The Gaucho Highlands (Serras Gaúchas in Portuguese) has become the most popular tourist region in Rio Grande do Sul attracting thousands of people each year. Most tourists prefer to visit during the wintertime to experience one of the few places in Brazil with a cold climate. If you are from a cold-climate country, you'll probably best enjoy the summer months (December to March).

Besides the climate, the region has beautiful vistas formed by canyons, waterfalls and araucaria trees. The beautiful cities of the Gaucho Highlands light up each year to celebrate the Christmas season.

The regional cuisine is exceptionally rich with a European flavor inherited from the German and Italian immigrants that recreated a small piece of Europe in the Brazilian new world.

The Italian Region, also called Little Italy, is made up of cities like Caxias do Sul, Bento Gonçalves, Carlos Barbosa, Garibaldi, Farroupilha and Flores da Cunha.

The German Region, also called the Hydrangea Flower Region, is made up of cities like Gramado, Canela e Nova Petrópolis.