Vila Velha and Furnas

This part of the country was covered by the Atlantic Ocean about 600 million years ago and, as time passed, volcanic eruptions and separating tectonic plates have changed the local geography, creating several mountain ranges. Over the next 200 million years, due to the ice-age and erosion, places like Vila Velha, with its unique rock formation, were formed. It is just 100 km away from Curitiba and is protected by a state park.

The state park Vila Velha is open Wednesday to Monday and has recently been completely restructured. The main attractions are the sandstone sculptures, the Dourada Lake and the Furnas Caves with their very high walls and internal lakes. The park can be visited by minibuses with the supervision of a local guide.

A visit lasts approximately three hours and gives you the opportunity to visit the rock formation on foot. On one side of the loop road you have wide, native grassland, while the other side is covered with Araucaria forest and dense, humid vegetation; an incredibly interesting contrast. Unfortunately, the caves can be seen only from the outside as the elevator, which was in use previously, is not working at the moment.

You should plan for the tour to last six hours (round trip). We recommend leaving Curitiba at 7:30 am to keep your afternoon free (i.e. for other activities or a flight to another destination).