Peaceful Praia Grande

[highlight]Leia em Português[/highlight]

Not a beach nor big, but it is a must-do to explore the real canyons. We left to enter the huge clefts on the most exuberant walls in Brazil, at Serra Geral and Aparados da Serra Parks.

In Praia Grande we tend to look up and be delighted at the mountains that invite us to walk on their paths. This is the part of the parks where the vegetation is more lively, the rivers have a strong smell and the trails ask for a bath in natural pools and waterfalls all the time.

This city in Santa Catarina is full of waterfalls and surrounded by rural area. At the city centre there is the square, the church and a few stores. In December it was all decorated for Christmas; a table full of real candies and sweets for the Santa Clauses grabbed everyone’s attention, and nobody touched it.                           Besides hiking, you can go abseiling, canyoning, cross-buoy, horseback riding and contemplate the nature with The Panorâmica Dos Canyons tour. By car and with strategic stops, we spent the morning visiting several canyons, plantations and beaches, listening to the guide’s explanations. It is a different option for those enjoying Torres (36 km) or exploring the canyons in Cambará do Sul (42km). If you come from the beach just cross Mambituba River, which divides the estates, and if you are in Cambará come down the mountain on a dirt road.

Take Note

In Praia Grande we found infrastructure and comfort after so many adventures, and we even got ready to continue our activities the next day with a great night of sleep and an excellent breakfast. Accommodation: Aracema Inn is in a privileged place, next to the cleft of Itaimbezinho. There is a great view and the silence, only broken by birds singing, brings much peace. The accommodations are new and designed according to the region. Each room has a unique decoration and an internal garden connecting them. Meals: take the opportunity to enjoy the traditional food like “pinhão”, honey, cheese, salami, meat and seasonal fruits. At Restaurante Malacara we had a delicious steak with cream sauce, fries, rice and beans that reminded us of home made food prepared with love. Fruit ice cream with rum and the view to Malacara helped setting the mood, making us feel at ease.

CAFÉ RURAL was a wonderful experience; soon after an eight-hour trail and starving, we saw a table full of bread, sweets, pies, fruit, cheeses, juices and much more. Everything made with products locally produced. The service also caught our attention, the owners themselves served us; they enjoy chatting, once you make the first move. It is not open every day, you should schedule by phone 48. 91011113 or email werypk@hotmail.com.   See more pictures from Praia Grande:

Sponsored trip.

© All rights reserved. Pictures and report 100% originals. Photos by Leandro Gabrieli and Roberta Martins.

© All rights reserved. Pictures and report 100% originals.

Translated by Lúcia Maciel
English teacher