Chácara Villagio das Pedras

The surrounding forest is dotted with splendid waterfalls, such as Cascata Jammerthal (reached by a trail starting a 15-minute drive from the site), which thunders down along what looks like a gigantic boulder, and Cascata da Helga (20 minutes), in lush surrounds. Cascata Marcondes (half an hour) has several steps and a natural swimming pool. The Botanical Garden in Caxias do Sul (one hour) takes in a large area of forest along the banks of the Rio Tega and sits next door to an ecopark with sports facilities and a children’s playground. In town, the Museu Ambiência Casa de Pedra explores the life of Italian immigrants who moved to the area in the 1870s. A corner of Germany in the south of Brazil, Novo Hamburgo (one hour) is home to the half-timbered Schmitt-Presser Museum and the vertical columns of the Monument to the Shoemaker. A 20-minute drive further south takes you to Park Zoo Sapucaia do Sul, home to zebras, primates and rhinos.