Evening in Porto Alegre belongs to the Guaíba, the wide, brown, lake-like river that laps against the edge of the city, and the sunset over its far bank is something people here take seriously. They gather on the waterfront with a gourd of chimarrão, the hot, bitter maté that gaúchos pass around like a ritual, and watch the sky turn orange behind the islands. This is the capital of Rio Grande do Sul, a city of roughly one and a half million people, and the cultural centre of Brazil's far south, where cattle country, European immigration and a stubborn regional pride come together.
The old centre has the Mercado Público, a nineteenth-century market hall that is the city's belly, full of spice stalls, coffee, cheese and cachaça, and still one of the best places to understand the place. For a meal, the answer is churrasco, meat grilled over embers and carved at the table until you surrender. The accents and the family names also tell a story. German settlers arrived in the 1820s and founded São Leopoldo just north, and Italians came later and planted vines in the hills, so the whole region has a mixed cultural stamp.
As the start of the Rota Romântica, the city is your last big supply point. Fuel, tyres, a mechanic and a good breakfast are all easy here, so tidy up whatever needs it before you leave. The route heads north through the German colonies, with towns named Novo Hamburgo, Ivoti and Dois Irmãos, then climbs into the green hills of the Serra Gaúcha. The first part is busy, dominated by trucks, suburbs and the heavy traffic on the federal highways, so be patient and keep your eyes open.
Once the road lifts away from the plain, it changes. Half-timbered houses, small chapels and farms with neat gardens start to appear, the hills grow steeper and the air cooler, and the landscape feels oddly like central Europe seen through a tropical filter. Leave early, because the city's rush hour is serious, and the afternoon often brings thunderstorms in summer. Winter mornings can be cold and misty, so a warm layer is worthwhile for the climb.