Porto Alegre: The Perfect Picnic City

Porto Alegre defined, means “Happy Harbor” or “Joyous Port” and that is just what this city is. It is the capital city of Rio Grande do Sul, the most Southern state of Brazil and is known as one of the most important political, cultural and economic centers of Brazil.

The city sits where five rivers all run together to form an enormous freshwater lagoon that can accommodate even the largest ships. This port has become a chief commercial center for
Brazil.

Port Alegre is one of the most wealthy cities located in Latin America and is also one of the most diverse. Most of the residents have come from Germany, Portugal, Italy, Poland and Spain but there are also a large number of Jewish and Arab contingents.

This city is in a sub tropical zone with regular levels of precipitation throughout the year making it very humid. Spring is the driest season but it does bring some occasional fog resulting in flight delays.

Port Alegre is known for its vast forests and there are many conservation programs established to protect the trees that are native to the area and there are a few parks here that are guaranteed to impress you. Farroupila Park offers a mini zoo, a solar retreat and bowling fields while the Mauricio Sirotsky Sobrinho Park will delight you with a gaucho farm, an aero modeling track and over 100 barbeque grills. If you are looking for a picnic, this is the place to go.

Breathtaking botanical gardens find their home in Porto Alegre with 43 hectares of gardens and presents over 725 species of plants. If you’re looking for alternative forms of vegetation you can head over to Lami Biological Reserve that shelters a terrarium of native saplings. This peculiar atmosphere grows over 300 Vegetal species and a large amount of animal species. There are many aquatic things living amongst these swamps and reeds.

Porto Alegre is known for a nightlife full of diversity. It has been compared to New York in a micro-scale sort of way. This city loves music so you are sure to find something to draw you in as you walk down the strip.

The cuisine in this city gets an honorable mention as well. Food is eclectic here and it is not uncommon for beans and rice to be paired up with German and Italian dishes and Colonial coffee acts like 5pm tea with pies and breads popular among Southern Germans.

If you are looking for an upscale city with beautiful scenery and some unbelievable nightlife then you should check out the unique city of Porto Alegre.