2-Day Serra Catarinense Tour: Snowfall & Wine Country

Frozen waterfalls, centennial farms and wine by the fire in Brazil's coldest region

A 2-day tour through Serra Catarinense, the coldest region in Brazil where snow falls annually and temperatures have dropped to −17.8°C. You stay overnight in mountain towns, visit Morro da Igreja at 1,822 meters, see the Véu da Noiva waterfall, explore a grotto used by indigenous peoples, and taste wine at Villa Francioni. The tour includes hotel accommodation, breakfast, an executive van with a Portuguese-speaking guide, and visits to viewpoints over canyons and the 274-curve Serra do Rio do Rastro.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Explore Urubici and São Joaquim

• Breakfast at Paradouro Battistella
• Visit Morro Da Igreja
• See Mirante Da Pedra Furada
• Visit Cascade Veil of the Bride
• Lunch at Trattoria Nona Otilia
• Visit Grotto Nossa Senhora de Lourdes
• Visit Campestre Moor
• Panoramic tour of Urubici center
• Drive to São Joaquim
• Check-in at hotel in São Joaquim

Day 2: Discover São Joaquim and Bom Jardim da Serra

• Breakfast at the hotel
• Free time in São Joaquim center
• Visit Villa Francioni for wine tasting
• Lunch at Restaurant 1948 Meat And Fire
• Visit St. Joaquin's Portico and Centennial Taipas
• Visit Mirante Da Serra Do Rio Do Rastro
• Panoramic tour of Rastro River Serra
• Visit Engenho Complex and dinner

The experience

The Serra Catarinense Plateau is a landscape of altitude fields, araucaria forests and deep canyons where the only certain snowfall in Brazil happens every year. The tour starts in Urubici on day one, beginning with breakfast at Paradouro Battistella before heading to Morro da Igreja, the highest inhabited point in southern Brazil at 1,822 meters: the place where Brazil's lowest temperature on record was measured. From there you move through Mirante da Pedra Furada and the Véu da Noiva waterfall, then visit the Grotto of Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, an ancient cave with its own waterfall where indigenous peoples once lived. The Campestre Moor, elevated formations rising above 1,371 meters, overlooks the Canoas River Valley. You end the first day in São Joaquim with a panoramic drive through Urubici's center.

Day two splits between São Joaquim's town center and the surrounding plateau. Free time in the morning lets you explore the lake that freezes in winter, the Stone Church, and the local chocolate shops before a wine and sparkling wine tasting at Villa Francioni. Lunch comes at Restaurant 1948 Meat and Fire, then you drive to Mirante da Serra do Rio do Rastro at 1,421 meters to see the Serra do Rio do Rastro's 274 curves carved into the mountainside. The tour ends with a visit to the Engenho Complex and dinner.

Transport is an executive van equipped with air conditioning, a stereo, TV and individual reclining seats. Your guide speaks Portuguese and travels with the group throughout. Hotel accommodation in double or triple rooms and breakfast each morning are included. Dinner suggestions are provided but you choose where to eat on both evenings.

What’s included

• Executive van with air conditioning, individual reclining seats, TV and DVD.
• one night's accommodation in a double or triple hotel room.
• breakfast each morning.
• Portuguese-speaking guide throughout the tour.
• visits to Morro da Igreja, Mirante da Pedra Furada, Véu da Noiva waterfall, the Grotto of Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, Campestre Moor, and Mirante da Serra do Rio do Rastro.
• wine and sparkling wine tasting at Villa Francioni.
• panoramic drives through Urubici and the Serra do Rio do Rastro.

Before you book

Days and timesTuesdayDeparts at 04:00

Book up to2d before

GroupUp to 10

Live guidePortuguese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Transptur Turismo

Is this one for you?The tour moves between multiple viewpoints and sites each day with stops for walking and exploration, so moderate fitness helps you move comfortably through the plateau. The pace is set by the van and the guide's schedule, not by your own choice of timing.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Morro da Igreja and why does it matter on this tour?

Morro da Igreja is the highest inhabited point in southern Brazil at 1,822 meters, and it's the location where Brazil's lowest temperature ever recorded, negative 17.8 degrees Celsius, was measured. The tour visits it on day one to show you the extreme cold that defines this plateau region.

Will I see snow and frozen waterfalls on this tour?

The Serra Catarinense is the only region in Brazil where snowfall is certain every year, and the cold freezes waterfalls in the region. The Véu da Noiva waterfall is on the itinerary, though weather conditions can affect visibility at some viewpoints. Snowfall timing depends on the season of your visit.

What does the wine tasting at Villa Francioni include?

Villa Francioni is a wine estate where you taste both wine and sparkling wine as part of day two. The tasting is included in the tour. The visit happens after free time in São Joaquim's center and before lunch.

How much walking and climbing is involved each day?

The tour requires a moderate level of physical fitness. Days involve visits to viewpoints, a grotto, and moorland formations, with movement between the van and each site. Some stops like Mirante da Pedra Furada are subject to changes due to weather conditions.

Where do I stay overnight and what's included in the hotel?

You stay in São Joaquim on both nights in a double or triple room at a tourism-category hotel. Breakfast at the hotel is included each morning. Dinner is not included, though the tour suggests restaurants like Small Forest on day one and the Engenho Complex on day two.