Petropolis, Brasil: Homestay, Hiking & the World's Most Magical Fruit

Getting There

From Paraty, we boarded our first long distance bus in Brazil and had some major sticker shock at the price…far from the norm we’re used to in Latin America. For a 4.5 hour route, it cost 215 Reais or $44 for the two of us to Rio de Janiero. We then traveled an additional 1.5 hours north to the city of Petropolis for 79 Reais or $16. The good news is, the buses were clean, comfortable and the stations very easy to navigate, with or without speaking Portuguese.

In rural Brazil they advertise Pão do Queijo like they advertise fireworks and guns in rural US of A. Large and loud. It was here of course we stopped for “lunch.” Because what else would you eat than 10 cold bread balls stuffed with cheese?

Bus stop food in Brazil consists of Pão do Quejo and empadas. Empadas, not to be confused with empanadas, are little pastry crust snacks in pie tins with filling, usually savory. Our favorite one has been palmito, filled with potatoes and palm hearts. It has a taste comparable to a pot pie. Each one costs about $1.25 and the cheese balls about the same price. An ok snack, but not very satisfying.

Heading into the mountain-strewn north from Rio de Janiero it didn’t take long to encounter little slices of Europe, particularly Bavarian ones, along the way to Petropolis. Petropolis, with a subtle German flavor, thanks to its founding by Bavarians in 1845, is a cooler mountain retreat very popular for Cariocas (residents of Rio de Janiero). It’s saturated with beautiful architecture, green and walkable parks and canals, a captivating national park and is also loaded with breweries, including Cervejaria Bohemia, Brazil’s oldest brewery dating from 1853 with its own museum.

We saw our first glimpse of Germany along the road to Petropolis at the Casa do Alemão, a restaurant inevitably stuffed with sausage and permeating of sauerkraut.

Also, for three nights thanks to our Couchsurfing hosts, we got to appreciate it all with incredibly welcoming locals, turned great friends. But our dinner would be much more subdued (and less stinky.) Instead, we stopped by the supermarket, grabbed some craft beers and whipped up what is becoming our token sharing dish of Shushuka for Lucas and Fernanda, a super friendly military couple whose world travels were reflected in a sheet of country magnets adorning their kitchen.

After tons of travel talk and a scrumptious dinner after our day of bready bus food, they shared a local liquor with us which looked and sounded completely unappetizing by the name (Green Corn) and brilliant yellow (?) shade. Especially as it rolled out of the bottle like school bus paint. However, it tasted more like a vanilla-y egg nog. In short, pretty tasty.

The outside of their home, which is located on a couldn’t-be-safer military base. They were so welcoming offering us their spare room for three nights. We were their first foreign guests in quite some time (unfortunately not too many foreigners make it to Petropolis.) For us, it felt so nice to be in a home which even offered amenities like a hot shower (first in Brazil) and a hairdryer (which was great because it got quite chilly at night.)

And a floppy ragdoll jungle cat. 😹 (If you’ve ever met a ragdoll, you know why a jungle dwelling one seems a bit comical.) Anyhow, it was nice to have a kitty hit because we’re sadly lacking in the housesit opportunities this year. Sunday morning breakfast was a complete feast!!

The view out our window.

Exploring Petropolis

Their house was about a 35-minute pleasant walk from the city center of Petropolis, on which we noticed the Germanic vibe almost immediately.

Many of the houses even had some fringe.

And the brewery, which seemed to mix up countries, had a Czech name but German vibe.

Greg certainly had a little beery burst of excitement to see this much craft beer in South America, especially because we’ve mostly be drinking shitty National beers lately 🤣

And of course, he also decided to go on a brewery tour, which is one of the city’s top attractions. The brewery has been cranking out German style beers ever since 1853 and offers the opportunity to peruse the facility through a self guided tour (39 Reais/$8) of the excellent museum and includes three generously sized tastings.

Beautiful historic mansions inundate the streets of Petropolis. Petropolis was named after the Brazilian Emperor Pedro II. He held his imperial court in the city during Rio’s hot summer months.

The Obelisk of Petropolis was built in 1957 in honor of the first centenary of the city and also in honor of the Germans .

In addition to Germany, other shades of Europe popped up. This school building looks almost Italian. And another one, French.

The beautiful park in front of the Imperial Museum.

This museum of Petropolis is housed in the summer house of Emperor Pedro II, which was built starting in 1845. As mentioned he came here from Rio, then the capital, to escape the heat. Today, due to its imperial history, this is one of the most important museums of Brazilian history.

A photo of the royal family. The Empire of Brazil remained a constitutional monarchy until 1889. They had two emperors prior to this. Don Pedro II was overthrown in November 1889 after a 58-year reign. We believe it was South America’s only monarchy but correct us if we’re wrong!

A charming canal meanders its way through the city center.

More eye-catching architecture.

Lunch at Soberano Cafe, a “self-service” restaurant which is a bit different from a kilo bar because they don’t weigh your food. Instead, you get to eat “anything you can fit on one plate.” Delightedly, since we left the coast, we already began noticing a big drop in prices. This cost 21 Reais or $4.28 and filled us up for the rest of the day.

A historic home which is now a medical center, near apartments that clearly fell out of Deutschland.

The cathedral of Petropolis serves as the final resting place for the royal Dom Pedro II, and his family.

The neo-classical Casa de Princess Isabel was built in 1853. Had her father not got chased out of office, she would have been queen one day. Sucks to be her.

The Crystal Palace is the first prefabricated structure assembled in Brazil, and is considered one of the most important buildings in the country. Its opening was attended by Princess Isabel in 1884. In April 1888, she freed the last slaves of the city here, before the Abolition of Slavery was declared in Brazil.

The World’s Most Magical Fruit

Mission: Accomplished!!! After years of endlessly searching for the elusive Jabuticaba fruit we finally found it again at a solitary market stand in its home land near Minas Gerais, Brazil. We first found this fruit on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2014 and have been pining to have its fragrant sweet juicy deliciousness ever since.

To be honest, before we arrived in Petropolis, we had started to feel quite frustrated with the price, as well as selection of fruits in Brazil, which is supposed to be a global fruity powerhouse. Fortunately, our local Couchsurfing hosts pointed us to the local market, completely unmarked on the map or in any guidebook, where we were finally floored by everything we’d be dreaming of.

Amongst the rows and rows of fresh fruits and veggies, we almost didn’t think we were gonna find our precious Jabuticaba. But finally, off to the side sat a smiley lady who clearly sensed our school kid excitement as we asked for a kilo ($3) of the blackish purplish berries which grow on the trunk of their trees. The berries have a sweet flavor, similar to a grape/blueberry blend with a more aromatic smell. A tough skin, which you don’t eat, surrounds a gelatinous filling. And in this case, bigger is also better, juicier and sweeter!

They also had plentiful papayas, passion fruit and mango all marked 3 for 5 Reais or 3/$1.

Juicy tomatoes, and at least six different types of bananas, each bundle of 10-15 around $.80.

Guava!

And sooo many greens and herbs. All 3/$1. Also, meaty avocados the size of small grapefruits for $.40. Every time we’ve bought one of these, it has lasted about a week. For some reason they don’t turn brown and yucky like the Hass variety.

The market is held every Saturday near the main (local) Petropolis bus station. Ahhh…yes!! This is more like it!!

Hiking Sunday Funday

We are so grateful we got to stay with our Couchsurfing hosts, Fernanda & Lucas, who also took us on a hike into the peaks of Parque Nacional Serra dos Orgãos, a short drive out of Petropolis, which would have been more challenging, or maybe impossible, to access via public transit.

They brought along their three-year-old son and we also we met up with their friends, who had a two-year-old daughter. Thus, it was definitely a different kind of hiking than we’re used to, but still a lot of fun to be included in such a Sunday excursion. 🙂

The origin of the unusual name, which means “Two Organs” is credited to early Portuguese settlers who thought themountain tops resembled the pipes of organs in European cathedrals.

Unfortunately we didn’t get to see the super wonky peaks but the trail we took was very interesting, particularly at the top where you got the opportunity to walk on ridges of flat stone.

And the views of the surrounding mountains, and all the way to Rio de Janiero, were simply phenomenal. Unfortunately, it was a bit hazy again towards the city.

By the end of the day, little Anthony was referring to us as “Tia” and “Tio Olho Azul.” (Aunt and blue-eyed uncle) Greg didn’t bother to correct him that his eyes are actually green. 🤣

The entrance sign to the park. Not quite as flashy as our US ones. Haha. We did the Pedra do Castelinho hike which took us about an hour and those with little feet about two. Remarkably both kids made it all the way up on foot! (Down was a different story as they were both sacked out like a couple very heavy potato bags.)

Mandy leading the pack through the beautiful sub-tropical forest. Eventually, due to the snail-pace of the kids, Lucas told us to get outta there and that they’d meet us at the top.

So, we sat on a rock and soaked in the view a good 30 minutes while we did just this. Over to the right you’ll notice a pointy finger-like peak. We thought this was Dedo do Deus (Finger of God) but Lucas told us that it was further east.

Greg soaking it in.

The view of a scattered Petropolis, population 200,000.

Hey!! Look who finally arrived. 🤣 Greg, rested and chipper chats with winded Lucas. Oh the differences of being a parent.

Time to whip out a full picnic on an elevated rock! It then seemed like a great time to play throw-my-parents-things-off said rock. Anthony was starting to get a bit cranky by this time. Good thing dad brought his favorite robot!