Known for chocolate, charming architecture, Christmas decorations, gastronomy, and an exciting mix of cultures, people come to Gramado and Canela to experience something different.
This is where German, Italian, Eastern European, and Portuguese culture blend with gaucho and indigenous influences. The natural surroundings and picturesque town centers add magic to the setting, making them great destinations for enjoying the finer things in life.
The Difference Between Canela and Gramado
While Canela and Gramado present a different scene from one another, only 7km set them apart. It won’t make a big difference where you decide to base yourself. You should visit both anyways, and moving between them is as easy as going between neighborhoods.
While Canela has a slightly more authentic vibe, Gramado presents more restaurants and bars. Canela is often described as ‘more value for money’ in terms of accommodation, eating out, etc, while Gramado offers more fancy options. Canela is closer to nature reserves, but you’ll most likely drive there anyway, so it won’t matter.
Experiencing Canela
I stayed in a pousada in Canela run by Angelo, a local gaucho who ticked off my checkboxes for a stereotype cowboy. Nicknamed ‘The voice of the South’, which he had printed as a logo on everything from his car, to shirts, he’s known for his music and work within the local tourism sector for the past 30 years.
The center of Canela consists of one main street, where restaurants, bars, cafes, and chocolate stores are lined up next to each other. While you don’t need more than 1-2 hours to see most of it, there are enough charming places for you to be wanting to stay longer.
The Cathedral, known for its unique gothic style and impressive daily light show at 8.20pm, is one of the main attractions. Once the show is over, the Caracol Cafe, is a great stop for what might be one of the best hot chocolates you’ve ever had.
What to eat in Canela
The food is amazing in Canela and Gramado. Cafe colonial, fondue, churrasco, and galeto are some of the most-tries among the local specialties. Below are a few great places to get you started.
Empório Canela – Inviting, delicious, and always open
Fernanda, who runs this lovely restaurant with her partner, describes Empório Canela as Canela; Simple, inviting, warm, and always open. The decor reminds of a hip grandma’s house. The charm is in the details, including colorful table cloths, a vintage sewing machine, and unique paintings. The personal service and locally produced ingredients are other differentiators, contributing to an ambiance where you can spend hours.
Enjoy the cute terrace, main seating area, and patio, or buy everything from home decorations made by local talents, to books in their lovely shop. Their own cookbook features several dishes from the menu.
The menu is influenced by Italian cuisine and all about authenticity. The chef Roberta speaks fluent Italian and has become a local icon. The rice of my Lamb Risotto has just the right texture. The meat is juicy, and everything is mixed together with the perfect amount of creaminess. Combine with your selection of beer, drinks, fresh juices, milkshakes, hot chocolate, or coffee.
Other highlights are the Filé Recheado (stuffed filé), the fresh salmon, and desserts such as Torta Três Chocolates (3 chocolate cake) and the banana cheesecake. A cute local lady bakes their Apple Strudel and has been doing so for the past 12 years.
The couple opened their second restaurant Magnolia 5 years ago, which I didn’t have the time to try. It’s bigger, with a chicer vibe perfect for events, and as far as reviews go, with food that is as delicious.
Garfo & Bombacha – Churrasco and Gaucho Traditions
Photo: Bonitour
At night, we head to Garfo & Bombacha. An iconic restaurant, known for its churrasco and traditional gaucho show. The concept is touristy, but still authentic in a way, since the team is passionate about the gaucho lifestyle. My (real) cowboy host Angelo has been working here for 20 years. The shows are good, ranging from couples and solo performances, to fire shows.
The churrasco is served with a varied buffet of hot dishes, salads, desserts, and the traditional barbecue with cuts of meats of the highest quality.
The gaúcho culture is often associated with the early Argentine, Paraguayan and Uruguayan vagabonds who shepherd animals during the original European settling of southeastern Latin America. It’s more than a dress code. It’s about beliefs, respect, being humble, and praising the land. Many see themselves as gauchos first, then as Brazilians. The common local saying; “When God created the earth in six days, he spent five days on Rio Grande do Sul”, says something about how proud the locals are.
Over the next few days, I have lunch at Churrascaria Canela em Brasa, a simple restaurant with a familiar vibe, serving a delicious churrasco.
They offer a rodizio with 14 different kinds of meat, accompanied by a varied buffet of hot dishes, cheese, salads, and desserts. The service is personal and great. While it’s quiet when I’m there, it usually gets crowded, since many of the bigger tourists buses stop here for lunch throughout the week.
The Winery Jolimont
If you’re a wine lover, get your dose at the boutique winery Jolimont in Canela. It produces a limited amount of old-style wines. After a tour with our guide Renato, we try most of the best wines. Ranging from Moscato, white wine, a dry cabernet sauvignon, a sweet blended red, a merlot and their prize-winning Moscatel sparkling wine, grape juice, and their recently introduced champaign beer. You should visit the nearby town Bento Goncalves if wine is your main focus, but Jolimont offers a good selection. The property is gorgeous too, making you feel far away from the center.
There are also smaller shops in Canela and Gramado, where you can try cheese, salami, and marmalades, paired with wines such as Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot.
Nature Experiences in Canela and Gramado
Apart from the gastronomy, many come to Canela and Gramado for nature. The park Caracol, known for its waterfalls, is one of the highlights. Located between the pine forest zone and the Atlantic forest, a short drive away from the center of Canela, the 130m tall Caracol waterfall has become one of the most visited natural attractions in Brazil. Formed by the Caracol River, falling into the Lageana Valley, the vistas are worth your time.
Photo: Wonder Mondo
A 927 step trail takes you to the base of the falls. Visit the viewing point, where there are cafes and even a slung ride, or take a cable car for a different perspective. While you don’t need much time to get here, you can easily spend hours enjoying the views.
Later I’m invited for a horse ride with Angelo and his wife. A local man has devoted his life to the 12 horses. He lives in the house next door and spends all his time here.
The sun sets just as we take off, spoiling us with stunning views of the landscape. We gallop under the stars. Magical doesn’t give it justice.
Touring Gramado’s City Centre
Gramado is a charming town, rather than a cute little village. There are more restaurants, bars, chocolatiers, hotels – and tourists, in comparison with Canela. Several attractions, such as the Black Lake, a gorgeous park perfect for walks, are located a few minutes away. The center is full of cute houses with architecture inspired by Northern Europe.
Several events take place here. The biggest are The Gramado Film Festival in August and The Christmas of Lights, which offers more than 500 attractions. The Christmas Event, which attracted 2 million visitors last year, is said to be the biggest Christmas event in the world.
Serrazul, Hotel Recanto da Serra, and Bavaria Sport Hotel are finer hotels, known for a cozy ambiance, great location, and service.
Chocolate tasting in Gramado
Gramado is a chocolate lover’s dream.
Prawer, which has been awarded the best artisan chocolate in Brazil, Lugano, and Caracol ended up becoming my favorites. The service is great, with knowledgeable staff and innovative flavors. I’ll publish a more detailed overview of the chocolate brands in Gramado over the coming weeks.
What to eat in Gramado
I’ve lunch at Vale Quanto Pesa, a per-kilo buffet restaurant serving a fresh selection of traditional dishes. From meat and feijoada to seafood, and salads. Everything looks fresh and taste authentic.
My next stop is Velha Bruxa. A cute cafe located by Rua Coberta that has been around for 40+ years. It was introduced by Prawer and is known for its amazing sweets. The menu naturally features a lot of chocolate from Prawer. I have a crepe with strawberries, banana, and chocolate, with cheese ice cream. It’s big, with lots of chocolate, and so delicious.
The ice cream is a house specialty and full of flavor. The combination is so good that I could have stayed there eating all night long. Apart from sweets, salty options include pizzas and sandwiches. While you can have that as well, make sure to have something with chocolate. You won’t regret it.
Bela Vista – One of the Best Cafes Colonial
Don’t leave Gramado and Canela without having Cafe Colonial once. Cafe Colonial is a typical tradition for cities of German, Polish and Ukrainian origin. In Brazil, it’s common in the state of Santa Catarina and Rio do Sul, including Gramado and Canela.
Bela Vista has transformed from a small shop into a well-established venue known for one of the best Cafe Colonials in Gramado. The concept is based on the genius idea of putting all your favorite things to eat on the table, at the same time. These days, restaurants serve up to 80+ goodies. From traditional polentas and sausages to marmalades, sauces, homemade pasta, chicken, ham, cakes, soups, and more. While Bela Vista’s cafe contains a more sweet than salty options, it’s tasty and you won’t need to eat more for hours. The service is great.
Fondue, Italian, and Meat
I have fondue at Bercari Restaurante e Fondue. Starting with cheese, followed by meat, and chocolate fondue with fruits. The cheese is addictively good and you can, as in most places, eat until you literally can’t take any more. The staff is attentive.
Galeto Italia is another great option for dinner when you’re in the mood for Italian. We got a tasty soup for starters, followed by delicious pasta and meat served at the table as a rodizio. The Argentinian restaurant Malbec will satisfy your cravings when you’re in the mood for meat. They also offer fondue, which I’ve heard is good, but I didn’t try it.
If you’ve been to Argentina, you’ll recognize classics such as Bife Chorizo and Ojo de Bife (Rib eye) on the menu. The meat is served with 6 different salsas. I’ve mine with oven-baked vegetables and sweet potato. The prices are higher and you can get better value for money at other restaurants if that’s your main prio. It’s elegant and delicious though, with similar quality as the meat I’ve had in Argentina.
A Great Mix Of Different Worlds
The offering is constantly developing in Gramado and Canela. Ranging from a Christmas land and Mini Mondo to romantic hotels, a mini Jurassic Park, cuisine, nature, and spas. While they often are described as perfect winter destinations, there is never a bad time to come here. The winter season is extra cozy, and also more crowded.
The area is touristy but still got its personality. It doesn’t give you the gringo feeling (yet), since the majority of the tourists come from Latin America. While many tourists only come here to eat and enjoy themselves in the center, there are many possibilities to connect with the authentic gaucho culture through the people, the food, and activities, as long as you take initiatives. Canela and Gramado offer a great mix of different worlds and something else in comparison with the rest of Brazil.
More delicious food in Gramado and Canela
Gramado and Canela are famous for amazing cuisine. Here are a few extra tips that my local friends have recommended but I didn’t get the chance to try this time.
- Cantina Pastasciutta: Some say that you’ll find the best pasta in Gramado here
- Trattoria Bonniato: Run by a family, with amazing Italian food and service
- Doze and C’est Mieux: Many locals love this place for fondue
- Galeto Nonna Tena: Just like the name implies, you come here for (delicious) Galeto
- Churrascaria Chama de Fogo: The churrasco here makes every meat-lover happy
- Gram Beer: This is a local brewery which apart from great beer, offers good pub food to go with it
- Kongo Pizzeria and Cara de Mau: Great pizzas. The second one combines pizza with a pirate show
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