Brotas

Brotas sits on the Jacare-Pepira river in a landscape of basalt steps and waterfalls, and from the 1990s the town converted that geography into an adventure economy - it is now the reference point for rafting in Sao Paulo state, with grade three sections on the Jacare-Pepira run commercially year round. Around it are cascading, which means descending a waterfall on ropes, at Cassorova and other falls, tree-top courses, tyrolean traverses across gorges, and abseiling. Most of the sites are on private estates with their own operators and safety standards, which vary. The Cachoeira Tres Quedas and Salto Grande are visited without equipment. It is a weekend destination and everything is sold in packages.

History

The town began in 1839 with a chapel around which a settlement grew; it became a district of Araraquara in 1841 and of Rio Claro in 1853, and a municipality on 22 August 1859. Its greatest growth came with the coffee expansion of the 1920s and 1930s, which brought many Italian immigrants, and when coffee declined many people left for the larger cities (Wikipedia, Brotas).

Highlights

• Grade three rafting - commercial runs on the Jacare-Pepira.
• Waterfall abseiling - rope descents down the falls at Cassorova and others.
• Gorge traverses and tree courses - the wider adventure operation.
• Falls without equipment - Tres Quedas and Salto Grande for walkers.

When to go

All year; December to March for the highest water. Two days.

Before you go

Everything is run by private operators at private sites, and standards vary - check certification rather than price. Weekends are booked out and prices rise. Rafting is cancelled at extreme water levels. Activities add up quickly.

Nearby

Sao Pedro and Aguas de Sao Pedro are south; Piracicaba is south-east.

Key facts