What to Do in Urubici
Urubici is part of the Serra Catarinense, and it’s a fantastic destination thanks to its wealth of natural attractions, like waterfalls, caves, and canyons — here are our tips for what to do in town. Its top postcard landmark is, undeniably, Morro da Igreja, considered the coldest spot in Brazil, sitting at 1,822 meters of altitude.
The town has plenty of attractions, but it’s still small, with limited infrastructure, like hotels, restaurants, and even places to buy souvenirs.
Urubici sits in a flat valley at 915 m of altitude, surrounded by mountains.
How to Get to Urubici
We’d recommend flying into Florianópolis, 200 km away, and taking BR-282, passing through Alfredo Wagner and Bom Retiro, since that’s the fastest route.
We were coming from São José dos Ausentes, having flown into Porto Alegre. From there, since we were told the shortest route to Urubici was in bad condition, we had to take a detour via RS-020 to Bom Jardim da Serra, then SC-390 for about 44 km, and finally SC-110 to Urubici.
How Many Days to Stay in Urubici
We ended up staying 2 full days, but you could easily stay 3 to 4 and still have things to do.
When to Go to Urubici
You can visit any time of year. If you love the cold, frost, and possibly snow, go in winter, between June and August — we think that’s the best time, since many attractions sit up in the mountains, and mountain season runs from May to September, with drier weather and less chance of rain, and winter is best for seeing the canyons fog-free.
Spring, summer, and fall are longer and warmer, but with a higher chance of rain — better weather for the waterfalls and trails, though you run the risk of fog and rain that can leave you stuck at the hotel.
What to Do in Urubici
Morro da Igreja and Pedra Furada
Morro da Igreja is one of the most visited spots in town, since from there you can see Pedra Furada, one of the region’s postcard landmarks — a natural rock formation shaped like a window, with a 30-meter circumference.
It sits on the border of 3 municipalities: Urubici, Bom Jardim da Serra, and Orleans, roughly 30 km from downtown Urubici.
On a clear day, you can spot the ocean, more than 100 km away. The site is also an Air Force reserve, home to a base monitoring airspace over Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul, where the Air Force installed CINDACTA II.
Admission is free, but you’ll need authorization from ICMBio, since access is limited. You need to register on the website and then pick up your authorization at the Parque Nacional de São Joaquim headquarters, Av. Pedro Bernardo Warmling, 1542, between 8 AM and noon, and 2 PM and 4 PM.
Once you arrive, there are no trails, since the lookout sits just a few meters from the parking area.
Morro da Igreja and Pedra Furada
Trilha da Pedra Furada
If you have more time in town, we’d recommend the trail to Pedra Furada, running 8.5 km round trip, with elevations ranging from 1,767 m to 1,583 m. The full hike takes about 5 hours, moderate difficulty.
To do the trail, you need to book in advance, and it’s only permitted with a certified guide from Parque Nacional de São Joaquim.
We found a recommendation for Graxaim Ecoturismo on other blogs and online.
Gruta Nossa Senhora de Lourdes
On the way back from Parque Nacional de São Joaquim to Urubici, you’ll pass Gruta Nossa Senhora de Lourdes, about 500 meters from the highway.
It’s a natural cave carved into the rock, with a small waterfall, home to a chapel nestled among the trees. Along the sides, the Stations of the Cross tell the story of Christ’s passion.
Beyond the lower level, there’s a second level, accessible by a staircase along the side.
Gruta Nossa Senhora de Lourdes
Morro do Campestre
Morro do Campestre is a sandstone rock formation atop a mountain, sitting at 1,380 meters of altitude. It used to be known as Morro da Cruz, but the cross has since been removed.
Located on private property, at Fazenda Morro da Cruz, 8 km from downtown Urubici, with a R$20.00 admission fee.
From the parking area to the rock, there’s an easily accessible staircase, with several Instagrammable spots along the way, backed by the region’s mountain scenery.
Morro do Campestre staircase
After taking photos facing the rock, there’s a small staircase leading up to the top of the rock, where you can take even more spectacular photos, this time from on top.
Morro do Campestre
Cachoeira do Avencal
Cachoeira do Avencal sits inside Parque Cascata do Avencal. It’s a 100-meter free-falling drop, with 3 access points, two from above and one from below.
The name Avencal comes from “avenca,” a small fern-like shrub found growing along the waterfall’s cliff walls.
Admission is R$20.00, covering all three viewpoints, and additionally, there’s a pendulum swing and a zipline, charged separately, though neither was running the day we visited.
At the top, there’s a glass lookout, a hanging bridge, a café, restrooms, and parking. Also within the same park, just a few meters away, there’s another waterfall.
Cachoeira do Avencal
The lower section has a short but very difficult trail, due to extremely slippery rocks. Obviously, it offers a different view of the waterfall.
Rocks along the trail
Cachoeira do Papuã
Crossing through Parque Cascata do Avencal for 2.4 km, you’ll reach the private property home to Cachoeira do Papuã.
These are two stunning waterfalls, viewable from a glass-and-wood platform, with a 300-meter walkway along a 120-meter-tall cliff.
Admission costs R$20.00, and beyond the waterfall view, there are restrooms, a snack bar, a café, and a souvenir shop.
Cachoeira Papuã
Cânion Espraiado
Cânion Espraiado sits at 1,500 meters of altitude, and the visit there is genuinely wonderful. The cliff view is stunning, and there are waterfalls along its sides too, though the road to reach the canyon is in really bad shape. It’s 35 km from downtown Urubici.
So we’d recommend a higher-clearance vehicle, though a 4x4 would be ideal, since the road is mostly unpaved and full of potholes — if your car isn’t suited for it, better to hire a transfer to get there.
Once you arrive at the canyon, there’s a 4 km trail (round trip) from the parking area to the canyon, crossing flooded terrain, so we’d recommend renting rubber boots, or bringing your own.
It’s located on private property, charging R$30.00 per person, plus an optional R$10.00 for boot rental.
Despite the difficulty from the flooded terrain, we’d recommend it, since the view is spectacular. From there, you can see not just the road through Serra do Corvo Branco, but also the ocean, on clear days.
On the way to Cânion Espraiado, 26 km from Urubici, is Pedra da Águia, essentially an enormous sandstone formation shaped like an eagle with its wings spread. Worth stopping for a photo.
Panoramic view of Cânion Espraiado
Balanço do Infinito
A bit further past Cânion Espraiado, you’ll see a sign at a fork in the road, leading to Morro da Antena, the highest point in the area, at 1,600 m of altitude, reachable via a steep 1.4 km trail, or by 4x4 along a rough 5.4 km road.
There are 2 swings: the Balanço do Infinito, overlooking the canyon, and the Balanço do Nascer do Sol, which we thought was better for photos regardless of the sun, since it doesn’t have the wooden platform in the shot.
Balanço do Infinito
Serra do Corvo Branco
Serra do Corvo Branco is a road known for its dangerous, tight 180-degree curves. The road connects the towns of Urubici and Grão-Pará via SC-370, spanning about 56.5 km with an 805 m elevation change between the two. At the start of the descent is Brazil’s largest rock cut, standing about 90 meters tall.
Only 600 meters of the road are paved, at its most critical stretch. Before the first tight curve, there’s a lookout for photos, and the rock cut itself makes for beautiful photos too.
We went there to watch the sunrise, which meant waking up really early, since it’s about 50 minutes from downtown Urubici — 30 km, 24 km paved and 6 km unpaved.
Curves along Serra do Corvo Branco
Rock cut at the start of Serra do Corvo Branco
Altos do Corvo Branco
Altos do Corvo Branco is a park still under construction, though it’s already open to visitors, on the right just before the start of Serra do Corvo Branco.
Currently, it has 5 lookouts, spaced between 364 and 1,390 meters apart, and the farthest one, which gets very windy, can be reached by golf cart.
From the first, you can see the road through Serra do Corvo Branco, while the others offer views of other canyons, the plains, and in some cases, even the ocean. Admission costs R$30.00, purchasable online or on site, and the park opens at 9 AM.
There’s an 11 km trail descending the mountain, which must be done with a certified guide.
View of Serra do Corvo Branco
Canyon at Altos do Corvo Branco
Cachoeira dos Bugres
The waterfall on Rio dos Bugres is the most beautiful and also the tallest waterfall in Urubici. The drop measures 218 m, with a beautiful sandstone wall and a large cave at the base. It’s 28 km from downtown.
Even though the distance sounds short, access is genuinely difficult, since you need to cross rivers and the road is extremely potholed and rocky. So we’d recommend a 4x4, or at minimum a high-clearance vehicle, though we did see some lower cars make it through.
The drive from town takes about 1 hour 30 minutes. Careful with Google Maps: set your destination as Abrigo 1500, and once you pass it, continue a bit further.
Despite the flooded path, it’s an easily accessible trail up to the lookout. The fee is R$20.00 per person, and the property owner sells drinks and freshly fried pastéis. Beyond this waterfall, you can also see two more from the property, including the Rio Bonin waterfall.
Cachoeira dos Bugres
You can also reach the lower section via a long 12 km hike (round trip), moderate difficulty, following the riverbed — though you’ll need to hire a certified guide to do it.
A bit before reaching Abrigo 1500, there’s a left fork leading to Estância Bonin, home to the head of Cânion do Rio dos Bugres and the Rio Bonin waterfall — we ended up skipping it for lack of time, but it’s worth noting: private property, R$10.00 fee per person.
Rio Bonin waterfall, seen from Abrigo 1500
Vinícola Thera
Both tastings and dinner run Thursday through Sunday at the winery. On Thursdays, the visit starts at 5 PM, but on other days it starts earlier. You’ll need to book both the dinner and the visit in advance, and we’d recommend doing both, since each experience is delightful. The sommelier, Agostim, is extremely attentive, and since there were only a few of us, the tasting felt like a pleasant conversation.
The tour covers the winery’s history, plus a paired tasting with 4 labels and 4 bruschettas.
Vinícola Thera
At dinner, there’s a wide menu of contemporary dishes, and we ordered the filet with Brie (R$105.00) and the Magret de Canard (R$83.00), paired with a Thera Tinto Madai wine (R$118.00) to complement the dishes. The pairing was delicious.
Filet with Brie and Magret de Canard, at Vinícola Thera
Igreja Matriz de Urubici, or Nossa Senhora Mãe dos Homens
This church, opened in 1973, stands out for its grandeur, built in Gothic style, and it’s one of the largest in the state, completed thanks to the community’s donations and dedication.
Igreja Matriz de Urubici
Where to Stay in Urubici
Pousada Sentiero
We stayed at an inn close to the main street, easy to reach, where the owners are extremely attentive and pleasant, and happy to help with tips for your outings.
It’s a spacious cabin, with a comfortable bed and hot-water shower, and the room is quite large — we loved it, and we’d absolutely recommend staying there.
Pousada Sentiero
Read the original version in Portuguese on A Bela e o Bigode.