Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Paraná
PARANÁ
,
immediately to the south of São Paulo, has become one of Brazil's wealthiest
and most dynamic states, but it's also rich in natural and cultural attractions, most
obviously the
Iguaçu
Falls
in the far west. Travelling overland from São Paulo, however,
the a
uent state capital of
Curitiba
makes a good base from which to start exploring
the region.
Paranaguá Bay
can be visited as a day-trip, but its islands and colonial
towns could also easily take up a week or more of your time - especially the laidback,
car-free, beach and surf hotspot of
Ilha do Mel
. The spine-tingling
Serra Verde Express
between Curitiba and Paranaguá is one of South America's most thrilling train rides.
9
Brief history
Paraná's population is ethnically extremely diverse, but largely comprised of the
descendants of immigrants from
Eastern Europe
. Settlement by the Portuguese began in
the sixteenth century, but the inland was largely left to the indigenous Tupi-Guaraní
peoples. For several decades after breaking away from São Paulo in 1853, the new state of
Paraná remained sparsely populated by indigenous peoples, the Portuguese and mixed-
race settlers known as
caboclos
, who worked on the
latifúndios
(vast, private-owned
estates), scratched a living as semi-nomadic subsistence farmers or, on the coast, fished. Its
economy was based on pig-raising, timber extraction and
erva maté
(a bush whose leaves
are used to make a tea-like beverage), and in its early years the province was only linked
to the rest of Brazil by a network of trails along which cattle and mules passed between
Rio Grande do Sul's grasslands and the mines and plantations of the northern provinces.
Immigration
was the key to really expanding Paraná's economy. As mixed farmers,
coffee or soya producers, Germans moved northwards from Rio Grande do Sul and
Santa Catarina in the 1880s; Poles and Italians settled near the capital, Curitiba;
Ukrainians centred themselves in the south, especially around Prudentópolis; Japanese
spread south from São Paulo, settling around Londrina and Maringá; and a host of
smaller groups, including Dutch, Mennonites, Koreans, Russian “Old Believers” and
Danube-Swabians, established colonies elsewhere with varying success rates.
Thanks to their isolation, the immigrants' descendants have retained many of their
cultural traditions, which are only gradually being eroded by the influences of
television and radio, the education system and economic pressures. Nevertheless, this
multi-ethnic blend still lends Paraná its distinct character and a special fascination.
Today Paraná boasts one of the largest state economies in Brazil, largely thanks to a
booming
farm sector
(soybeans, corn, sugar cane, cattle, pork, chicken and coffee) and
a diversified industrial base around Curitiba that includes a massive
Volvo car factory
.
Curitiba
An ever-expanding sea of high-rises, bike lanes, and artfully landscaped parks,
CURITIBA
(“curi-chiba”) offers the chance to experience the best of the Brazilian economic boom:
on average,
Curitibanos
enjoy Brazil's highest standard of living. The city boasts a
transport system and facilities that are the envy of other parts of the country and its
FUTEBOL CURITIBA
Curitiba is home to two major
football clubs
: Coritiba (aka “Coxa”;
W
coritiba.com.br) and
Atlético Paranaense (“the Furacão”;
W
atleticoparanaense.com), who meet for a frenzied
derby known as the
Atletiba
. At the time of writing, both teams played in Brazil's top league,
Série A. Coritiba plays at central Estádio Couto Pereira, while Atlético play at the hyper-modern
Estádio Joaquim Américo
(aka Arena da Baixada) in the Água Verde neighbourhood (4.5km
south of the centre) - also a venue for the 2014 World Cup. Your hotel or hostel should be able
to help get tickets to a regular game.
