Parque do Caracol, in Canela, a postcard that helped boost tourism in the state, turns half a century in August. To celebrate the date, the attraction prepares a series of actions from the 1st.
Reaching an average of 350,000 visitors per year, the Park is an area of environmental preservation and brings together waterfalls, trails, lookouts and the most privileged view of the famous and imposing Cascata do Caracol, a 131-meter waterfall. equivalent to a 40-story building. There are 25 hectares of Permanent Preservation Area (APP) and a diverse biome.
In addition to its natural attributes, the attraction also offers options for gastronomy, shopping, an observatory with a 360º view, a historic center, sports courts, barbecue grills and a train ride at the Sonho Vivo Station, which has been operating for 30 years.
For the locals, Parque do Caracol is an icon of their self-esteem, occupying a permanent place among the residents. It is there that, among the more than 800 daily visitors, families residing in the city have their traditional weekend barbecue (residents and those born in Canela have free admission).
To celebrate the anniversary, the venture, which started to be managed by the private sector in December last year, is preparing a series of activities for the public. On August 1st, there will be delivery of commemorative balloons, distribution of glasses of sparkling wine, live music and circus performances for the whole family. In addition to these, special actions alluding to the date should take place throughout the year.
“This is a very special date for the park, but also for the city of Canela and the entire region. Parque do Caracol was one of the main responsible for making Serra Gaúcha one of the main destinations in Brazil and today it is experiencing a new moment in its history”, recalls the general manager of the park, Rafael Silveira.
One of the novelties is the implementation of the Passport on the Perfect Trail, a map that indicates the eight main points of visitation in the park (Panoramic Observatory, Mirante Cascata do Caracol, Mirante do Moinho, Mirante das Corredeiras, Mirante da Barragem, Historic and Environmental Center, Restaurante Sabor e Flor and Estação Sonho Vivo), where in each of them the visitor stamps the passport. At the end of the visit, when you complete all the stamps, the tourist gets a special gift.
History
The history of Parque do Caracol begins in 1867, with the arrival of the German Wasem family in the Cascata region, initially called “fundos do faxinal”, where the waterfall is initially titled “Cascata Wasem”. However, the family began their journey in Brazil years before, on the outskirts of Novo Hamburgo in 1847, encouraged by the immigration movement existing at the time.
From 1900 it was already possible to observe the development of Caracol, as the first hotels, summer houses and small businesses began to appear. Another important point was the implementation of the Companhia Florestal in 1913, for the extraction of wood in Caracol, where five sawmills were established that opened roads that connected the region of Caracol to other locations. And with the population growth in the surroundings, in 1917, the first school was founded, called Escola Isolada do Caracol for literacy of children and adults.
During the period when the lands were managed by the heir of the family, Pedro Nunes realized that the natural lands of Caracol would be a tourist attraction sought after as a travel destination in the South, and in 1938 he built a dam and a mill to generate electricity. and supply of flour for local food in Arroio do Caracol. Another construction made during the administration of Pedro Nunes is the house where the Historic and Environmental Center of Parque do Caracol operates.
In 1954, the government of Rio Grande do Sul declared that the land covered by Parque do Caracol was of public utility. In 1968, the land was transferred to the Tourism Office of the State of Canela and, on August 1, 1973, the Park was inaugurated as Caracol State Park.
From then on, visitors attracted by the natural beauties of the place, mainly the native forest, clean water, waterfalls, mild temperature, lookouts and canyons, began to create tourist itineraries around the place, which today enshrine Parque do Caracol and the city of Canela as Mandatory stop for anyone visiting Serra Gaúcha.
A gift from nature
With an area of 25 hectares in the middle of an araucaria forest, Parque do Caracol plays a fundamental role in the preservation and conservation of species of fauna and flora in the region.
Animals such as howler monkeys, agoutis and raccoons can be seen living freely and are an attraction for tourists. These mammals and other animals that inhabit the region make an important contribution to the ecosystem in which the park is located.
“It's an extremely relevant area for its preservation and for the park's connection with other areas, what we call 'ecological corridors'. From an environmental and biological point of view, Parque do Caracol does this maintenance of biodiversity without geographical obstacles, collaborating in the maintenance of fauna and our native vegetation”, explains biologist João Pedro Travi.
In addition to the environmental importance for the species, the park also plays an important social role in raising visitor awareness. “A preserved area does not always educate people, but at Parque do Caracol people can enjoy it in a sustainable way, seeing it in practice, which adds great value to society”, he adds.
Travi has the authority to speak on the subject. Born in Canel, he followed in the footsteps of his father, Vitor Hugo Travi, founder of the Loboguará Environmental Education Project, which was born inside the park in 1992, being an important milestone in the fight for environmental conservation in the area.
“The objective of my parents when they created the project was to transform the park into an open-air laboratory, where children could receive lessons from the classroom in an open environment. This ended up being expanded also to tourists who started to receive information about the geography, fauna, flora and dynamics of the rivers, becoming a reference center for environmental education within the Caracol Park”. Today the project is coordinated by João Pedro and works on an itinerant basis.
Public concession for new administration
After spending 49 years in the hands of the public authorities through the state government and the municipal government, Parque do Caracol gained new management in December 2022. The Consórcio Novo Caracol e Tainhas, formed by Grupo Iter and Pianura Participações, won the public competition and assumed the management of the attraction.
For Rio Grande do Sul, the new management brought the management expertise of Parque Bondinho Pão de Açúcar, in Rio de Janeiro, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Brazil and the world.
“Being at the head of this symbol of Rio Grande do Sul tourism on this very significant date makes us extremely happy and proud. Just as Parque Bondinho changed the tourism scenario in the country 110 years ago, we also came to make history and expand the projection of Serra Gaúcha to the world, in addition to collaborating with economic development as a whole, and the tourist trade in the region” , says the CEO of the Iter Group, Sandro Fernandes.
Since December, improvements and structural changes have already been seen in the development, such as maintenance and painting, new signage, access and ticket office, in addition to new operations at Praça das Lojas.
In addition to the natural attractions of the attraction, the current administration is also committed to expanding visitor experiences within the park. Novelties such as daily live music and a picnic basket have been implemented in this regard.
Now, the next step is the launch of Parque do Caracol's new brand, which will be used from August 1st in all communication about the attraction. Reinforcing the history of the park, its natural attributes and a future of growth with entertainment options for visitors, the new visual identity highlights the letter “C”, representing, among other attributes, the three waterfalls, and also features the tagline “ Where nature and smiles meet”.
“On completing 50 years, Parque do Caracol, with all its history, reappears with a totally innovative format for Rio Grande do Sul, as a granted tourist park that consolidates itself as a refuge for tourists seeking the gaucho mountains. A place where you can find peace, contact with nature, preservation of the environment and environmental education. This is what the state government seeks with park concessions. Bringing the public closer to our natural beauties, adding to what we already have a special, qualified, safe and attractive service”, reinforces the State Secretary for the Environment and Infrastructure, Marjorie Kauffmann.
Parque do Caracol is open every day from 9am to 5.30pm and admission costs R$75. Canelenses and residents of Canela do not pay admission. Barbecues are free for visitors to use, as well as sports courts. In all, there are three trails for walking, three ways, gastronomy options between restaurant, cafeteria, winery and brewery and even 10 stores with items ranging from clothing to souvenirs.
CARACOL PARK IN NUMBERS
- 50 years
- 350 thousand visitors per year, on average (data since 2010)
- 25 hectares
- 10 stores
- 3 gastronomic operations
- 2 waterfalls (Cascata do Caracol and Cascata do Moinho)
- 3 trails (Silence Trail, Dream Trail and Mill Trail)
- 3 routes (Via das Águas, Via da Araucária and Via dos Graxains)
- 4 viewpoints (Cascata do Caracol Viewpoint, Mill Viewpoint, Aqueduct Viewpoint and Corredeiras Viewpoint)
- 186 species of flora
- 294 species of fauna
- 150 direct and indirect jobs