What to Do in São José dos Ausentes

São José dos Ausentes is considered one of the coldest towns in Rio Grande do Sul, and it’s also home to Pico Monte Negro, the state’s highest point, at 1,403 meters.

The town itself is very small, without many attractions, and for lodging, we’d recommend staying in a more remote district called Silveira. Even though the town itself doesn’t have major attractions, the canyons, waterfalls, and rivers steal the show, and without a doubt, you’ll see some stunning scenery!!

How to Get to São José dos Ausentes

São José dos Ausentes sits in the far northeast of the state. The municipal boundary here also marks the state line — to understand the canyons better, the upper section belongs to Rio Grande do Sul, and the lower section to Santa Catarina.

If you’re flying in, the two closest airports are both still fairly far — the nearest is Porto Alegre, 295 km away. You can also fly into Florianópolis, 312 km away via the Serra da Rocinha, a beautiful but dangerously curvy road.

From Porto Alegre, it’s important to follow this specific route, since it’s paved — other routes we asked about are unpaved and dangerous to drive: head to Taquara, then follow RS-020, passing through São Francisco de Paula, until you reach the Rota do Sol. Then turn left toward the RS-110 access road to Bom Jesus. Finally, turn right onto BR-285 until you reach São José dos Ausentes.

We came from Cambará do Sul and took the route described above, because of the condition of the unpaved roads — made even worse since we hit a full month of rain in the region, which only worsened the road conditions.

Worth remembering, it’s important to have a higher-clearance vehicle or a 4x4 for these outings, and for visiting the canyons, we’d recommend hiring a guide, especially since there are several different ways to access each site.

When to Go to São José dos Ausentes

We’d recommend visiting in winter to see frost and possibly snow, between June and August, which is also the best time to see the canyons. In summer, you’ll likely only get visibility in the morning, with rain in the afternoon — though you can visit any time of year, keeping in mind there’s a chance of “viração,” the local fog phenomenon, which drops canyon visibility very low or to zero.

How Many Days to Stay in São José dos Ausentes

We ended up staying a full day, but there are other canyons and outings in the region, so if you want to see everything, we’d recommend 3 to 4 full days — though check that against your guide’s availability and your own travel schedule, since some canyons end up being quite far apart.

Inns in São José dos Ausentes

Pousada Altos da Serra

As mentioned, we stayed in the more remote Silveira district, choosing Pousada Altos da Serra do Mano, a really friendly place — phone: (54) 99705-3887.

The inn is rustic, but covers all the basics: a large bed and hot shower, plus a restaurant and general store, Altos da Serra, serving coffee and meals by advance booking (lunch or dinner) — we had dinner there, and the food was good.

Lodging in São José dos Ausentes

Near the inn is a tour operator called Condor Ecotur, offering a range of tour options — phone: (54) 99968-0860 — ask for a tour with Tonho, a spectacular guide.

What to Do in São José dos Ausentes

Cânion Monte Negro

Cânion Monte Negro is the town’s main and best-known canyon, and right beside it stands Pico Monte Negro, Rio Grande do Sul’s highest point, at 1,403 meters. The canyon runs 700 meters deep, 1 km wide, and 4 km long.

It sits 42 km from town and 21 km from the Silveira district, on an unpaved road. From the parking area to the canyon’s edge is a 700-meter walk, though we went after lunch and already ran into fog — and when we talk about fog at these canyons, visibility drops to zero. We’ll include a photo of what we actually saw, along with one our guide sent us from a sunny morning the next day.

Fog at Cânion Monte Negro

Cânion Monte Negro

Its name comes from the open fields around it, which look bright, making the darker hill, covered in araucaria pines, stand out against the lighter surroundings from a distance — hence “Monte Negro” (“Black Mountain”).

Cânion Amola Faca

Cânion Amola Faca is less well-known, but considered the most beautiful in the region, and it was our first stop. It’s home to the Cachoeira Amola Faca waterfall, dropping 241 meters — a beautiful sight.

Also on an unpaved road, it’s 33 km from town and 17 km from the Silveira district, requiring a river crossing to reach Cânion Boa Vista.

There are two trails: one leads to the north face, the other to the south face. We’d recommend doing both, since the views of both the canyon and the waterfall are beautiful — you get a different perspective of the same site, which is why we think having a guide is important, to know exactly where to park and avoid getting lost.

Cânion Amola Faca

Cânion Amola Faca, panoramic view

Cânion Boa Vista

Cânion Boa Vista is wider, with a hanging bridge, and from there you can see the Cachoeira da Boa Vista, at 310 meters, and the Cascata Diagonal, at 257 meters. The Boa Vista waterfall is Brazil’s fourth-tallest. The trail is quite short, and the view is magnificent. Fun fact: our guide told us some commercials have been filmed at the waterfall, including one for O Boticário.

It’s 43 km from town and 22 km from the Silveira district — remember, you’ll need to cross the river if coming from Cânion Amola Faca, and there’s a R$10.00 fee payable at Pousada Ecológica dos Cânions, right in front of the gate.

Cânion Boa Vista

Cânion Boa Vista, panoramic view

Cachoeirão do Rodrigues

Located on a farm offering lodging with all meals included, plus horseback riding tours. Cachoeirão do Rodrigues stands 28 meters tall and 100 meters wide.

There’s also another beautiful waterfall, 500 meters downstream, where the rivers converge, and right at the entrance, you can already spot a beautiful waterfall cutting through the field.

The trail to the waterfall runs 300 meters, and admission costs R$10.00.

Cachoeirão do Rodrigues

Cachoeira do Perau Branco and Lindaura

Cachoeira do Perau Branco is stunning once you reach it, though the entrance is genuinely hard to find.

It drops 25 meters, set in a valley amid open fields dotted with araucaria pines. To its right is a white rock wall, and directly ahead, a rock formation nicknamed “the sentinel,” tied to a legend that an Indigenous couple were turned to stone there and now guard the site.

500 meters downstream is Cachoeira Lindaura, standing 40 meters tall, though it’s difficult to reach.

Cachoeira do Perau Branco and its guardians

Fazenda Rincão Comprido

Artisan Queijo Serrano cheese is a regional specialty, still produced the same traditional way it has been for more than 200 years — part of the region’s culture and history, since mule drivers here once hauled cheese and jerky to Santa Catarina and the Santo Antônio da Patrulha area, bringing back rapadura, rice, sugar, and cachaça, goods not produced locally.

Because of that history, artisan Queijo Serrano was designated an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the municipality of São José dos Ausentes in 2017.

The farm also has trails, both on foot and horseback, and even centuries-old araucaria pines.

The family absolutely steals the show with their warmth — they sing, and the owner’s grandson even recites poetry — genuinely fun and welcoming! What sets their cheese apart is that it’s made from beef cattle, which don’t produce nearly as much milk, just 3 to 4 liters per cow per day. We tried the Queijo Serrano, and it’s genuinely interesting and tasty.

Contact: Edinaira Lopes, (54) 99984-7800 (WhatsApp).

Fazenda Rincão Comprido

Where to Eat in São José dos Ausentes

Pousada Fazenda Montenegro

Self-service food, with a variety of salads, sides, and desserts. Right at the entrance, there’s a small cachaça tasting, and cheese is also sold on site.

Priced at R$60.00 per meal.

Pousada Fazenda Montenegro

Read more about our trip in Cambará do Sul and São Joaquim.