The pleasure of travel is a reward earned through a simple formula: working hard to obtain the necessary resources and good planning. The latter, in turn, requires not only financial and logistical organization but also a healthy dose of research.
At the beginning of this year, my wife and I decided that our annual trip would be to southern Brazil, and after some basic research, the cities of Gramado and Canela invariably emerged as options.
I must admit that I feel a certain apprehension about mentioning these two cities around here! He he he! Some Brazilian members of the sub would probably rather recommend Sarajevo, Uganda, or the Gaza Strip as tourist destinations than defend the first two.
As I quickly discovered while researching and asking questions about the destination, people talked a great deal about the area's "artificiality" and how it was supposedly one giant tourist trap.
In the end, the hostility directed toward the place became one of the motivations for conducting some genuine "field research." Could it really be that the destination was nothing more than a massive illusion? I needed to find out. So, we went.
Gramado and Canela seem to disappoint two different types of people:
The "misled" tourist: the traveler who boards the plane believing they are about to visit the "Brazilian Switzerland."
The "distinguished" tourist: the person who heads to the airport expecting the cities to provide a transcendent experience of self-discovery and personal growth.
Both seem to miss the real point of what Gramado and Canela actually are, at least in our opinion.
We flew from Viracopos to Porto Alegre, where we boarded a van that drove us for about two hours along the roads of southern Brazil. The immediate surroundings of the capital caught my attention because, where we come from, it is not very common to travel along highways without seeing hills or small mountains surrounding the landscape. Because of that, the sight of the pampas, with their seemingly endless straight horizons, was quite surprising.
Equally fascinating was noticing, as we approached our destination, the fields gradually giving way to rolling hills. The large plantations around the capital slowly yielded to modest farms and homes, while the temperature steadily became cooler.
We arrived in the city in the early evening, with a light rain running down the vehicle's windows. At that first moment, it was impossible to grasp the true scale and character of the city.
We checked into Hotel Fiorezzi Primo, located near the end of the main avenue, and completed our check-in before unpacking our luggage. I must admit that, coming from a working-class background, I am not accustomed to being "served," and I even get a little embarrassed by it. So, when I arrived at the hotel and people immediately rushed to open the door, carry my bags, and offer me a hot chocolate, I was a bit lost. He he he!
Don't get me wrong, this is not a complaint. It is simply an observation about how extraordinarily welcoming, attentive, and helpful the hotel staff were. The room was simple, organized, and clean, while also being extremely comfortable and cozy. I must admit that this hotel raised my standards regarding what a stay needs to provide in order to be considered excellent. I have no complaints whatsoever.
Shortly after settling in, we decided to unwind from the long journey by going out for dinner. Since we had set aside a generous budget for the occasion, we searched for the highest-rated restaurant we could find in order to begin our vacation on the right foot. Following that idea, we ended up heading to Pastaciutta.
As we left the hotel, the rain was still falling lightly around us. The cold, I must say, lived up to expectations; the walk to the restaurant was surprisingly chilly.
And this is where our analysis truly begins.
Gramado's main avenue is curiously picturesque. It becomes immediately apparent that it was designed to feel special. The combination of rain-soaked streets reflecting the lights of German-inspired facades, together with the cold of that rainy evening, made our first encounter with the city's appearance feel natural and organic.
We did not travel there expecting to find a European city, nor did we arrive expecting a theme park. Perhaps that balanced perspective allowed us to judge the place without preconceived biases.
It is curious, in any case, to visit places that are described in reviews as "special." As mentioned earlier, we went to a restaurant on the famous Covered Street. This attraction, which social media often portrays as one of Gramado's major landmarks, can easily be used to understand part of the resentment directed toward the city.
After all, despite being a tourist landmark, it is exactly what its name suggests: it is a street, and it is covered. Do you see what I mean?
Much of what can be found in downtown Gramado shares this same characteristic. These are places designed to be whimsical, entertaining, and cozy, but those expecting something magical and life-changing may leave disappointed and return home questioning the city's artificiality.
The same applies to the most famous and heavily promoted attractions, as these are the places that come closest to what many people describe as tourist traps.
If your trip to the region is limited to theme parks such as Mini Mundo, the Wax Museum, and Snowland, or if you choose to eat exclusively at themed restaurants, I have little doubt that your overall impression will be disappointing. In the places I visited, a sense of artificiality genuinely came through in the exaggerated performances and presentations. We merely walked past the "Cara de Mau" pizzeria (A pirate themed restaurant), but that alone was enough to make us lose any interest in trying it.
The real experience, which can even be surprisingly enriching, requires a little more effort. There is a large number of genuinely interesting places around Gramado. The photos below show some of them: Mátria Flower Park, Garden Park, Le Jardin, Caracol Park, and Lago Negro (Black Lake).
I could describe the unique qualities of each of them, but if the old saying is true and "a picture is worth a thousand words," then what are several pictures worth?
After dinner, it did not take long for us to return to the hotel. The following day, we dedicated our itinerary to exploring the main avenue, and despite everything we had heard, downtown Gramado did not disappoint us. We took photos of the church, enjoyed tea and hot chocolate in the small shops surrounding the street, and appreciated how the persistent cold made every warm drink taste even better.
The following days were spent visiting the places mentioned above. In order not to make this account excessively long, I will simply say that we returned home with the case closed.
As is often the case with famous tourist destinations, the willingness to research places that are genuinely worthwhile, rather than limiting yourself to excessively themed attractions, is what ultimately makes the difference in shaping your memories. If you focus only on places designed solely to extract money from visitors without offering a special experience in return, you will almost certainly end up disappointed.
On the other hand, if you broaden your options and seek out less obvious and more authentic destinations, it will not matter whether your trip is to the most famous tourist hotspot imaginable. The final balance will remain positive, and your memories will endure untouched by whatever setbacks may arise along the way.
My conclusion after this vacation is that, if you know how to separate the wheat from the chaff, even the most popular destination can hide gems and provide truly memorable experiences.
Also, I wish I could post more photos, so I do hope the twenty I selected can do these stories justice.