Rio Grande

Explore this lovely Portuguese city bordering Argentina and Uruguay, with its gracious squares and beautiful churches. Visit the Museum of Sacred Art and the fascinating oceanographic museum. Home to an independently minded population steeped in cattle herding and cowboy culture. Gauchos, as residents of Rio Grande do Sul are known, as a fiercely proud and traditional lot. In the countryside it is not unusual to see old-timers sporting wide-brimmed hats and other traditional dress. An everywhere locals suck down chimarrao, the distinctive, traditional tea made from the maté plant.