Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
★
9
Borghetto Sant'Anna
Via Trento 868
T
54 3453
2355,
W
borghettosantanna.com.br.
Exquisite accom-
modation with views across the vineyards; there's a choice
of deluxe
casas de pedras
(old stone houses) and modern
suites, but all come wi-fi,
th brea
kfast, free wi-fi, cable TV and
those stunning views.
R$350
★
typical, Italian-style house, with most of the produce
served sourced locally; the menu is primarily Italian.
Wed-Sat 7.30-10pm, Sun noon-3pm.
Villa Valduga
Via Trento 2355
T
54 3453 1154,
W
villavalduga.com.br.
The
pousada
attached to the Casa
Valduga winery is a romantic place to stay, with five
spacious, luxurious rooms that have all the usual amenities.
The
Restaurante Maria Valduga
serves good, and reasonably
priced, local
-style
Italian food.
Daily noon-3pm &
8-10.30pm.
R$320
Vinocap
Rua Barão do Rio Branco 245, Bento Gonçalves
T
54 3451 1566,
W
vinocap.com.br.
This counts as
budget in this part of the world, with good, modern rooms
(free wi-fi and c
able TV,
some a/c), and basic breakfast in a
central location.
R$145
Hotel Laghetto Viverone Bento
Rua Carlos Flores
301, Bento Gonçalves
T
54 3449 1919,
W
laghettoviveronebento.com.br.
This bright, newish
place is easily the best place to stay in Bento, with slick,
conte
mporar
y-styled rooms and Japanese bathtubs. Free
wi-fi.
R$180
★
Restaurante Valle Rustico
Estm. Linha Marcílio
Dias 15 da Graciema
T
54 3459 1162,
W
vallerustico
.com.br.
Highly acclaimed “slow food” restaurant in a
The Litoral Gaúcho
The coast of Rio Grande do Sul, or the
LITORAL GAÚCHO
, is a virtually unbroken
500km-long beach, dotted with a series of resorts popular with Argentines, Uruguayans
and visitors from Porto Alegre and elsewhere in the state. In winter the beaches are
deserted and most of the hotels closed, but between mid-November and March it's easy
to believe that the state's entire population has migrated to the resorts. Most resorts
tend to be crowded, while - due to the influence of the powerful Río de la Plata - the
water is usually murky, and even in summer Antarctic currents often make for chilly
bathing. Of the resorts, the only one really worth visiting is
Torres
, featuring impressive
cliffs and rock formations. Further south and towards the Uruguayan border are the
ports of
Pelotas
and
Rio Grande
, their grand nineteenth-century buildings testimony
to the cities' former prosperity.
Torres
The northernmost point on the Litoral Gaúcho, 197km from Porto Alegre,
TORRES
is the state's one beach resort that is actually worth going out of your way for. It's
considered Rio Grande do Sul's most sophisticated coastal resort, and the beaches
behind which the town huddles,
Praia Grande
and
Prainha
, are packed solid in the
summer with
gaúcho
and Uruguayan holidaymakers.
Parque da Guarita
By walking across the Morro do Farol (a hill, identifiable by its lighthouse) and
along the crowded Praia da Cal, you come to the
Parque da Guarita
, one of the most
beautiful stretches of the southern Brazilian coast. The development of the state
preserve was supervised by the landscaper Roberto Burle Marx, together with Brazil's
pioneer environmentalist, José Lutzenberger.
The preserve is centred on a huge basalt outcrop, with 35m-high cliffs rising straight
up from the sea, from where there are superb views up and down the coast. At several
points, steps lead down from the clifftop to basalt pillars and cavern-like formations
beaten out of the cliff face over the years. Continue along the clifftop, and you'll
eventually reach the
Praia da Guarita
, a fairly small beach that is never as crowded as
those nearer town.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
TORRES
By bus
From the rodoviária (
T
51 3664 1787), served by
buses from Porto Alegre (hourly; 3hr) and Florianópolis
(6 daily; 5hr), walk down Av José Bonifácio to Av Barão do
Rio Branco, the city's main drag.
