Campos do Jordão is the highest town in Brazil, at 1,628 metres in the Serra da Mantiqueira, and it behaves like it. The air is cool, even on summer evenings, pine and araucaria trees line the streets, and in winter the temperature can fall close to freezing, which draws visitors from São Paulo who want to wear a scarf and eat fondue. The architecture leans toward Swiss and Bavarian chalets, a style that began when the town became a health resort in the early twentieth century, prized for its clean, dry mountain air as a place to recover from tuberculosis.
The town spreads along a valley, with the lively Capivari district at its centre, full of chocolate shops, restaurants and boutiques, and quieter quarters up the hillsides. Each July, the Winter Festival of classical music, held since 1970, brings orchestras and soloists to concert halls and open-air stages, and the town fills with visitors. The Horto Florestal, a forest reserve on the edge of town, shelters araucarias, streams and trails, while a chairlift climbs to the Morro do Elefante for a view over the valley.
The road up from the lowlands is a pleasure for riders, with long, curving ascents through eucalyptus and pine, cooler air at every bend and good views. The tarmac is mostly smooth, though weekends see heavy traffic, particularly in July and on holidays, with lines of cars on the final approach. Fog and drizzle can arrive suddenly and the temperature drops quickly, so a warm layer helps. Mornings are best, with fresh air and light traffic, and mid-week is far calmer.
Fuel is available in the town, and the whole area is well supplied with restaurants, bakeries and cafés. Local specialities include trout, pinhão, fondue and hot chocolate, and prices rise in high season. Parking in the centre is tight and fills quickly, so choose a hotel with secure parking if you stay. The streets are steep and can be slippery in the wet, so ride carefully.