Have you ever been to São Paulo? Everyone who knows a bit of São Paulo is probably dazzled by its size, population, and chaos. What many tourists don’t know is that not very far from that we can find many small cities where we may feel not even a bit we are just 40 minutes away from it. One of these cities is São Roque.
São Roque is a city located 60 km out of Sao Paulo downtown taking Raposo Tavares road. It is famous for its wine production and has several wineries that offer guided tours, tastings, and events related to the world of wine. Also, for the production and festival of artichoke.
The place is loaded with amazing restaurants, mostly run by Italian origin families who have been living there for generations. My favorite is one called Stefano, which is a hotel, that amazing restaurant and also a venue for weddings and parties.
I’ve been visiting it for years, and it has changed a lot, but I guarantee that it still has its charm. Apart from the amazing food we can find there, it is surrounded by nature and if you are up for some adventure you can have some fun at the Chave Waterfall and also hike on the ecological trails, and do some outdoor activities at the Serra do Mar state park which offers them.
The most famous and visited winery there is Góes. There you can take guided tours around the plants and learn a bit about the processes and quality of the grapes, have lunch at their restaurant, and spend some time around the lake listening to some good music while drinking their wine. But don’t go there expecting an exceptional over-the-moon wine. It is good and honest, nothing like Argentinian or Chilean wines, though.
I must say that none of what I mentioned before is why I like to go there. My favorite place in São roque has nothing to do with wine or any kind of food, it is about sports. There we can find the Ski Mountain Park. We may be surprised by that and I must say, it is an amazing and fun way to spend the day. They’ve built an artificial ski slope and during the winter months, it is covered with ice. Instructors teach and help us with skiing and snowboarding. However, if you don’t feel like running the risk of falling hard on the slope, and can also go mountain biking, horseback riding, bow and arrow, abseiling, or even tree climbing circuit. It is just really cool to have the opportunity to practice this kind of sport an hour from the craziest city in Brazil. It is a place I strongly recommend for a day trip or for the weekend. It has something for everyone.
