I arrived in Canela at about 2.00 p.m., on April 16. It is a two hour bus ride from Porto Alegre, capital of Rio Grande do Sul. Following Lonely Planet's advice I made this town my base (to avoid the pricey Gramado) and stayed at the Pousada das Sequoias, where I payed 40 reais for a swiss style cabanha. It was only curiosity which took me to Gramado (I wanted to see the town closely) but actually you don't need to get out of Canela to keep you busy; on the contrary, you could easily spend weeks and months having a very good time here.
On the one hand, there is the pride of the town, the gothic style and picturesque Cathedral da Pedra, sorrounded by friendly cafés and restaurants like the Café Canela.
On the other hand, Canela is quickly gaining status as the 'capital of Eco-Tourism' in Brazil, and within a few kilometers from town the Parque Estadual do Caracol and the Parque da Ferradura offer a direct contact with nature. Personally I enjoyed the Ferradura more than the Caracol, although I spent more time in the latter. Caracol's highlight is a 130m waterfall, but the place is rather touristy. Ferradura has an impressive sight of the Ferradura Valley, a grand canyon surrounded by the Rio Santa Cruz. Indeed, the Ferradura has its own waterfall, which is more intimate than Caracol's and you can take a refreshing bath there. My advice is that you rent a car, unless you want to do it the rough way on a bycicle. Although most attractions in Canela are within relatively walking distance (13 km to the Caracol, 7 km to Gramado, etcetera), public transport between the parks is scarce and hard to catch. (I got stock in the Parque Municipal de Pinheiro Grosso, and the next bus wasn't available until 2 hours later, so I had to walk my way back to town).
Canela was a pleasant experience in my Brazil journey. Despite its size, it offered more than I could do in a day: cycling, running, hiking, trekking, swimming... I wish I had spent more days here, although I was travelling on a rather hurried itinerary to see and do the most.
Again, I would recommend visiting in the low season. In December, Canela hosts a Christmas festival, and prices tend to rise, plus, accommodation becomes scarce. I was lucky to arrive in town just after the Holy Week, and I was the only guest at the Pousada, thus the staff was really friendly and payed me undivided attention.
My final word on Canela is on the Sequoias. Fifty years ago, a German botanist planted one of this species, making Brazil the only tropical country with Sequoias, a large three which usually grows in a cold environment. Canelans hope that, eventually, their Sequoias will grow as big as the centuries old ones that populate the Californian soil.
Parque da Ferradura
