Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Just 7km northeast of Canela at the end of RS-466 (aka Estrada do Caracol), the highlight
of the
Parque Estadual do Caracol
is the spectacular
Cascata do Caracol
, a stunning
waterfall on the Río Caracol that plunges dramatically over a 131m-high cliff of basaltic
rock in the middle of dense forest. The hike to the foot of the falls involves over 700
exhausting steps, but you can also take a lift (“
elevador panorâmico
”) up the 27m high
Observatorio Ecológico
, 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 further along the road from the park entrance), a nerve-jangling chair lift.
Further still along the main road (now the gravel-surfaced Estrada da Ferradura), at
Km 15 is the entrance to the
Parque Vale da Ferradura
, where three viewpoints cover
the dramatic 420m “horseshoe” canyon of the Río Caí.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
9
PARQUE ESTADUAL DO CARACOL
By Bus
Buses run from the rodoviária in Canela to the park
entrance (Mon-Sat 8.15am, 12.10pm & 5.30pm, returning
at 8.35am, 12.15pm and 6pm; Sun 8am, 1.30pm &
5.30pm, returning 8.40am, 1.55pm & 6pm; R$2.20) or you
can take a taxi.
Templo Budista Chagdud Khadro Ling
Estrada Linha Águas Brancas 1211, Três Coroas • Wed-Fri 9.30am-11.30am & 2-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-4.30pm • Free •
T
51 3546 8201,
W
chagdud.org
Just 30km south, but a world away from both Canela and Gramado, is the
Templo
Budista Chagdud Khadro Ling
, the only Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Latin
America, attracting devotees from all over Brazil and the United States. Situated on a
hilltop outside the largely German village of
Três Coroas
, the temple was founded by
Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche
(1930-2002), a high lama who left Tibet for Nepal following
the Chinese invasion in 1959, settling in Brazil in 1995. On a clear day you can see the
buildings - red in colour, adorned with yellow details and colourful symbols that sparkle
like jewels - from far into the distance. Seen close up, the remarkable site includes a
huge statue of Buddha, eight large
stupas
(holy structures representing the enlightened
mind), the
temple
itself with remarkable murals depicting Buddha's life, and various
other buildings erected by devotees, and by artists and craftsmen from Nepal.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
CHAGDUD KHADRO LING
By bus
Buses (
W
citral.tur.br) from Gramado to Três Coroas
run every 30 min to 1hr (R$4.60-5.50), where you can get
a taxi
(R$15) up to the temple. Citral also runs buses direct
to Três Coroas from Porto Alegre (15 daily; R$19.90).
Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra
Rodovia RS-427, Km 18 • Tues-Sun 8am-5pm • R$13/person, plus R$5/car •
T
54 3251 1277
The largely untouched wilderness of the
PARQUE NACIONAL DOS APARADOS DA SERRA
,
some 100km east of Canela, is one of southern Brazil's great natural wonders, though it
attracts a fraction of the visitors to Iguaçu Falls. The park protects just a small section of
a truly remarkable phenomenon (one that you can only really appreciate fully from the
air); a 700m-high plateau of basalt rock, looming over the coastal plain of Rio Grande
do Sul for hundreds of kilometres, which was created around 150 million years ago
when lava slowly poured onto the surface of the Brazilian Shield. The edge of the plateau
STRUDEL AT THE CASTELINHO
Heading to the Parque Estadual do Caracol from Canela, you'll pass the araucaria wood
Castelinho Caracol
(RS-466, Km 3; daily 9am-1pm & 2.20-5.40pm; R$10;
T
54 3278 3208,
W
castelinhocaracol.com.br), a fairy-tale German-style mansion dating from 1915 and now a
memorial to German immigration in the area (as well as serving incredible
apfelstrudel
in the
tea rooms).
