This is the town where Brazil turns into another country: Urubici, in the Serra Catarinense, has collected the national cold records (wind chills of −40 °C have been registered in the region!), sees snow almost every winter and surrounds all of it with canyons, waterfalls and valleys of araucária pines. The ecotourist finds here the rare combination: an alpine landscape with the soul of the Santa Catarina countryside.
Getting there
Around 170 km from Florianópolis, with the most epic arrival in Brazil for anyone coming up from the coast: the Serra do Corvo Branco, whose 90-meter rock cut is the largest in the country (the road itself is the attraction — viewpoints and glass walkways at the Parque Altos do Corvo Branco). A car is essential; in winter, check for chains and snow on the mountain roads.
What to do
- Morro da Igreja + Pedra Furada — the viewpoint at 1,822 m with the view of the most famous pierced rock in the South (full article: Morro da Igreja).
- Cascata Véu de Noiva — 62 m dropping beside the town (R$ 15, with facilities).
- Cascata do Avencal — a 100 m fall with rappelling and a zip line at the lip.
- Vale das Utopias and the country lanes — high-altitude wineries, willow plots and colonial tea rooms of Latvian and German descent.
- Rock inscriptions — yes, Urubici has millennia-old panels (Morro do Avencal), an archaeological mystery in the middle of the highlands.
When to go
Winter (June to August) for the cold as spectacle: daily frosts, a chance of snow and the highlands gilded with ice — book WELL in advance. Spring and summer for full waterfalls, green trails and civilised temperatures. All year round: cold nights and a starry highland sky.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: light — Urubici is a destination of viewpoints reached by car and short walks; longer trails are optional. Children: snow (with luck), waterfalls and strawberries picked off the plant — a guaranteed childhood. Older travelers and people with reduced mobility: excellent — the great sights (Morro da Igreja, Corvo Branco, Véu de Noiva) are reached by vehicle plus a few short steps; the extreme cold is the only real concern (layers and heating in the car).
