When the Rio Grande do Sul plateau simply ENDS — sheared off as if by a knife — the aparados of the range are born. Their king is the Itaimbezinho: 5.8 km long, 720 meters deep, and walls where waterfalls drop so far that they turn to mist before they reach the bottom. It is the most famous canyon in Brazil and the gateway to the Cambará do Sul circuit.
How to visit
The main access is through Cambará do Sul, in Rio Grande do Sul (~190 km from Porto Alegre), with the park managed by the Urbia concession: entry ~R$ 107 (buy online), Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 5pm. The new facilities brought a visitor center, cafés and refurbished walkways — the comfort went up along with the crowds; arrive early.
The trails along the rim
- Trilha do Vértice (1.7 km, easy, ~45 min) — the classic viewpoints with the Andorinhas falls (which the wind blows upwards!) and the Véu da Noiva dropping into the abyss.
- Trilha do Cotovelo (6 km, moderate for distance, ~2h30) — flat along the rim to the “elbow” viewpoint, where the canyon bends.
The trail down below: Rio do Boi
From the Santa Catarina side (Praia Grande), the Trilha do Rio do Boi runs along the FLOOR of the canyon: 14 km there and back along the river bed, with dozens of water crossings and the 700 m walls closing off the sky — an accredited guide is compulsory, 5-7 hours, one of the great walks of southern Brazil (it closes in rain because of the real risk of a flash flood). Intense effort, permanent memory.
When to go
May to August: dry air and maximum visibility (get up early — on many days the mist closes the viewpoints after 11am); wind and cold are part of the deal. Summer has fuller waterfalls and cloudy afternoons. Always pair it with the neighboring Cânion Fortaleza — the full comparison is in the article Itaimbezinho or Fortaleza?.
🥾 Who is it for?
Effort: light on the Vértice, moderate on the Cotovelo, intense on the Rio do Boi. Children: the Vértice from the pushchair (holding hands at the viewpoints!); the Cotovelo 6+; the Rio do Boi 12-14+. Older travelers and people with disabilities: the Trilha do Vértice has accessible sections refurbished by the concession — the great viewpoints are reachable; the Cotovelo is flat but long. A 720 m canyon that almost anyone can see up close: a rarity worldwide.