What to Do in Serra Negra: 15 Tips

Serra Negra is located in the Serra da Mantiqueira, bordering the towns of Águas de Lindoia and Amparo, and finally, it sits in a region known as the Circuito das Águas Paulistas.

The town has about 30,000 residents, and thanks to its charm, it’s certainly a popular destination in the Serra da Mantiqueira.

It’s a mountainous region at 927 meters of altitude, with peaks reaching up to 1,300 meters, and wherever you look, you can see coffee plantations surrounding the entire town.

It’s part of the São Paulo Circuito das Águas, since it has parks and natural springs, and it holds the title of Hydromineral Tourist Resort.

So the town is a charming, cozy destination, drawing tourists of all ages, especially couples and families who love the outdoors.

We loved the trip for its natural scenery and connection with nature, and we even competed in a mountain race in town. Finally, the town has a really well-organized downtown, with plenty of clothing and craft shops.

How to Get to Serra Negra

Leaving from São Paulo

By car: we’d recommend two routes.

1. Rodovia dos Bandeirantes (SP-348) to Jundiaí. Take the exit for Morungaba, turning right until you reach Rodovia Engenheiro Constâncio Cintra (BR-360), passing through Amparo until Serra Negra. About 146 km and 2 hours 30 minutes. There are two tolls along the way.
2. Rodovia Fernão Dias (BR-381), which passes through Bragança Paulista, Socorro, and Lindóia, until reaching Serra Negra. It’s 140 km and about 2 hours 40 minutes. There’s one toll along the way.

For anyone living in Campinas, the distance is much shorter, just 60 km. You’ll pass through Jaguariúna, Pedreira, and Amparo, then continue on Rodovia Engenheiro Constâncio Cintra (BR-360) until Serra Negra.

By bus: the company Rápido Fênix runs the route connecting São Paulo and Serra Negra, with 3 daily departures on a 3-hour trip, leaving from Estação Tietê for R$64.35.

What to Do in Serra Negra

1. Teleférico and Cristo Redentor

The town’s best-known attraction is the Cristo Redentor and its cable car (website), Serra Negra’s postcard landmark, and because of that, it’s an unmissable attraction.

Both attractions go together, since the cable car takes you up to the Cristo — you can buy a one-way ticket (R$10.00) or round-trip (R$20.00).

At the lower cable car station, there’s a park for kids, craft shops, chocolate shops, and sales from the local Dortmund Bier brewery.

At the top, on Pico da Fonseca, more than 1,000 meters up, where the Cristo stands, there’s Casa dos Ursos (a chocolate shop) with a beautiful view, also selling beer and drinks.

Casa dos Ursos

On the cable car, the 1,400-meter climb takes about 15 minutes, and it guarantees, without question, an incredible panoramic view over the town.

Cable car and town view

The Cristo Redentor is an 18-meter-tall replica, and it’s a genuinely great spot for photos and taking in the town from above.

To reach the Cristo without the cable car, you can drive up to the lookout or hike a 2 km trail — though be warned, the route is quite steep!

Cristo Redentor

Location: Praça Sesquicentenário. Hours: Monday to Friday, 11 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday, Sunday, and holidays, 10 AM to 5:30 PM.

2. Praça Sesquicentenário

Praça Sesquicentenário has a beautiful lake with a fountain, trees, benches, and several restaurants around it.

The site also has a skate park, the Terra da Magia playground, and the Balneário Municipal.

3. Alto da Serra

Alto da Serra is the highest peak in the whole region, at 1,310 meters above sea level, and without a doubt, it was our favorite spot in town.

The view is incredible, letting you see several nearby towns, and it’s a great spot for paragliding jumps (website) for anyone who loves a good adventure.

There are food, drink, beer, and ice cream options on site, with wooden tables to sit and enjoy the view and the sunset.

Access and parking are free.

View from Alto da Serra

4. Trenzinho Maria Fumaça Ride

Walking down the main street, you’ll constantly spot a little train (website), a great option for a city tour to see the town’s main attractions, especially for families with small kids.

Several companies offer different routes, and walking downtown, you’ll find people selling tickets and handing out flyers. Just pick the one that appeals to you most.

The ride lasts about 50 minutes, covering roughly 8 km. Adult tickets cost R$20.00, kids ages 6 to 12 R$15.00, and kids up to age 5 ride free.

Trenzinho Maria Fumaça

Location: Avenida 23 de Setembro.

5. Praça João Zelante

Praça João Zelante is the town’s main square, that typical interior-town plaza, surrounded by trees, benches, an artificial lake, and a bandstand.

Right at the end of the main shopping street, you’ll find this square, surrounded by restaurants, all of which look delicious.

At the bandstand, small events take place throughout the year.

Praça João Zelante

6. Prefeitura de Serra Negra

Right across from the square is Prefeitura de Serra Negra, a building set in a beautiful plaza with trees, gardens, a fountain, and a statue of Ronald Golias, honoring the comedian who lived in town for a few years.

Statue of Ronald Golias

For kids, there are colorful rental cars to drive around the square.

Prefeitura de Serra Negra

7. Disneylândia dos Robôs

Disneylândia dos Robôs (website) will grab your attention and curiosity the moment you walk past the building.

There are more than 40 mechanized attractions, with interactive robots that make sounds and move. A space full of robots and mechanized contraptions built from scrap metal, focused on recycling and repurposing all kinds of materials.

Just to illustrate, the colorful museum’s biggest highlights are the Train Station, the mechanized mini city, the Museu do Egito, the Robot Disco, and missile replicas.

Disneylândia dos Robôs

Location: Rua Coronel Estevan Franco de Godoy, 314. Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10 AM to 5 PM.

8. Parque Fonte Santo Agostinho

There are 7 natural spring water sources scattered across town, and Parque Fonte Santo Agostinho is, without a doubt, the most sought-after in Serra Negra.

A calm, pleasant, well-shaded spot, with a small waterfall at the park entrance, an artificial lake, surrounded by flowers and trees.

The park is home to the Santo Agostinho and Santa Luzia springs, and some say the water is miraculous, with medicinal properties — you’ll constantly see people with cups and bottles drinking or collecting the water, some to bless themselves with it.

The site also has a playground for kids and wall paintings in a covered area with benches, great for enjoying the calm atmosphere. Free admission.

Fonte de Santo Agostinho

Location: Rua Paul Harris, 52. Hours: Monday to Sunday, 7 AM to 10 PM.

9. Shopping in Serra Negra

The town is well known for knitwear and leather goods production. Products here are great quality at a good price. On top of that, the main street is full of shops selling artisanal and farm products, like cheese, sweets, coffee, and honey.

The shops line Rua Coronel Penteado, which functions like an actual open-air mall, with an enormous variety of shops.

Rua Coronel Penteado

10. Churches in Serra Negra

Downtown, for anyone who loves beautiful architecture, it’s worth checking out two churches.

Paróquia Nossa Senhora do Rosário and Igreja de São Benedito are both in excellent condition, making the walk over well worth it.

Paróquia Nossa Senhora do Rosário

Igreja São Benedito

11. Família Silotto

Serra Negra’s rural outskirts also have great outings, which we’d recommend.

Família Silotto (website) has a property open to visitors, where you can see the whole farm and the production of cachaça, wine, and coffee. You can also taste most of their wines and cachaça at no cost.

At the entrance, there’s a small Wine Museum, and behind it, the shop where you can buy the drinks produced on site.

Família Silotto

Location: Rodovia SP 360, at km 158.5, s/n, toward Lindóia. Hours: Monday to Sunday, 9 AM to 6 PM.

12. Café Santa Serra

For anyone who loves great coffee bought straight from the producer, Café Santa Serra (Instagram) is the spot for you.

A great place to grab a coffee mid-morning or in the late afternoon, with a slice of cake or fresh-made pão de queijo.

During coffee harvest season, you can see the storage barn full of coffee and the machinery running.

Café Santa Serra

Location: Estrada Municipal José Renato Pulini Marchi, Sítio Santa Rosa, Barrocão. Hours: Friday to Sunday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

13. Família Carra

Continuing the rural tourism theme, Família Carra (website) sits in Serra Negra’s cheese and wine tourist region.

The property is both a winery and a cachaça distillery, and beyond offering great products, they also run tastings, not just of cachaça (R$70.00 per person) but also wine (nine labels, R$40.00).

We loved visiting, and since it’s a family-run business, you’re hosted by the owner himself, which, without question, makes all the difference in learning about the wines and the site’s history.

Família Carra

Location: Brumado, 105. Hours: Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM.

14. Cachoeira do Barrocão

On the way to Alto da Serra, on the right as you climb, there’s a turnoff for Cachoeira do Barrocão.

The waterfall sits on private property, charging R$10.00 admission per person. The road to reach it is 4 km of unpaved terrain.

The trail to the waterfall is 200 meters, though the path is quite slippery on the rocks, so access needs to be done carefully! Still, it’s worth the visit.

Cachoeira do Barrocão

15. Cervejaria Dortmund

For eleven years, Cervejaria Dortmund has been brewing craft beer in town, with most of it following traditional German styles, like Bohemian Pilsen, German Hefeweizen, German Pilsen, Imperial German IPA, Oatmeal Stout, and Witbier. It also runs one of the region’s best-known dining spaces.

Dortmund Bier currently produces nine top-quality labels, and has racked up 12 medals in its portfolio. The brewery’s most awarded label is Nostradamus, an Oatmeal Stout (5.5% ABV, IBU bitterness of 20) made with roasted malts imported from France.

Factory tours run Saturdays at 11 AM, with four tastings for R$40.00 per person, or R$55.00 including transportation there.

Outside the pub, there’s a charming deck with mountain views and a wonderful sunset.

Cervejaria Dortmund

Location: Rodovia SP-360 at km 144.7, s/n. Hours: Monday to Friday, 7:30 AM to 5 PM, Saturday 11 AM to 5 PM, and Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM.

Festivals and Events in Serra Negra

Beyond Serra Negra’s attractions, the town also hosts festivals and events that draw even more visitors.

Festival de Verão

On weekends from January through early February, Praça João Zelante hosts three shows a day across various music styles, all free.

Festival de Inverno

Starting the last weekend of June through the last weekend of July, Praça João Zelante hosts a Food Truck Festival and a classic car show.

Feira do Livro

In late August, the Feira do Livro takes place, bringing writers and hundreds of fans to town.

Publishers and distributors bring new book releases at discounted prices, plus other activities, like cultural performances, talks, a reading room, and workshops.

Festa dos Italianos

The Festa dos Italianos takes over Praça João Zelante in September, with music, food, and traditional Italian dancing all day long.

Italian culture runs deep in São Paulo state, since Italian immigration took off in the mid-1870s.

Read more about towns in the region in what to do in Amparo.