Things to do in Curitiba

December 11, 2008 12:36 PM

Vacation to Curitiba - What should I make sure I see? Should I be more psyched to be going?

So it seems as though I have committed to visiting a college buddy in Buenos Aires this January, and since my mother has started spending her Jan-Mar in Curitiba I feel silly about going down there and not taking an extra week or two to see her and the place she's decided to slowly move to full time - but for some reason I'm just not that stoked about going. And it really has nothing to do with my mom.

A few questions

- I've travelled pretty widely throughout the North America and Europe, and spent a summer in Central Asia - but really I have no idea what to expect here. The tourist sites seem to compare it to Spain. Is that fair? I just have images of Favelas in my head. I know that's not fair or correct, but I can help it.

- Are there any particular must see things in Curitiba itself or in the surrounding areas. I'd imagine my girlfriend and I might want to hit the ocean for a day or two - my mom is rather anti-Florianopolis - calling it Florida like. Is that true? We are almost def going to Iguacu Falls

-Any personal reccs for places to stay - preferably something non-chain like, but nice - Money isn't really an issue (anything less then $250/day is probably ok). Same goes for the beach and the falls. Doesn't have to be a hotel either. Rental apartments, guesthouses, etc would all work.

-What sort of weather should I expect? Is it going to be like Florida in the summer (hot, humid, hazy, etc). Is there some comp in the Northern Hemisphere in terms of climate?

-Thoughts on best way to get from BA to Curitiba? is there a non-flying route that makes sense? By rental car maybe? Or is that just crazy. Its far, but if the ride is interesting I'd be up for it.

posted by JPD to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

Wow... great opportunity.

I lived in Curitiba from 2002-03. I've done a lot of the things you suggest.

Curitiba "nao tem mar, tem bar". It's inland, but not far from some very laid back beach scene. Check out Ilha do Mel in particular.

$250 a day is a massive amount of money there.

Weather: it rains. A lot. It's about 1000m above sea level, almost straight up a ridge that makes for interesting travel down to the beach. Take the train if you have the time - it's a good day out. Morretes and Antonina are lovely. I could imagine retiring to Antonina.

I grew up in Pittsburgh, and Curitiba in some ways reminds me of Pittsburgh. It's got an old Portuguese center, but the new neighborhoods are full of immigrants from Italy, Ukraine, Poland, etc. Nearby is Santa Felicidade, which is an Italian enclave and is famous for its massive restaurants.

As for favelas, Curitiba has them but they aren't like Rio's - they are just flat slum neighborhoods, and they are reasonably far out in the fringes.

Curitiba has famous public transport - all run by multi-coach buses on fast arteries through the town. There's a good circular bus tour that can show you the highlights in about 4 hours. Not the most scenic place, but it certainly has charms.

I would recommend a trip to a little place called Pasargada in the hills to the northwest of Curitiba. It's no great shakes - just a rural farm and vineyard. But it has a special feel. Country-style food.

There are a lot of other places, but I imagine it has changed a lot in five year. It is one of the fastest growing cities in Brazil, if not the world. It's modern, a little crowded, and it has an old soul. You are lucky!

It's hard to get non chain-like places to stay in Curitiba, though dead easy to get posadas in places on the coast (like Ilha do Mel - again, highly recommended). When in Curitiba we stayed in Parthenon hotels which were like apart-hotels with a mini kitchen. But you don't need the kitchen - it's cheap and easy to eat out and there are some fun places. It has a lot of ethnic cuisines as a result of all the immigrants - and this stretches to Chinese, Japanese as well.

As for getting around, we drove as far as Porto Alegre (via Florianopolis, which is not like Florida, but which is pretty good nonetheless and has a lot of beaches). You can fly from BA to CWB via Porto Alegre if you don't feel like going all the way to Sao Paulo and then down (though the latter is probably just as fast). We did that once. I think it would be a long drive otherwise. The roads aren't great. They're ok, but think long stretches on busy two-lane highway and you'll get the picture. It's a good way to see the southern Brazilian coastline. IIRC it's about 700km from Curitiba to Porto Alegre and it takes at least a day. Watch out for horrible traffic in the mountains between Curitiba and Florianopolis. I'm not sure you could rent a car from BA to Curitiba, but you can get one from Porto Alegre for sure - it just probably isn't worth the effort.

Wow...that's already a lot of memories for me. MeFiMail me if you want some more pointers or possibly some personal introductions.
posted by sagwalla at 1:03 PM on December 11, 2008

We are almost def going to Iguacu Falls
Make that you are definitely going to Iguacu. It's fantastic, and can eat up 2-3 days of your trip very quickly. The Argentine side has bigger falls and more trails, but also more people. The town itself is nothing to right home about. If you're an engineer, I recommend going into Paraguay for the day to visit Itaipu, the giant hydroelectric plant.

Its far, but if the ride is interesting I'd be up for it.
Road trips in Brazil are kinda like in the US, but with more random speed bumps in the highway. There's not a lot going on between here and there. I've taken the bus around there, and it's boring. Also, you should be concerned about whether taking a rental across the border would violate your contract (and insurance), and whether you would be able to return it in Argentina (unless you want to do the drive again). Argentine long-distance buses are classy, and if you insist on not flying, could be an option.
posted by whatzit at 2:39 PM on December 11, 2008

Perhaps a long shot, but...

The entire city is a tourism and learning opportunity for anyone interested in green/environmentally friendly design. Curitiba is one of the few ecologically planned cities in the world (the aforementioned amazing public transit system is part of this). The large amount of greenspace in the city is more than a love for public parkland, it's a natural drainage system that has allowed the city to avoid expensive engineered drainage solutions. A cultural and resource preservation initiative rewards and requires preservation of historic buildings. The city funds a free University for the Environment, offering practical courses on understanding and minimizing the environmental impacts of daily life. If you have any interest in green design, spend some time learning how the city works.
posted by Derive the Hamiltonian of... at 3:05 PM on December 11, 2008 [1 favorite]

You can probably keep yourself busy for a few days doing tourism stuff, but that's about it. If you don't know anyone there to socialize with, it'll get old. You'll want to make excursions to the beach or Vila Velha (highly recommended). I'd definitely go to Foz de Iguaçu. There's a museum to Niemeyer, which is interesting if you're into architecture.

Have fun :)
posted by jewzilla at 8:58 PM on December 11, 2008

Curitiba is one of my favorite cities in the world. You'll have a terrific time.

Iguacu: Go. After seeing the falls on foot (dig all the butterflies on the trail), we loved taking the helicopter ride at the nearby hotel around the falls. Yeah, I know how that sounds, but it's not expensive and totally worth the view of this magnificent place.

favelas: not pleasant, but not terrible. (But stay away from Rio and Sao Paulo).

Don't know how long you are staying, but a trip down the Pantanal is something not many people know to do. It is richer in biodiversity and more beautiful than the Amazon.

I don't think you'll get much rain in January. It will be warm at the beach (couple hours away). Taking the train to the coast is fun, but so is driving and being able to stop along the way, sample roadside fruit juice stands (exotic fruits), and getting out to experience the atlantic rain forest.

Have a great time.
posted by artdrectr at 10:00 PM on December 11, 2008

In Curitiba:
Touristy stuff: Visit the wireframe Opera (even if there's nothing playing, just check out the place, it's cool), the Botanical Garden, and the 24 hour street. But yeah, if you stay at a hotel you'll see a million flyers for those.
Drink some weird flavored "gasosa" (soft drinks). When I used to vacation there (granted, 15 years ago) they had some flavors like watermelon. This is [or was] the cheap stuff (think Shasta), so you'll have to look for it (if it still exists).
I also second about "bar". Find a bar, and spend the evening drinking beer and eating apperitives (mandioca frita, coxinha, bolinho de bacalhau...)
Don't worry about favelas/poverty/thirdworldness. Curitiba is heavily planned, and has a fairly high Human Development Index.
What people said about not much stuff to do. After a couple of weeks, I think it'll get old. Take your time on the drive there, and then plan some trips to the beach or nearby cities.

"Nearby" (remember "Brazil nearby" is like "US nearby", not "Europe nearby" - we're talking about 4 hour+ long drives)
Check Blumenau in Santa Catarina state. It's a German-colonized place, quite interesting (although you missed the Oktoberfest).
For beaches, I don't know much about that area, but from what I hear about Florianopolis, "Florida-like" is unfair (unless that's exclusively talking about the climate).
I second Itaipu, the big-ass power plant. Very impressive, it's like an engineergasm. Also Foz do Iguacu.
If you go to the beach, eat some fried fish/shrimp and drink beer in the beach kiosks. You'll feel more Brazilian :) Just beware that the mass-produced beer is a bit worse/waterier than American mass-produced drafts (yes, that's possible), although there's a small brewery in Blumenau called Eisenbahn that's good, and the premium brands (Original, Bohemia, Serra Malte) will be tolerable. Don't drink Kaiser, it's awful and will give you a headache.
posted by qvantamon at 11:54 PM on December 11, 2008

Also, if you want to test your digestive system, eat a street hot dog with everything. You'll see what's a hot dog with everything. Not for the weak of stomach.
posted by qvantamon at 12:03 AM on December 12, 2008