The great fall
From a jutting ledge.
Heitor Pergher — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Tiago Fioreze — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pavlos Euthymiou — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Heitor Pergher — CC BY-SA 4.0
The Caracol Waterfall drops 130 metres from a cliff of dark volcanic rock into a forested valley, inside Caracol Park near Canela, the town next to Gramado. It falls in two stages: a small upper cascade, then the great fall plunging from a jutting ledge, framed by a mix of southern pine forest and Atlantic forest. The park was created in 1973 and is one of the most visited natural sights in Brazil. It has free viewpoints and higher ones, an observation tower with a lift and a glass platform over the falls and the valley, and a separate cable car that crosses the valley. A stairway of 927 steps leads towards the foot of the falls, so check that it is open before planning the descent. The view is finest in the morning, when the sun lights the falls, and after rainy days when the flow is strongest. It is cold in winter, so bring a jacket.
From a jutting ledge.
With a lift.
Over the valley.
Caracol Park, about 7 km from Canela and 15 km from Gramado
About 15 kilometres; it lies in Caracol Park, 7 kilometres from the town of Canela.