Curitiba is a really great city to explore but around this Southern city are some really cool places you could visit. All of these places are under a two hour drive from Curitiba except Buraco do Padre, but only by 10 minutes more. These day trips are all in nature parks and if you like to do some hiking and other outdoor activities then these trips are highly recommended! I have loved these trips and it is a welcome change from the huddle and bustle of the city. Note that any of the day trips down below will be more busy on the weekends than during the week.
Vilha Velha parque
Only 1,5 hours from Curitiba is this beautiful gem. When one of my Dutch friends came over we decided we wanted to go. Luckily a Brazilian friend, with a car, wanted to come with us because it’s not easy to reach the park with public transportation. (On the website they do have some information on how to get there by bus but I definitely recommend going by car because if you miss it you are stuck.)
We were really surprised by the park with its huge sandstone formations and sinkholes or vertical caves. The Sandstones started to form 300 million years ago, after the compaction and hardening of frequent layers of sand. We started by doing a small hike and learning more about the sandstone rocks. They had some fun information boards where they showed different rocks that looked like animals, objects and people. We saw the magnificent cup rock and learned that you could do a nocturnal tour. We didn’t do that but I can imagine it would be pretty awesome.
You can bring your own bike to cycle around too. We didn’t bring them so we took the park bus to go to the golden pond and after that to the area where the caves were. There is a zipline and you will go over the caves if you choose to go. When you go to the park you can book the zipline there and you will receive a time slot for you to go and do the zipline. Because of a lot of rainfall the tree top tour was closed because it was too slippery.
If you like to hike there is a 16km intense walk through an area of even more rock formations and a river. At the entrance of the park you have a little shop and a restaurant with a big playground for kids. Even if you spend a full day here you will not have seen and done everything. There are two parts in the park that are accessible for people in a wheelchair. These are a small part of the easy hike and the cup rock formation and the golden pond. The restaurant and entrance are accessible to. Unfortunately the caves are not easy to reach due to stairs in different places. If you have difficulty walking you could do it slowly. The bus that goes there has a high step so take note of that.
The price of the park is dependent on what things you want to do. The most common ticket is the combo ticket which is $R120. But I advise you to check the website to see the current prices. The park is open from 9-17h on Tuesday till Sunday. The parking is not included. It’s $R 25 for a car.
You can buy a ticket online but it could be that you need to have a CPF number. But you can also buy the ticket at the entrance.
Going with the train to Morretes and Antonina
The best part of this trip is not the destination but the experience of going there. The Serra Verde train ride is a very beautiful way to get to Morretes. It goes through a mountain area full of rainforest and rivers. You could go by car which is way faster at 1h and 10 minutes versus almost 4h by train but then you won’t have these amazing views. Because I lived in Curitiba for two years I had the chance to go twice and I loved it both times.
You can book your ticket online but it can be tricky if you have a credit card. You may need to try it again if it fails. There are two options; either you go from Curitiba to Morretes or the other way round. I loved the first because the highlight of the trip was just before you arrive in Morretes and if you do it the other way around you are probably tired and for the part closer to Curitiba it isn’t that interesting. We took the bus back to Curitiba at the end of the day because it’s cheaper than the train.
When we arrived in Morretes, we were in need of lunch. If you go outside the station, turn right and the first street left. Now you have a little park on your left. Just walk straight ahead and at the church turn left. Now you are in the town center. The local dish you can try is called Barreado, this traditional stew is usually made with vegetables, meat or seafood and is served with rice and some salad. One of the best restaurants in town is the white and blue building next to the water. On your right if you came from the church.
After lunch we walked around for a little bit and checked out some cute stores and looked at the colorful houses. After that we took a taxi to Antonina. This historic town is close to the sea and was built by the Portuguese in the 18th century. There are lots of beautiful houses, churches and restaurants with vibrant colors. We walked around the town and went to the pier. After a refreshing walk and an ice cream we had are last stop at the old station of Morretes and then to the bus stop. For this last part we also use a taxi because it’s about 20 minutes by car from Morretes to Antonina. We took the bus back to Curitiba at the end of the afternoon.
The train is $R180 but check the ticket price on their website for the most accurate information. There is a drink and a snack included and you can buy some souvenirs in the train if you are interested.
The bus prices are depending on what day and time you go but check here for more details.
The train and bus have steps so if you are not able to walk at all then it isn’t possible to access them. But if you are able to take some steps you could do it. The train ride is quite long and at some places quite bumpy, just so you know. If your energy is low after a day like this you could consider staying here in a hotel and travel back another day.
Ilha do Mel or literally translated into Island of honey
In my opinion this was a day well worth spending time and effort on! We left very early in the morning to drive to the little port in Pontal do Sul. From here there are multiple boats going to the island. We parked the car in a car park and bought our tickets. There are multiple ports you can get off the boat so it will be between 30-45 minutes by boat.
We wanted to walk around the island and see different things so we got off the boat at the first stop. There we used the restrooms before walking over the beautiful beaches to go to the fort that was called: Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora dos Prazeres de Paranaguá. It was incredibly hot so we stopped at one of the many beach bars and had a drink. The fort itself was very interesting and even had some canons that were displayed. This fort was built by the Portuguese and was used as defense for the mainland.
From the fort we rented a speedboat to go to the lighthouse. The climb was not too bad and the view was amazing. The color of the sea was so beautiful. We walked from the lighthouse to the mean beach ‘Praia de Encantadas’ to have lunch and the walk was really nice. Some areas were a bit of a climb but we were rewarded with gorgeous views. At one of the many available restaurants we found a buffet with traditional Brazilian food. After a very late lunch we still wanted to see the cave at Morro das Encantadas. After that we had a lovely dip in the sea before heading back to the port at Praia de Encantadas. The last boat to the mainland was around 17.30. The trip from Curitiba was almost two hours so we had some dinner before we left.
For disabled people the island is unfortunately not good to explore. The boats are not equipped for disabled people or their wheelchairs and the beaches are too sandy. If you are able to move around by yourself you could just go to the island to enjoy one of the beaches.
The boat was around $R80 (return) but there are multiple options so check out the prices while you are there.
Buraco do Padre
If you would literally translate it this has a very weird name. But when I explain it a bit more you will understand it more. So the translation is ‘Hole of the father’. Now I will explain a bit more. In the 17th and 18th century lots of people traveled this area and to indicate their location they used the locations of the different holes or underground caves. One of these areas was visited frequently by the Jesuit Fathers and thus became known as ‘the hole of the fathers’ in time it changed to ‘Hole of the father’.
The park is about 2h and 10 minutes from Curitiba. The road is for a lot of the way not asphalted and bumpy. We arrived early in the morning and we used the park bus to go to the restaurant. From there, we went to Buraco do Padre. The trail that leads to it is very nice and not too long. You will need to wear a helmet when you enter the cave. Inside the cave, there is a waterfall and it looks very beautiful. It’s so cool to see how this case has been formed. After taking lots of pictures at Buraco do Padre we went up the hill. It is quite steep, but the view is amazing. We had to wait at the gate for one of the guides to come and we could enter the next adventure. The nun’s slot or in Portuguese Fenda da Freira is a very narrow corridor with rocks on both sides. Down below where we were walking the temperature stays very constant, about 18 degrees. The guide who only spoke Portuguese explained that in the cracks of the rocks are a lot of spiders and that we could see them well with a flashlight. We used our phones’ flashlights to take a peak and see them. The further we got in the more narrow it became.
After this experience we were getting hungry so we had a lovely lunch at the restaurant. You can of course bring your own food too. After lunch we went back up the hill to see the plateau of the fathers. They would preach to the native people here. We went to see Baraco do Padre from up top which was also cool. My friend didn’t want to go on the zipline but I decided that I wanted to do it. I already had bought it in the morning and I went to the right location. The walk to the top was quite steep but there are some ropes you could hold on to. And there I went, going from all the way to the top, to down in the valley. It was a nice experience going so fast.
The park is nicely maintained, better than Parque Vilha Velha in my opinion. We loved the food at the restaurant and it was not busy at all! We heard later from others that it is very busy on the weekends so if you are able to go during the week it is much more quiet.
The restaurant and Buraco do Padre is accessible for wheelchair users. The hike up the hill is very steep and not possible for wheelchair users or people who have trouble walking. There is a lot of uneven terrain.
There are multiple tickets you can choose from so check out the site for what experiences you want and what the prices are for that. You need to pay for parking which is online for $R15.
You can buy a ticket online but it could be that you need to have a CPF number. But you can also buy the ticket at the entrance.
There is lots to do around Curitiba and these were absolutely amazing. I was so happy that I was able to do this while I was there. I love nature and all 4 of these day trips showed me how diverse Brazil is.
Is Brazil accessible for wheelchair users? In this blogpost I have written down if the places are accessible or not.
Museums*
Most bigger museums have ramps and elevators. But smaller museums or museums in smaller cities don’t. So of course you need to check before you go because it will be different museum to museum.
Café’s and restaurants
There are so many places where you can enter but a lot of places don’t have ramps. Bathrooms in smaller places usually are upstairs. You can always go to a shopping mall because they have food courts that accessible.
Public transport
Bad in most cities. Some busses have a ramp but a lot of them have steps. The busstops are not alway even and you will need help for sure. For a hassle free trip it’s easier to use Uber or taxi.
Toilets
If you go inside malls or other public places you will have a designated toilet for wheelchair users.
*And other attractions
Items I love while traveling
Collapsible sunglasses case
My sunglasses are a great way to accessorize my outfit and I want it to stay without scratches. This case is great for you in your purse or backpack. When you don’t use it, it folds flat which is great.
Collapsible handheld fan
I don’t know about how you deal with heat but I need a bit of cooling down when I’m traveling. This easy (and cute) fan is my go to for when I am too hot. It can be charged with usb which is super practical.
Sun hat for ponytail or bun
On days where I want to look a bit more put together I use this great sun hat, also with a whole for my bun or pony tail. Love it!!!