Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. The capital’s main festivities are Carnaval and, without a doubt, the Festa de Nossa Senhora dos Navegantes.

Another important celebration is Semana Farroupilha, honoring Rio Grande do Sul’s traditions. It’s one of the city’s biggest cultural events. The signature Porto Alegre dish is churrasco, which we absolutely loved.

The historic downtown has several great spots to explore, and watching the sunset over the Rio Guaíba is practically mandatory for anyone visiting the city.

Our trip to Porto Alegre was incredible! During our stay, we lodged in the charming Moinhos de Vento neighborhood. This neighborhood offered a cozy atmosphere and a great location, close to the city’s attractions and best restaurants. Without a doubt, this is our first tip: stay in this neighborhood or nearby.

Porto Alegre, without a doubt, won us over with its rich culture, diverse cuisine, and charming attractions. This vibrant city offers an unforgettable experience, whether exploring its picturesque neighborhoods, diving into local history, or enjoying its natural beauty.

What to Do in Porto Alegre

We’d recommend staying 2 full days, or even 3, to make the most of everything the city has to offer.

Explore the Historic Downtown of Porto Alegre

The historic downtown holds most of the city’s main attractions. Among them is the Mercado Público, where we’d recommend grabbing a meal, since it has several restaurants suiting every taste.

The Usina do Gasômetro, sitting along the banks of the Rio Guaíba, is where we found the Cais Embarcadero, a charming spot right by the river. The stunning scenery, with its breathtaking sunset, made for the perfect setting to relax and, without a doubt, appreciate the region’s natural beauty.

Usina do Gasômetro

Farol Santander and Bar do Kofre

At Praça da Alfândega, you’ll find the Farol Santander, and inside the museum, Bar do Kofre, once home to the Banco da Província do Rio Grande do Sul. It’s well worth stopping by for a coffee, a sweet treat, and to see the exhibitions, plus MARGS (Museu de Artes do Rio Grande do Sul), which was closed when we visited.

Farol Santander and Bar do Kofre

Praça da Matriz is where the state government buildings are located, like the Palácio Piratini and the State Assembly, plus the Cathedral and the Teatro São Pedro.

Across from the Igreja Nossa Senhora das Dores is the Museu Militar do CMS, which we found genuinely interesting to explore, complete with a simulator letting you feel like you’re driving a war tank.

Igreja Nossa Senhora das Dores

Museu Militar CMS

The famous Rua da Praia is lined with shops, and home to the Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana, a former hotel that once served as the residence of poet Mario Quintana, now home to a cultural center. The building catches the eye with its pink color, and we explored its various rooms and exhibitions — the inspiring atmosphere kept us captivated throughout our visit.

You can also take a city tour through downtown by tourist bus, called Linha de Turismo, with full details and various tour prices listed on their website.

Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana

The Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana is one of Porto Alegre’s most important cultural centers, once a hotel. On site is what was once gaúcho poet Mario Quintana’s room, his belongings still displayed on the furniture.

The other rooms host free exhibitions, a library, a study space, various courses, movie theaters, and finally, a garden dedicated to gaúcho environmentalist José Lutzenberger.

On the top floor, visitors will also find Lola Bar, a tapas restaurant offering a beautiful view over the Guaíba. And finally, right at the entrance of the CCMQ is one of Porto Alegre’s coolest bookstores, Taverna.

Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana

Watching the Sunset Along the Guaíba Waterfront

There are a few possible spots to watch the sunset along the banks of the Rio Guaíba:

The first runs along the lake, Avenida Beira-Rio. It’s packed with cars and people doing all kinds of sports, or simply sitting with a chimarrão to watch the sunset over the Rio Guaíba — genuinely worth it.

The same view can be seen from the Cais Embarcadeiro, an entertainment and dining hub where you can also catch the sunset — this is where we chose to watch ours.

The Museu Iberê Camargo holds works by the important gaúcho artist Iberê Camargo, and also hosts traveling exhibitions. On the first floor, there’s a café serving meals, also a great pick for watching the sunset.

The cultural center Usina do Gasômetro (a former thermoelectric plant). Near the famous Gasômetro is the revitalized Praça Julio de Mesquista, which on some weekends hosts a small fair, music, and food trucks.

Cais Embarcadeiro

Parque Farroupilha, or Redenção

On Sunday, we took the chance to stroll through the charming Parque Farroupilha. With its wide green spaces, calm lakes, and well-kept gardens, the park, without a doubt, offered a peaceful escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy nature and relax.

On Saturday mornings, an organic farmers market takes over one side of the park, on Rua José Bonifácio. On Sundays, we walked through the Brique da Redenção, Porto Alegre’s most famous fair, filled with crafts and antiques.

Parque Farroupilha

Parque dos Moinhos de Vento (Parcão)

Another park well worth the walk, which also hosts a craft fair on Sundays, is Parque Moinhos de Vento, tracing its origins back to the 18th century, when Antonio Martins Barbosa, arriving from Minas Gerais, settled with his windmill on the ridge where Avenida Independência now runs.

The site offers leisure options like jogging, skating, soccer, tennis, and volleyball courts, plus outdoor exercise equipment, along with an Azorean-style windmill, similar to the ones that stood in the neighborhood in the city’s early days — a genuinely strong tourist draw.

Parque Moinhos de Vento

Other Tips for Porto Alegre

We spent a weekend with friends and weren’t able to visit every spot we’d wanted to, but here are a few more tips for what to do in the city.

Sail Aboard the Cisne Branco

For a more panoramic view of the city, we’d recommend the Cisne Branco boat, considered a floating cultural space, running tours along the waters of the Guaíba since 1978.

The tour lasts an hour, sailing past the Guaíba’s main islands while sharing the story of Porto Alegre.

The tour runs daily and costs R$55 for adults; check the website for more details and to buy tickets.

Visit the Cathedral of Porto Alegre

Catedral Metropolitana de Porto Alegre Madre de Deus — construction evolved from 1921 to 1972, tracking the changes happening in the city along the way.

Beautiful both inside and out, it’s always a great stop for getting to know the city better.

Visit the Grêmio and Internacional Stadiums

For anyone who loves soccer, it’s worth visiting the stadiums of the two most famous gaúcho teams: Grêmio and Internacional, though both sit quite far from downtown.

Arena do Grêmio opened in 2012 and is located near the Salgado Filho Airport, with capacity for more than 55,000 fans. On site, you can visit the Museu do Grêmio and also take a behind-the-scenes tour through the locker rooms, hallways, and interior of the stadium.

Meanwhile, Estádio Beira Rio has a beautiful shop for souvenirs, and you can even host events like birthday parties inside the stadium.

Where to Eat in Porto Alegre

There are plenty of delicious options around the city, and we’d recommend every restaurant we ate at on this trip.

Restaurante Velho Quintino

When we arrived, we were starving, and right next to our hotel we found Restaurante Velho Quintino, which has a cozy atmosphere and delicious dishes — the spot won us over with unique flavors and a genuinely memorable dining experience.

Restaurante Velho Quintino

Mercado Público de Porto Alegre

A great choice is having lunch at one of its restaurants, serving every taste imaginable: from Japanese to Portuguese food, plus the famous a la minuta, as Porto Alegre locals call the PF (prato feito).

We wandered through the aisles, full of colors and aromas, enjoying fresh fruit, cheese, and local delicacies. The variety of products on offer was fascinating, offering a genuine immersion into regional culture.

The site opened in 1869, and it’s part of the gaúcho capital’s historic heritage, especially known for the stalls selling traditional Rio Grande do Sul products, like cuias, various kinds of yerba mate, charque, and other delicacies.

Mercado Público de Porto Alegre

Restaurante Gambrinus

Among several restaurant options, we chose to eat at Restaurante Gambrinus (website and Instagram), running since 1889, the same year the Republic was established in the country, making it the state’s oldest restaurant, with a menu focused on Portuguese cuisine — so we ordered a bacalhau, which was delicious.

Restaurante Gambrinus

The Raven

We went for dinner, and the food, with its international menu, was genuinely surprising — The Raven (Instagram). A cozy restaurant with an intimate mezzanine and several fine-dining Mediterranean dishes.

Restaurante The Raven

Press do Cais

Finally, we wrapped up our day on the Rio Guaíba at Cais Embarcadeiro, where there are several restaurants — we chose Press do Cais (website) and got the best seat in the restaurant, watching the sunset while eating meat that was divine, along with fries.

We thought it was the best restaurant for the sunset view, but it’s genuinely worth eating there and having a few drinks too, taking in the best of the scenery.

Restaurante Press do Cais

Leiteria 639

To wrap up our trip, we had lunch at Leiteria 639, right next to Parque Farroupilha. With a charming atmosphere and irresistible dishes, we enjoyed a refined meal, full of regional flavors and fresh ingredients.

Leiteria 639

Terrunyo Wine Store

A great spot to sit and enjoy a glass of wine while chatting with friends, feeling the breeze on the street and watching the lights decorating the area. It also carries a range of wines from various regions around the world.

Terrunyo Wine Store

Read more about the region in Gramado.