Porto Alegre Attractions

Boat trips on Rio Guaíba

One of the most attractive travel experiences in Porto Alegre is a boat trip on the Rio Guaíba. The boats leave from the Tourist Dock near the Usina do Gasómetro (Avenida João Goulart), to the west of the city center, and sail to the Ilhas do Lage and dos Marinheiros, where there are small beaches offering good bathing in summer.

The Museum of Art of Rio Grande do Sul, on Praça da Alfândega, has a specialist library, a picture gallery and collections of sculpture, tapestries and ceramics. The picture gallery displays works by Portinari, Di Cavalcanti, Debret, Manabu Mabe, southern Brazilian artists like Carlos Scliar, Vasco Prado, Francisco Stockinger, Franz Schaeffer, Marcelo Grassmann and many more.

The Museum of Natural Sciences (Museu de Ciéncias Naturais) on Avenida Ipiranga has some 10,000 mineralogical, zoological and archaeological exhibits - in effect a complete survey of the natural treasures of Rio Grande do Sul.

The neo-Baroque Teatro São Pedro (1850; national monument) is one of the finest buildings in Porto Alegre. It has recently been restored, with financial help from wealthy citizens of Porto Alegre. The restoration has respected the original structure and architectural forms but has incorporated contemporary functional features.

Avenida Duque

de Caxias

From the Farroupilha Park Avenida Duque de Caxias runs west towards the river, passing some of Porto Alegre's principal sights - the Museu Júlio de Castilhos and, on Praça da Matriz, the Cathedral, the Palácio Piratini (Government Palace), the Palácio Farroupilha (Parliament) and the São Pedro Theatre.

Cathedral

Work on the building of the Renaissance-style Cathedral began in 1772 but was frequently interrupted and was not completed until 1986.

Port Alegre's international airport flies direct to some international destinations and also offers good connections through Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo.

Between Rua da Praia and Avenida Mauá, which runs through the harbor area, are a number of fine public buildings. On Praça 15 de Novembro is the public Market Hall (Mercado), where foodstuffs, imported articles, a great range of the maté teas characteristic of the region and craft products from the Gaúcho country are offered for sale. A little way beyond this are the docks and the Prefecture.

The beaches on the Rio Guaíba (Ipanema, Pedra Redonda, Guarujá and Belém Novo), which are not suitable for bathing, are reached by way of Avenidas Beira-Rio, Coronel Marcos and Padre Cacique. Avenida Padre Cacique also leads to the hill of Morro Santa Tereza (131m/430ft), still within the city area, from which there is a fine view of the Rio Guaíba.

Museu Júlio de Castilhos

The Museu Júlio de Castilhos (Historical Museum) has collections of fossils and Indian craft products, but its main interest centers on the life and work of Júlio de Castilhos and Borges de Medeiros, two statesmen who played prominent parts in Rio Grande do Sul in the second half of the 19th century and the early years of the 20th.

The Palácio Piratini (national monument), built in 1909 and decorated in Louis XVI style, is the seat of the state government of Rio Grande do Sul. The mural paintings in the palace were the work of Aldo Locatelli, an Italian immigrant.

Parque da Harmonia

Upstream from Parque da Marinha, on the same side of the river, is the Parque da Harmonia (65 hectares/161 acres), within which are the old Largo dos Aáorianos and a racecourse.

Parque da Marinha

On the banks of the Rio Guaíba, in the Menino Deus district, is the Parque da Marinha (74 hectares/183 acres).

Parque dos Moinhos de Vento

In the Moinhos de Vento ("Windmills") district, is the Parque dos Moinhos de Vento, in which one windmill of the colonial period still survives.

The Museu de Porto Alegre, in the old Palácio de Lopo Gonçalves (Rua João Alfredo, in the lower town, near the Teatro de Câmara), has a collection of relics and photographs of old Porto Alegre.

Parallel to Avenida Duque de Caixas on the north is Rua das Andradas, better known under its old name of Rua da Praia. This is the real heart of the city, with the best shops, and the favorite rendezvous of intellectuals and bohemians. In this street are the church of Nossa Senhora das Dores (1883-91), with paintings by Portuguese artists, and the Museum of Social Communication, housed in the former offices of the newspaper "A Federação", the organ of the Partido Republicano Gaúcho.

The Museu da Varig (the airline Viação Aérea Riograndense) displays aircraft parts and engines illustrating the history of civil aviation in Brazil.

Pampas Safari Park

11km/7mi north-east on RS 020, at Gravataí, is the Pampas Safari Park. Visitors can drive through the park, in which rheas, tapirs, lamas, deer, buffaloes and zebras roam free.

Parque Saint Hilaire

17km/10.5mi east of Porto Alegre (RS 040, Viamão exit) is the Parque Saint Hilaire, a large forest reserve with picnic areas and barbecue sites. 14km/8.7mi beyond this, in the commune of Viamão, is the Tarumã racecourse.