The South: Overview

The Brazilian story comes to a close in the South, an area that is home to countless European immigrants who have flourished in their small communities copying life as their forefathers knew back home. Germans, Italians, Swiss and Poles have all made their mark on the South, a region that is responsible for Brazil’s fine wines and much of its outstanding meat which is reared by the Brazilian cowboy, the “gaúcho”.

The South’s main attraction is physical and is found at a point close to where the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet, a place called Foz do Iguaçu.

At Foz, visitors are treated to a spectacle of over 275 waterfalls, some more than 100 meters (300 feet) high, a natural formation five times larger than its more famous American cousin, Niagara. And, as if to prove that man can take on the challenge set by nature, visitors can also call on the site of the nearby Itaipu Dam, the largest hydroelectric plant in the world.

The South covers 7% of Brazil and contains 15% of the population who live in the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul.

Paraná
"Land of all peoples" is how Paraná has been known since becoming a territory comprising more than 30 races.

Paraná: Introduction
Curitiba
Foz do Iguaçu
Island of Mel
Port of Paranaguá
Information Table
Links: Paraná

Rio Grande do Sul
Situated in the extreme south of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul remained well away from the ambitions of the European conquerors for more than a century following the discovery of Brazil in 1500.

Rio Grande do Sul: Introduction
Porto Alegre
Jesuit Missions
Pampas
Beaches
Mountain Region
Aparados da Serra National Park
Information Table
Links: Rio Grande do Sul

Santa Catarina
With an area the size of Portugal and a population similar to that of Norway, the state of Santa Catarina is a land of contrasts.

Land of Contrasts
Florianópolis
Blumenau
Joinville
Highlands Country
Beaches
Information Table
Links: Santa Catarina