The city of São Joaquim, in the state of Santa Catarina, is famous not only for being the coldest city in the country but also for its main economic activity: apple production. The city is home to the São Joaquim National Park, the first to offer rural tourism in the state.
The park is situated in the heart of the Serra Catarinense, with altitudes reaching nearly 2,000 meters. The landscape is filled with araucarias and vast fields, and everything is covered in white during winter – even the waters of the waterfalls freeze!
Entirely built of basalt, the São Joaquim Matriz Church began construction in 1918, being inaugurated only in 1935. The basalt used in the construction was extracted from nearby hills and transported by ox carts (cart pulled by oxen).
Located in a native forest reserve of 30 hectares, the Vale de Neve features an ecological trail that crosses a vast area of xaxim, which presumably was already there when the Portuguese arrived in the 1500s.
The Apple National Park hosts fairs, agricultural auctions, and, of course, the National Apple Festival, which lasts ten days and includes musical performances and sales of fruit derivatives. The park has camping areas, stages for concerts, and exhibition pavilions. Just two kilometers from the center, it spans 214 thousand square meters. The festival takes place between late April and early May, a tradition of over 50 years that attracts up to 100 thousand people.
The Araucarias Lookout offers a panoramic view of fields of araucarias and trees that reach 50 m in height. The site is great for picnics.
Source: www.visitbrasil.com