The south of Brazil also has its charm. One of the most beautiful sites in the south of Brazil is the city of Florianópolis, charmingly referred to its inhabitants as Floripa. The city is the capital of Santa Catarina and it is located on an island surrounded by other smaller islets. It has a population of a bit more than 800,000 inhabitants and a beauty of its own.

The city was originally settled by Azorean Portuguese, but the influence of Germans and Italians is clearly seen by the architecture and the presence of immigrant communities.

One of the largest and most important cities in the south of Brazil is Curitiba, with more than 1.5 million people living in the larger metropolitan area. In this city, you will be able to enjoy one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly transportation systems in Latin America. Buses stop near clear elevated tubes where people get in once and can ride for the entire day. The city is also one of the “greenest” in Brazil, with well-kept parks.

The city of Porto Alegre is one of the largest cities of the south, and the closest big city to the South American countries of Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Chile. It is a large urban, industrialized center that is important to the Mercosul, the Brazilian version of the NAFTA. Business people from South American often stop first in Porto Alegre to conduct business and trade with Brazilians. Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul and the home of the gaúcho, or Brazilian cowboy, culture. There you can also find many churrascarias or restaurants that serve the typical Brazilian barbecue, a neverending feast of different meats that are brought to the table in long spears. These types of restaurants are becoming increasingly popular in big American cities such as Miami, Boston, New York, and Los Angeles.

More to the south of Porto Alegre you will find the small city of Gramado, located in the hills of the Serra Gaúcha, an area heavily influenced by the German settlers. Gramado is home to the Gramado Film Festival, one of the most influential festivals of avant-garde films in South America. An interesting mix of Brazilian and European culture can be found in these “Southern Belles.”