Rio Grande Do Sul

Rio Grande do Sul is the region often referred to as the cowboy country. It is also Brazil's chief wine producer. Porto Alegre is capital and is the most industrialised city in the south. The region has great beaches, interesting coastal national parks and the fine scenery of the Serra Gaucha. On the border with Santa Catarina is the remarkable Aparados da Serra National Park. In the far west of this region is the remains of a Jesuit missions.

Within this region the Great Escarpment runs down the coastal area as far as Porto Alegre. South of Tubarao is the hills of southern Rio Grande do Sul, which are fringed along the coast by sandbars and lagoons. In southern Rio Grande do Sul there are great grasslands stretching to the boarders of Uruguay Argentina. This is the area where the region gets its nickname of the land of the gaucho. The population now number over nine million. The gaucho culture is increasingly developing a sense of distance from the African-influenced culture of further north.

Here are some points that will make your trip more pleasant:
1) Take good care in your personal hygiene and dress to avoid ridicule and to fit in with the locals.
2) Remember to be polite by removing headdress (males) and shaking hands and waits for a reply before proceeding.
3) Be patient and don’t criticise.
4) When taking photographs with locals in them, always ask permission.
5) Generally be wary of what you do to avoid offending or causing trouble.

Most of Brazil can be visited comfortably throughout the year - it's only the south, which can be unbearably sticky in summer and non-stop rainy in winter, that has extreme seasonal changes. With many Brazilians on summer vacation from December to February, travel can be difficult and expensive, while from Rio to the south the humidity can be oppressive.
Summer is also the most festive time of year, as Brazilians escape their apartments and take to the beaches and streets. School holidays begin in mid-December and go through to Carnaval, usually in late February