposing building
contains an absorbing mix of stalls selling
household goods, food and regional
handicrafts. Upstairs are restaurants
offering traditional Brazilian all-you-can-
eat lunch buffets which stay open after the
market stalls shut. Next to the market is

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The city centre is a little shabby but
everything worth seeing is within an easy
walk, and a day or so is enough to visit
most places of interest. For city tours, the
tourist board operates “Linha Turismo”,
an open-top double-decker bus with two

3

Caxias do Sul & Pelotas Airport

ACCOMMODATION
Casa Azul
Minuano Express
Porto Alegre Hostel Boutique
Porto Alegre Eco Hostel
Hostel Porto Do Sol

DRINKING & NIGHTLIFE
Dublin
Lagom Brewery & Pub
Ossip
Pé Palito
TUIM

5
2
1
4
3

4
8
10
12
5

Rodoviária

Rio Guaíba

EATING
Banca 40
Bar do Beto
Barranco
Gambrinus
Lancheria do Parque
Tudo Pelo Social
Vida e Saúde

N

3
9
6
2
7
11
1

Cais do Porto

PR OSVALDO
CRUZ

Memorial do
Rio Grande
do Sul

IA

Mercado Público

PR OTAVIO
ROCHA

Palácio
Municipal

PR 15 DE
NOVEMBRO

IO

Museu de Arte do
Rio Grande do Sul

D Ê N C I A

Praça da
Alfândega

CENTRO

Casa da Cultura
Mário Quintana

R

C H U E L O

Praça
Brg.
Sampaio

Centro
Cultural
Usina do
Gasômetro

Teatro
São Pedro

PRAÇA
DA MATRIZ

X I A

Catedral

Palácio
Piratini

Museu Julio
de Castilhos

Parque
Paulo Gama

Cais da
Usina do
Gasômetro

D O M A C H A D O

Parque
Farroupilha

Praça
Julio
Mesquita

CIDADE BAIXA

Parque
Mauricío Sirotsky
Sobrinho

0 250

PORTO ALEGRE metres

Fundação Iberê Camargo Fundação Iberê Camargo