Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
family mementoes (the family owned the house until 1978) and period furniture,
and offers a glimpse into the lifestyle of nineteenth-century high society.
Charqueada São João and Charqueada Santa Rita
Estrada da Costa 750 •
Charqueada São João
Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm & Sun 2-6pm • R$15 •
T
53 3228 2425,
W
charqueadasaojoao
.com.br •
Museu do Charque
Daily 9am-6pm • R$10 •
T
53 3228 2024,
W
charqueadasantarita.com.br • Both
charqueadas
are located
about 5km northeast of the centre of Pelotas; a taxi will cost around R$20, or take any bus to “Laranjal” and get off just before the bridge
that crosses the Arroio Pelotas
The oldest surviving
charqueada
in Pelotas, the
Charqueada São João
, was established
in 1810 by Portuguese settler, Antônio Gonçalves Chaves, and still contains period
furniture as well as traditional tools. In 2002 the property served as the location of hit
Globo TV series
A Casa das Sete Mulheres
, set during the Guerra dos Farrapos in the
1830s. You can also take a short
boat ride
(40min) along the Arroio Pelotas from here
(R$20). Almost next door to São João at Estrada da Costa 200 is the
Charqueada Santa
Rita
, another colonial-style house built in 1826. Santa Rita now serves as a
pousada
(see below), but its illuminating
Museu do Charque
is open to the public.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
PELOTAS AND AROUND
By plane
Pelotas's tiny airport is 8km from the centre on
Av Zeferino Costa in Bairro Três Vendas. Brava Linhas Aéreas
(
W
voebrava.com.br) operates twin-prop flights to and
from Porto Alegre (Mon-Fri 1-3 daily; 50min) and to Rio
Grande (1 daily; 10min).
By bus
The rodoviária (
T
53 3284 6700) is 7km out of
town at Av Presidente João Goulart 4605 in Fragata, with
local buses running into the centre every 10min. Expresso
Embaixador (
W
expressoembaixador.com.br) is the
primary local carrier - fares to Rio Grande are R$11-13.
Destinations
Bagé (10 daily; 3hr 15min); Chuí (5 daily;
3hr 45min);
Montevideo (2 daily; 8hr); Porto Alegre
(hourly; 3hr); Rio Grande (every 30min; 1hr); Santo Ângelo
(1 daily; 9-10hr).
Tourist information
Praça Coronel Pedro Osório 6
(Mon-Fri 9am-6pm;
T
53 3225 3733).
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
★
Charqueada Santa Rita
Estrada da Costa 200
T
53 3228 2024,
W
charqueadasantarita.com.br.
By far
the most distinctive and pleasant place to stay is this
former
charqueada
(see above), now a
pousada
offering
high levels of comfort in a relaxed setting. There's a pool,
and the very helpful Anglo-Brazilian owner offers boat
trips on the pretty Arroi
o Pelot
as, the natural canal that
backs onto the property.
R$195
Choperia Cruz de Malta
Rua Andrade Neves 4183
T
53 3283 7702,
W
choperiacruzdemalta.com.br.
The
best bar in town, with a decent range of draught beers,
snacks (plus mains such as steaks) and an open terrace -
it's always busy.
Mon-Sat 6pm-1am.
Doceria Márcia Aquino
Av Bento Gonçalves 3295
T
53 3222 7640,
W
marciaaquino.com.br.
Pelotas is
famous for its intense Portuguese-style sweets and cakes,
and the best place to try them is this buzzing café, serving
chocolate, sweets and
tortas
(cakes), sandwiches and hot
chocolate with whipped cream.
Mon-Sat 10am-8pm.
★
El Paisano
Rua Marechal Deodoro 1093
T
53 3227
1507,
W
elpaisano.com.br.
Cosy Uruguayan style
parrilla
(grill), with great steaks and great sides (roasted peppers,
roast potatoes), and old-fashioned decor reminiscent of
Montevideo. Mains cost R$15-34.
Tues-Sat 7-11.30pm,
Sun 11am-2pm & 7-11pm.
Jacques Georges Hotel
Rua Gonçalves Chaves 512
T
53 3284 9000,
W
jghotel.com.br.
The best option
downtown, with simple (but clean and comfy) rooms
that have
cable TV
and fridge, plus parking (R$15/day) and
free wi-fi.
R$240
Rio Grande and around
The city of
RIO GRANDE
was founded on the entrance to the Lagoa dos Patos in 1737,
at the very southern fringe of the Portuguese empire. With the growth of the
charque
and chilled-beef economy, Rio Grande's port took on an increasing importance from
the mid-nineteenth century. Rather more spread out than Pelotas, it does not share
that city's instant charm. However, you'll find some distinguished-looking nineteenth-
century buildings in the area around Rua Floriano Peixoto and
Praça Tamandaré
(the main square), which is almost next to Largo Dr Pio and the modest and much-
renovated eighteenth-century
Catedral de São Pedro
.
