Dutch Colonies tour Curitiba: Carambeí, Castro & lavender fields

Walk through windmills and lavender, taste regional dairy and learn how Dutch settlers shaped Paraná

This nine-hour guided tour departs Curitiba for the Dutch colonies of Carambeí and Castro in Paraná, combining heritage sites, working farms and sensory experiences. You'll explore Historic Park with its windmills and traditional mansions, visit dairy farms to see cattle breeding and learn about grain production, tour the Castrolanda Mill Museum, and walk through lavender fields while learning about essential oil extraction. The guide speaks English, Spanish or Portuguese, and the air-conditioned vehicle is included. The tour requires a minimum group size to operate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Dutch Colonies and Local Farms

• Transfer from Curitiba to Carambeí
• Visit Historic Park in Carambeí
• Taste traditional local delicacies
• Tour dairy and grain farms in Castro
• Visit Castrolanda Mill Museum
• Stroll through lavender fields with guide

The experience

Nine hours gives you time to move through three distinct stops without rushing. The route starts with Carambeí's Historic Park, where you'll see the windmills and typical Dutch architecture up close, taste traditional regional delicacies made locally, and hear the stories of how Dutch immigrants arrived and settled here. The park itself is built around the heritage they brought (the mansions, the gardens, the way the settlement was laid out), so the guide's knowledge of that history shapes what you're actually looking at.

Castro shifts the focus to what the region produces now. You'll visit working dairy farms to watch cattle breeding and understand how the high-quality dairy gets made, then learn about grain production, which makes Castro an agricultural center in Paraná. The Castrolanda Mill Museum ties the past to the present: the iconic windmill there connects back to the Dutch heritage, but it's also part of how the region still operates. The landscapes here are rural and working, not manicured. The flavors are fresh because they're made nearby.

The lavender fields close the day with a different kind of sensory experience. You'll walk through the rows of Lavandula Angustifolia 'Ellagance Purple' (a Dutch variety that Ball Brasil distributes), while the guide explains the cultivation and the craft of extracting essential oil. It's the kind of detail that makes the connection between the Dutch heritage and what grows here now feel concrete instead of historical.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle for the full nine hours.
• live guide in English, Spanish or Portuguese.
• entry to Historic Park in Carambeí.
• access to working dairy farms in Castro.
• entry to Castrolanda Mill Museum.
• guided walk through the lavender fields.
• tastings of traditional regional delicacies at the park.

Before you book

Days and timesFriday to SundayDeparts at 07:00

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 and older) · Youth (6 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 5 years): free · Infant (under 2): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Portuguese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled 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

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats available

Operated by Southern Brazil Adventures

Is this one for you?This is a shared, guided tour with a fixed itinerary and set stops, so it suits travelers who want the history and context explained by someone who knows the region rather than exploring on their own. The nine-hour length and the mix of heritage sites, working farms and sensory experiences work well for anyone interested in how Dutch settlement shaped this part of Paraná and what it produces today.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Portuguese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 17 years); Child (2 to 5 years): free; Infant (under 2): free.

What exactly is the Historic Park in Carambeí?

The Historic Park is the settlement's heritage center, built around the windmills, traditional Dutch mansions and flowering gardens that the original immigrants constructed. You'll walk through it and taste traditional delicacies produced in the region while learning the stories of how the Dutch arrived and settled there.

Will I see actual dairy farms and cattle on this tour?

Yes. In Castro, you'll visit working dairy farms where you can watch cattle breeding up close and see how the high-quality dairy is produced. The tour also includes the Castrolanda Mill Museum, where you can see the iconic windmill and learn about the region's grain production.

What is the lavender experience like?

You'll walk through lavender fields planted with a Dutch variety called Lavandula Angustifolia 'Ellagance Purple'. The guide will explain the cultivation process and how essential oil is extracted from the plants, turning the flowers into finished products. It's designed as a sensory experience where you learn the craft while surrounded by the color and aroma.

Is lunch included in the tour price?

Lunch is not included, though you'll have the chance to taste traditional regional delicacies at the Historic Park in Carambeí. You can arrange your own meal during the tour or bring food with you.

How does the tour get from Curitiba to these colonies?

You'll travel in an air-conditioned vehicle that picks you up and handles all the transfers between stops. The route includes the mountain descent into the region, which the operator notes offers views of the landscape as you approach the colonies.