Brazil - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 362

Observatorio Ecológico (daily 8.30am-
6pm; R$20; W observatorioecologico
.com.br) near the park entrance, which
will give you a 360-degree bird's-eye view
of the park and falls over the tree-tops.
Binoculars are available for close-up
sightings of flora and fauna.
For even more scintillating views of the
waterfall take the 830m Teleférico de
Canela 500m beyond the park entrance,
a nerve-jangling chair lift (daily
9am-5pm; 20min; R$25; T 54 3504
1405). Yet further along the road (Km15)
is the entrance to the Parque Vale da
Ferradura (daily 8.30am-5.30pm; R$8;
W www.valedaferradura.com.br), where
three viewpoints cover the dramatic
420m “horseshoe” canyon of the Río
Santa Cruz.
Heading back to Canela you'll pass the
araucaria wood Castelinho (RS-466 Km3;
daily 9am-1pm & 2.20-5.40pm; R$8;
W

WHEN TO VISIT
The Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra
can be visited throughout the year, but is at
its best during spring (Oct and Nov) when
the blooming flowers create a spectacular
effect. In the winter (June to Aug), it can
get very cold, though visibility is often
excellent. Summers are warm, but heavy
rainfall sometimes makes the roads and
trails impassable and fog and low-level
cloud sometimes completely obscure what
should be spectacular views. Avoid April,
May and September, the months with the
most sustained rainfall.

3

Approaching the park from any
direction, you pass through rugged cattle
pasture, occasionally interrupted by
the distinctive umbrella-like araucaria
pine trees and solitary farm buildings.
As the dirt road enters the park itself,
forest patches appear, suddenly and
dramatically interrupted by a canyon of
breathtaking proportions. Some 5.8km
in length, between 600m and 2000m
wide and 720m deep, Itaimbézinho is
a dizzying sight. On the higher levels,
with relatively little rainfall, but with
fog banks moving in from the nearby
Atlantic Ocean, vegetation is typical of
a cloudforest, while on the canyon's floor
a mass of subtropical plants flourishes.
Three trails are open to visitors, the most
difficult of which is the Trilha do Rio do Boi
(8hr) - an option for experienced hikers
that must only be attempted with a guide.
It involves a 5m vertical descent of a rock
face by rope and a complete descent to the
rocky river in the canyon floor. Rather
easier is the Trilha do Vértice (1.4km),
which affords views of Itaimbézinho and
two spectacular waterfalls Véu da Noiva
and Andorinhas . If this isn't challenging
enough for you, try the Trilha do Mirante
do Cotovelo (6.3km), which runs along
the rim of the canyon and provides some
glorious photo opportunities.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Getting to the park via public transport is tough.
First, take a bus from Gramado or Canela to São Francisco
de Paula (every 30min; R$7.50-8.50). From São Francisco

castelinhocaracol.com.br), a fairy-tale
German-style mansion dating from
1915 and now a memorial to German
immigration to the area (as well as
serving incredible apfelstrudel in the
tea rooms).
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus Buses run from the rodoviária in Canela to the
park entrance (departs daily at 8.15am & noon; returning
at 12.20pm and 6pm; R$1.80), or take a taxi.
Tourist information The admission fee (R$12) should be
paid at the excellent visitors' centre (daily 8.45am-5.45pm;
T 52 3278 3035). Here you will find details about walking
trails and adventure activities such as rock-climbing,
abseiling and bungee jumping.

PARQUE NACIONAL DOS
APARADOS DA SERRA
Around 150 million years ago, lava
slowly poured onto the surface of the
Brazilian Shield, a vast highland plateau ,
developing into a thick layer of basalt
rock. At the edge of the plateau, vast
canyons puncture the basalt and the
largest of these is protected within the
predominantly untouched wilderness of
the Parque Nacional dos Aparados da
Serra (Tues-Sun 8am-5pm; R$6),
some 100km east of Canela.