Itati: Protected Areas, Mountain Ranges and Waterfalls

Protected areas, waterfalls and the Rota do Sol

With its protected areas, striking changes in elevation and waterfalls, Itati is a destination for travelers who don’t want to limit nature to a single experience. The Rota do Sol crosses the municipality; local nature attractions also include the Serra do Pinto and the Chapada dos Vaga-lumes hiking trail. For your holiday planning, you can choose from a range of focuses: landscape conservation, waterfalls or longer hiking trails.

A landscape within a network of protected areas

The Área de Proteção Ambiental Rota do Sol covers Itati, Cambará do Sul, Três Forquilhas and São Francisco de Paula. 71 percent of its area is preserved. The protected area helps safeguard water resources, especially the headwaters of the Tainhas and Três Forquilhas rivers. It also forms a buffer zone for the Estação Ecológica Estadual Aratinga and an ecological corridor between Parque Nacional da Serra Geral and Reserva Biológica da Serra Geral. These functions give the landscape significance beyond individual viewpoints or excursion destinations.

The Estação Ecológica Estadual Aratinga extends across Itati and São Francisco de Paula and covers an area of 5,882 hectares. It is home to plant and animal species, including some that are endangered. In the wider region, the Rota do Sol passes through three protected areas: the Estação Ecológica Estadual Aratinga, the Área de Proteção Ambiental Rota do Sol and the Reserva Biológica Mata Paludosa. If you’re especially interested in natural areas when choosing a holiday rental, you can make these different protected areas a focus of your trip.

Mountain ranges and waterfalls

The Serra do Pinto attractions are within the municipality of Itati. The section of the Rota do Sol that crosses the Serra do Pinto climbs nearly 1,000 meters in elevation over just over 10 kilometers. These figures describe a marked change in elevation along this stretch of road. Itati can be reached via the Rota do Sol (ERS-486); the paved RS-486, known as the Rota do Sol, crosses the municipality.

Waterfalls are another feature of the area’s natural attractions. Salto da Aratinga is 164 meters high and lies on Arroio Carvalho, on the border between Itati and São Francisco de Paula. In Itati, the Chapada dos Vaga-lumes hiking trail passes four waterfalls. The trail also features a so-called infinity pool above a 35-meter-high waterfall. The two waterfall destinations therefore differ in the features described: Salto da Aratinga is notable for its height and location on the municipal boundary, while the hiking trail features several waterfalls and the pool.

Trails and planning your stay

The 128-kilometer-long Trilha dos Canyons ends in Itati. Its total length and endpoint are useful to know if you’re considering longer hiking trails. This is separate from the local information about the Chapada dos Vaga-lumes hiking trail, which passes through Itati and goes by four waterfalls. Scientific and educational activities at the Estação Ecológica Estadual Aratinga require prior approval from the administration and advance registration. Take these requirements into account if such activities are part of your travel plans.

When looking for a holiday rental in Itati, you can first decide which nature experiences will be the main draw for your trip: the protected areas, the waterfalls, the Serra do Pinto or a hiking trail that ends in Itati. This way, you can choose your holiday destination based on the excursions you actually want to take, without treating the different areas and activities as if they were the same.

If you’d like to compare other destinations, you can also find São José do Norte, Santa Vitória do Palmar, Caçapava do Sul, Rio Grande, Novo Machado, Palmeira das MissõEs, Não-Me-Toque and Guaíba.

For the broader travel guide: Rio Grande Do Sul.