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Brazil🇧🇷 | national parksAparados da Serra National ParkItaimbezinho gorge, cliff rim walks, araucaria plateau, morning fog | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Aparados da Serra
🌟 Highlightnational park ranked #13
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 19, 2026

Go early on a weekday, because the park closes on Mondays and the canyon fills with cloud by late morning. Aparados da Serra National Park sits on the edge of the Serra Geral in southern Brazil, on the Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina border. The Itaimbezinho canyon is the draw: 700-meter walls, two waterfalls, easy trails. Skip the car-park viewpoint crowds at midday and the short loop if you have time for the rim and the Rio do Boi trail. A cook in Cambará do Sul told me, “Cedo, antes da neblina,” and she was right. Hire a guide for the river trail, and book your ticket ahead online.

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✨ Why go?
Ranked #13 national park in BrazilThe unique appeal for travelers

Aparados da Serra National Park suits independent walkers because the main canyon trails start from one visitor center and need no tour. The Vértice Trail along the rim looks onto the Andorinhas and Véu de Noiva falls without a guide, and the Cotovelo Trail reaches the canyon’s deepest point on your own feet. Cambará do Sul, the nearby town, has simple pousadas and campsites, so you can sleep close and walk at opening time. The Rio do Boi route into the canyon floor is guided, which keeps it to small groups. Compared with Brazil’s coastal parks, this one gives you cold highland air, araucaria pines and cliff edges with barely a queue on weekdays.

💡 HighlightsWhat this place is best known for

  1. Itaimbezinho Canyon: the park’s signature, a cliff-lined gorge about 5.8 km long with walls up to roughly 720 meters high, and swifts nesting in the rock.
  2. Véu de Noiva Waterfall: a thin fall that drops from the rim and often blows back as spray in strong wind.
  3. Andorinhas Waterfall: seen from the main viewpoint of the Vértice Trail, dropping about 200 meters into the canyon.
  4. Vértice Trail: a rim walk with wide views down into the gorge and across the plateau.
  5. Rio do Boi Trail: a guided trek along the canyon floor, wading the river among boulders and Atlantic forest.
  6. Araucaria highland forest: the umbrella-shaped pines on the plateau, home to the squirrel-like gralha-azul, a blue jay.
  7. Mirante at the Cotovelo: the bend of the canyon where fog rolls in, showing the cliff walls appearing and vanishing.
… read more 👉
  1. Itaimbezinho Canyon: the park’s signature, a cliff-lined gorge about 5.8 km long with walls up to roughly 720 meters high, and swifts nesting in the rock.
  2. Véu de Noiva Waterfall: a thin fall that drops from the rim and often blows back as spray in strong wind.
  3. Andorinhas Waterfall: seen from the main viewpoint of the Vértice Trail, dropping about 200 meters into the canyon.
  4. Vértice Trail: a rim walk with wide views down into the gorge and across the plateau.
  5. Rio do Boi Trail: a guided trek along the canyon floor, wading the river among boulders and Atlantic forest.
  6. Araucaria highland forest: the umbrella-shaped pines on the plateau, home to the squirrel-like gralha-azul, a blue jay.
  7. Mirante at the Cotovelo: the bend of the canyon where fog rolls in, showing the cliff walls appearing and vanishing.
Together these take a full day, or a day and a half if you add the guided river walk.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

Things to do near Aparados da Serra National Park

Jolimont Winery Tour - Visitation and Tasting - Canela RS

Jolimont Winery Tour - Visitation and Tasting - Canela RS

4.6(1221) 2h
From €27
per personViator
Canela Cable Car Park Ticket

Canela Cable Car Park Ticket

4.0(1194)
From €24
per personViator
Foot of the Cascade Bate and Return 10h00

Foot of the Cascade Bate and Return 10h00

5.0(242) 3h
From €32
per personViator
Quadricycle trip to Morro Pelado 7km 2 people in the Quadri

Quadricycle trip to Morro Pelado 7km 2 people in the Quadri

5.0(237) 45m
From €50
per personViator
Grape and Wine Tour with Maria Smoke and Lunch Included More

Grape and Wine Tour with Maria Smoke and Lunch Included More

4.7(212) 12h
From €83
per personViator
Quadricycle Tour to the Hills with Off Road 15km - 2 people

Quadricycle Tour to the Hills with Off Road 15km - 2 people

5.0(122) 1h 30m
From €85
per personViator
Combo: Platform Entrance, Abusado Adventure, Ferro Passar Museum

Combo: Platform Entrance, Abusado Adventure, Ferro Passar Museum

3.7(328)
From €42
per personViator
Quadricycle Tour to Morro Pelado 7km - 01 person on Quadri

Quadricycle Tour to Morro Pelado 7km - 01 person on Quadri

5.0(66) 45m
From €40
per personViator
Platform Entrance, Including Iron Museum

Platform Entrance, Including Iron Museum

3.6(236)
From €30
per personViator
Quadricycle Tour to the Hills with Off Road 15km - 01 person

Quadricycle Tour to the Hills with Off Road 15km - 01 person

5.0(49) 1h 30m
From €75
per personViator

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🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right time of year

  • Autumn (March to May): Clear, stable days of 12 to 24°C (54 to 75°F) make the Itaimbezinho canyon rim trails sharp and the views reliable, with fewer people than summer.
  • Winter (June to August): Nights drop to around -2 to 5°C (28 to 41°F), frost is common and snow falls some years. Days are short, and lodging in Cambará do Sul rises on July weekends.
  • Spring (September to November): Mild 10 to 22°C (50 to 72°F), with wildflowers and changeable fog.
  • Summer (December to February): Highs reach 25 to 30°C (77 to 86°F), afternoon storms hit often, and Brazilian school holidays bring the biggest crowds and highest prices.
Aim for midweek in April or May, when the canyon is least likely to be fogged in and rooms are cheapest.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: fair for travelingFEBFebruary: fair for travelingMARMarch: fair for travelingAPRApril: fair for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: highly recommended for travelingJULJuly: good for travelingAUGAugust: good for travelingSEPSeptember: highly recommended for travelingOCTOctober: fair for travelingNOVNovember: fair for travelingDECDecember: fair for traveling
brazil-national-park-aparados-da-serra-national-park
© Google | Renato Vaz

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🛏️ Where to stay?How to pick the right area

Cambará do Sul, about 18 km (11 miles) from the Itaimbezinho entrance, is the best base, and there are no lodgings inside Aparados da Serra National Park itself. The town has a handful of hostels and simple pousadas, with dorm beds around US$15 to 25 and private rooms around US$35 to 70. Several pousadas along the roads toward the canyons offer farmhouse-style rooms with wood stoves, useful on cold winter nights. Many sit on working ranches and serve big breakfasts. Book ahead for July, January and holiday weekends. For a cheaper option, Praia Grande sits at the foot of the escarpment on the Santa … read more 👉
Cambará do Sul, about 18 km (11 miles) from the Itaimbezinho entrance, is the best base, and there are no lodgings inside Aparados da Serra National Park itself. The town has a handful of hostels and simple pousadas, with dorm beds around US$15 to 25 and private rooms around US$35 to 70. Several pousadas along the roads toward the canyons offer farmhouse-style rooms with wood stoves, useful on cold winter nights. Many sit on working ranches and serve big breakfasts. Book ahead for July, January and holiday weekends. For a cheaper option, Praia Grande sits at the foot of the escarpment on the Santa Catarina side, with budget guesthouses, though it is far from the trailheads. Nearby Canyon Fortaleza and Serra Geral National Park are also reached from Cambará do Sul.
Best hostels in Brazil


Best quality hotels in Brazil

👛 Costs (as of 19 October 2026)Typical daily expenses

A realistic budget for Aparados da Serra National Park is about US$60 to 100 a day, and the total below comes to US$85 in high season.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Entrance feeAbout US$20Paid per day at the gate, payable in reais. Discounts exist for students and seniors.
Accommodation (high season)US$20 to 45Dorm beds or simple pousada rooms in Cambará do Sul, higher at weekends and holidays.
Local transportUS$10 to 25Taxis or shared transfers to the canyon entrances, since public buses do not reach them.
Food and suppliesUS$12 to 20Self-catering from town markets, plus a café or restaurant meal of regional barbecue or pinhão dishes.
Guide (optional)US$0 to 10Required for the Rio do Boi trail, split among a group.
Total Daily BudgetUS$85Mid-range backpacker day in high season.
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

🥾 TrailsPlan your hike in Aparados da Serra: routes, terrain, and sights

Aparados da Serra National Park has a few well-marked trails: the rim trails start from the Itaimbezinho visitor center near Cambará do Sul, and the Rio do Boi Trail starts on the Praia Grande side in Santa Catarina.
  • Vértice Trail: about 1.7 km round trip, roughly 45 minutes, easy, flat grassland and forest along the canyon rim.
  • Cotovelo Trail: about 6 km round trip, 2 to 3 hours, easy to moderate, ending at the Cotovelo viewpoint over the canyon’s deepest section.
  • Rio do Boi Trail: about 14 km round trip, 5 to 7 hours, hard, guided only, with river crossings and boulder scrambles on the canyon floor.
… read more 👉
Aparados da Serra National Park has a few well-marked trails: the rim trails start from the Itaimbezinho visitor center near Cambará do Sul, and the Rio do Boi Trail starts on the Praia Grande side in Santa Catarina.
  • Vértice Trail: about 1.7 km round trip, roughly 45 minutes, easy, flat grassland and forest along the canyon rim.
  • Cotovelo Trail: about 6 km round trip, 2 to 3 hours, easy to moderate, ending at the Cotovelo viewpoint over the canyon’s deepest section.
  • Rio do Boi Trail: about 14 km round trip, 5 to 7 hours, hard, guided only, with river crossings and boulder scrambles on the canyon floor.
Wildlife includes the gralha-azul, hawks, swifts and the occasional fox on the plateau. Fog can close the views fast, so start at opening. Public transport is limited: buses reach Cambará do Sul from Torres or Praia Grande, and then you need a taxi or a rental car for the last stretch to the gate. The park closes on Mondays, can be crowded on weekends and holidays, and charges an entrance fee, around US$20, with online booking.
⚠️ Hiking info can sometimes be outdated or inaccurate. Before you hit the trail, check the latest conditions with locals. If you do spot anything that's off, I'd love to hear from you, so I can update it for fellow travelers.

🛡️ SafetyStaying Safe: What Travelers Should Know

Aparados da Serra is straightforward and well managed, and the main hazards are weather and edges. Fog rolls into the canyons fast and can hide the rim within minutes, so stay on marked paths and keep well back from unfenced drops. The Cotovelo and Vértice trails are easy, while the Rio do Boi trail is a strenuous full-day hike with river crossings, best done with a guide, and it is closed after heavy rain. Wear shoes with grip, since wet rock and mud are common. Carry a windproof layer even in summer, and bring your own water and snacks. Wildlife is mostly birds and is no concern. Don’t feed animals.
Check Country Safety

FAQTraveler FAQ

Two days is ideal for Aparados da Serra National Park. One day covers the Itaimbezinho canyon rim trails (Cotovelo and Vértice, about 1 to 3 hours), and a second adds nearby Fortaleza Canyon in neighboring Serra Geral National Park or the Rio do Boi trail, a full-day hike.
Yes, but it is awkward. Public buses reach Cambará do Sul from Torres or Praia Grande region hubs, yet nothing runs the roughly 18 km (11 miles) to the Itaimbezinho entrance on Aparados da Serra National Park’s edge. Taxis or arranged transfers cost around US$20 to 40 round trip, and rental cars are common in Porto Alegre.
Yes, Aparados da Serra National Park charges a daily entrance fee of roughly US$20, paid in reais. No separate permit is needed for the rim trails of Itaimbezinho. The Rio do Boi trail requires a licensed guide, and the park is usually closed on Mondays, so check ahead.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Brazilian national parks near Aparados da Serra

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We 💚 feedbackSumming up the experience

Give Aparados da Serra National Park two nights, so you can do the rim trails on one clear morning and keep a spare day for fog. I would pair it with neighboring Serra Geral’s Fortaleza canyon and book the Rio do Boi guide early.

✈️ When did I visit Brazil?
Call it good timing or luck, but I was able to celebrate Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro in February 2022, after a round trip in the north and east coast.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Brazil, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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