Porto Alegre travel guide

Porto Alegre is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul (the south most state of Brazil). Porto Alegre happens to be the tenth largest city of Brazil and it is an important economic, political, as well as cultural center for South Brazil.

Southern Cone is the name given to places in South America which fall below the Tropic of Cancer. Southern Brazil (which is comprised of Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Paraná, and Rio Grande do Sul), parts of Paraguay, Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay are the major areas which come under Southern Cone. Porto Alegre is considered to be the unofficial capital of Southern Cone.

Immigrants from Portugal and Azores visited Porto Alegre in year 1742 and this gave birth to the city of Porto Alegre. People from Germany, Poland, and Italy immigrated to Porto Alegre somewhere in the 19th century and thus the city gained importance on the world map. As of now, the major chunk of the population in Porto Alegre is European.

Peaches, rice, plums, and cassava are the important agricultural products grown in and around Porto Alegre. Leather Industry of Porto Alegre is also very famous (especially in the Metropolitan areas of the capital) for its shoes and other leather products.

The huge Guaíba Lake on the edges of Porto Alegre contains multiple islands which act like stars for Porto Alegre. The mix of plants, micro-organisms, and animals in and around the Guaíba Lake bring for the city an everlasting wildlife which people of Porto Alegre have been cherishing for ages.

Over 9500 species (which makes it approximately 30% of the total found in Rio Grande do Sul) are part of Porto Alegre. Some trees, which are a trace of Atlantic Forest, are also part of these species. To add to all this, around 40 hills are also located within Porto Alegre. Huge parks, streets made of wood, and squares add up to the shine of the city. All these natural ingredients make Porto Alegre a must visit place for every tourist.

The World Social Forum was recently hosted by Porto Alegre. World Social Forum invites multiple Non Government Institutions which work together for the betterment of the country and work against those policies of the Government that are against the locals.

Lastly, Port Alegre is connected to the rest of Brazil and the rest of the world via the Salgado Filho International Airport.