Bom Jardim da Serra sits on the high plateau of Santa Catarina, a cold, windswept, rolling grassland dotted with araucaria pines and apple orchards, at the very top of the Serra Geral escarpment. It is a small place, and the larger towns are close: Lauro Muller, about ten thousand people, lies at the foot of the escarpment, and Sao Joaquim, sixteen thousand, is up the plateau and known as one of the coldest towns in Brazil, where snow falls in some winters. Fuel and services are in those towns, so plan accordingly.
The ride is the reason to come. The road up the Serra do Rio do Rastro is one of the great motorcycle roads of Brazil, a ribbon of tarmac that climbs the face of a huge sandstone and basalt escarpment in dozens of hairpin bends, with sheer drops, long views over the lowlands and the sea in the distance. At the top, the plateau opens into broad, flowing roads through grassland and forest, ideal for relaxed riding. Fog and cloud often fill the lowlands below, producing a sea of clouds, a sight that makes riders stop and stare. The Serra do Corvo Branco, a nearby gravel road cut through rock walls in a deep canyon, is a more adventurous option, with tall cliffs on both sides, and care is needed in wet weather.
The plateau has a history of cattle drovers. For centuries, muleteers moved herds across the highlands to markets in the south, and the old tropeiro routes shaped the towns, with their wooden churches and slow rhythm. Italian and German settlers farmed the lower valleys, and the apple industry came later, with the cool climate suiting orchards. The local cuisine includes pinhao, the nut of the araucaria pine, boiled or roasted in winter, and hearty barbecued meat, with chimarrao, the bitter herbal tea, passed around in a gourd.
Nature is dramatic. The araucaria, or Paraná pine, is an ancient tree with an umbrella-shaped crown, and its forests are home to rare birds. Frost is common in winter, and the grassland turns pale gold. The air is cold and clean, and the evenings are chilly even in summer.
Bring a warm jacket, gloves and a waterproof layer, since fog and rain are common and the temperature can drop sharply. Ride carefully on the descent, where the road is steep, narrow and often wet.