Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Teresópolis
While
TERESÓPOLIS
can be reached directly from Rio by bus, the most scenic route is
from Petrópolis - 40km through the
Serra dos Órgãos
, much of which is a national
park (see box below). The state's highest town (872m), Teresópolis owed its initial
development to the eighteenth-century opening of a road from Rio to Minas Gerais.
Like Petrópolis, it was a favoured summer retreat (for Empress Teresa Cristina, for
whom the town was named), and though smaller than Petrópolis it also shares some of
its Germanic characteristics, including a benevolent alpine climate. The town itself is
dull, centred on a main street that changes its name every couple of blocks, but the
surrounding countryside is interesting. There are also magnificent views, especially over
the Baixada Fluminense from
Soberbo
, where the Rio highway enters Teresópolis.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
TERESÓPOLIS
By bus
The rodoviária is at the southern end of Av Delfim
Moreira, very near the centre.
Destinations
Petrópolis (7 daily; 1hr 30min); Rio
(hourly; 1hr 45min).
Tourist o
ce
Praça Olimpica, a square on Av Lúcio Meira
(Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-3pm;
T
21 2742 5561).
ACCOMMODATION
Pousada das Mansardas
Rua Wilhelm Christian Klene
230 (1km northeast of the town centre)
T
21 3641
5102,
W
mansardas.com.br.
A friendly place, well looked
after, and set in a nice lit
tle gard
en with a pool. Prices drop
by nearly half midweek.
R$210
Recanto do Lord
Rua Luiza Pereira Soares 109
T
21 2742 5586,
W
teresopolishostel.com.br.
It's a steep
climb to reach this well-equipped youth hostel (the house
numbers go up to 300, and then start again before reaching
109) b
ut you
do get
great views to compensate. Dorms
R$35
; doubles
R$80
★
Rosa dos Ventos
22km from town, on the road
towards Nova Friburgo
T
21 2644 8833,
W
hotelrosadosventos.com.br.
The best of the hotels in
the picturesque hills around Teresópolis, set in beautiful
park-like gardens with several restau
rants,
swimming
pools and an extensive network of trails.
R$460
Várzea Palace Hotel
Rua Sebastião Teixeira 41
T
21
2742 0878.
A beautiful white building that was once the
most elegant place in town to stay. Only faint traces of its
former luxury remain, but the place is clean, w
elcomin
g and
extremely good value, with discounts midweek.
R$130
EATING AND DRINKING
Dona Irene
Rua Tenente Luís Meireles 1800, Bom Retiro
(500m east of the rodoviária)
T
21 2742 2901,
W
donairene.com.br.
A Russian restaurant offering “the food
of the Tsars”. You start with
borscht
, naturally, moving on to
main courses such as
pojarski
(chicken in creamy cheese
sauce) or
veranike
(chicken in sour cream). The fixed price for a
meal without drinks is R$110.
Tues-Sat noon-midnight.
Vagão
Av Lúcio Meira 833
T
21 2643 3034,
PARQUE NACIONAL DA SERRA DOS ÓRGÃOS
One of Brazil's most beautiful mountain regions, the
Parque Nacional da Serra dos Órgãos
(daily 8am-5pm; R$25;
W
www.icmbio.gov.br/parnaso) straddles an area of highland Atlantic
rainforest between Petrópolis and Teresópolis. The main features of the park are dramatic rock
formations that resemble rows of organ pipes (hence the range's name), dominated by the
towering
Dedo de Deus
(“God's Finger”) peak. There are tremendous
walking
possibilities in
the park, with the favourite peaks for those with mountain-goat tendencies being the Agulha
do Diablo (2050m) and the Pedra do Sino (2263m); the latter has a path leading to the summit,
a relatively easy three-hour trip (take refreshments). There are some campsites but no
equipment for rent, so you'll need to come prepared.
There are entrances with visitors' centres near Petrópolis (
T
21 2236 0475) and Teresópolis
(
T
21 2152 1100): at Petrópolis the entrance is near the village of Corrêa; at Teresópolis it's
just south of town and much easier to access, served by hourly local buses (on the hour,
destination “Soberbo”) from opposite
Extra
supermarket on Avenida Lúcio Meira, with more
frequent buses leaving you a fifteen-minute walk away.
