LOCAL INFORMATION

You can see some images from Gramado by clicking here.

The symposium's official travel agency is Terra Turismo. The booking and purchasing of the following services are provided by Terra Turismo: hotel, tours, transfers, car rental and airline.

Getting to Gramado

To get to Gramado from abroad, you should first take a flight to Porto Alegre (Salgado Filho Int'l Airport) and then take ground transportation. After landing in Porto Alegre, the option we recommend is using Terra Turismo transfer service . By booking your transfer reservation you gain a free City Tour in Gramado and Canela. The transfer options are:

• From Salgado Filho Int'l Airport to Gramado (and return): From Porto Alegre to Gramado, the maximum waiting time at the airport will be 1 hour. On the return to Porto Alegre, the departure from the hotel will be 4 hours before the flight. The fare per person is R$ 110,00 (~US$ 66.00).

• From Salgado Filho Int'l Airport to Gramado (one way): From Porto Alegre to Gramado, the maximum waiting time at the airport will be 1 hour. The fare per person is R$ 60,00 (~US$ 36.00).

• From Gramado to Salgado Filho Int'l Airport (one way): On the return to Porto Alegre, the departure from the hotel will be 4 hours before the flight. The fare per person is R$ 60,00 (~US$ 36.00).

• NEW: Fixed transfer. We now offer a transfer for R$ 40.00 (~US$ 24.00) at pre-defined times. The options are:

  • From Porto Alegre airport to Gramado at Nov 3, 14:30 or 18:00
  • From Gramado to Porto Alegre airport at Nov 7, 13:00 or 15:00

Any transfer can be booked directly with Terra Turismo here.

Another option is going by bus. You can buy a bus ticket (~R$ 24,75 - US$ 14.55) at Porto Alegre's bus station (from 5 to 21 hours) or in the Salgado Filho Airport - shop 18B (from 8 to 21 hours). To go to the Porto Alegre's bus station you must take a taxi (~R$ 21,00 - ~US$ 12.50, 10 minutes ride). The bus trip takes about 1 hour and 45 minutes.

We do not recommend taking a taxi to go from Porto Alegre to Gramado since prices are abusive. From Salgado Filho Int' airport to Gramado, the average fare is R$ 319,00 (~US$ 190.00) and from Gramado to Salgado Filho Int'l Airport, the average fare is R$ 230,00 (~US$ 137.00).

Venue and Accommodation

Hotel Serra Azul
Rua Garibaldi, 152. Gramado - RS - Brazil
Phone: +55 (54) 3295 7200. Fax: +55 (54) 3295 7272

Serra Azul Hotel is a traditional and well equipped hotel, with a conference and exhibition center for 1,100 people, high speed Internet, swimming pool, sauna, lounge with fireplace and other features. The hotel is located downtown, near everything: central church, banks, restaurants, cinema and other main attractions of the city. There are available rooms at the symposium hotel at a promotional rate for LAGOS participants (you should mention it when making reservations). The easiest way to book is using the online booking form of the hotel, informing the event title "LAGOS 2009".

Promotional Rates for LAGOS participants (with breakfast included):

The promotional rates are also valid for participants which want to stay some days before or after the conference. There will be additional costs of a visitor's tax of R$ 1,50 per day, and 10% over the room rate for the regional hotel association.

All bedrooms have a minibar and an air conditioner. The main difference between the rooms is that the Comfort Superior is larger, has a bathtub and the floor is not carpeted.

Tours

There are many tours recommended in Gramado. You can book and get more information through Terra Turismo, the symposium's official travel agency. You can find other tours and extra information here (only in Portuguese). Following are some of the tours available:

Rafting: Rafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river. In Três Coroas, a city near Gramado, you can challenge Paranhana river. Price: Around R$ 80.00 per person. Duration: half day.

Tour Natural Canela: A guided tour through Canela, beautiful city near Gramado. You will visit downtown Canela, João Corrêa square and Nossa. Sra. de Lourdes church. You will also see Parque Teleférico, Vale da Ferradura and Castelinho do Caracol. Price: Around R$ 50.00 per person. Doesn't include entrance fees/tickets. Duration: one day.

Tour Itaimbezinho: Located at Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra, Itaimbezinho Canyon is roughly 700 mt deep and 6 km long (4 miles). Price: Around R$ 90.00 per person. Doesn't include entrance fees/tickets/lunch. Duration: one day.

Tour uva e vinho (grape and wine tour) First there is a visit to the city of Nova Petropolis, where you will visit Flores square, Labirinto de Ciprestes (a labyrinth made of plants) and shopping. After that, there is a visit to Caxias do sul: São Pelegrino church (with a copy of La Pietá, and paintings by Aldo Locatelli), city tour and visit to Vinícola Tonet (for tasting wines and champagnes). The tour visits Carlos Barbosa city: Tramontina show-room (kitchen store), Fetina de Formaio (cheese house) and an optional ride on the Maria Fumaça train (steam train that goes through Carlos Barbosa, Garibaldi and Bento Gonçalves). Price: Around R$ 50.00 each person. Includes Lunch. It does not include Maria Fumaça ride which costs around R$ 65,00 per person. Duration: one day.

Tour Gramado and Canela Canela: Mundo a Vapor and Caracol waterfall. Museu do Automóvel (car museum), leather and shoes stores, chocolate factory, Dark Lake (Lago Negro) and Small World (Mini Mundo). Joaquina Rita Bier Lake and Praça das Bandeiras. Doesn't include entrance fees/tickets/lunch. Price: Around R$ 30.00 per person. Duration: one day.

Cuisine

There are some specialities of Gramado that you must taste!

Fondue: Three kinds of fondue are served in sequence: cheese, meat and chocolate. The cheese fondue is accompanied by potatoes and bread. The meat fondue is accompanied by several types of sauces. Chocolate fondue is accompanied by many fruits such as strawberries, banana, kiwi and grapes.

Café Colonial: Café Colonial is a kind of meal eaten in the afternoon which offers several options of colonial foods, all served at the same time. There are many types of cake, bread, fruit, ham, cheese, salami, pepperoni, pão de queijo,etc.

Churrasco: Churrasco is the traditional barbecue of Rio Grande do Sul. There are many good restaurants that serve Churrasco. Some of them also feature shows of traditional dance from Rio Grande do Sul.

Visa Information

The citizens of some countries need a visa to enter Brazil (A tourist visa may be sufficient in such cases.) Please check with the nearest Brazilian Consulate or Embassy. Here you find a list of countries whose citizens do not need visa.