Campos do Jordao

Campos do Jordao sits at around sixteen hundred metres and was developed in the early twentieth century as a place to send tuberculosis patients, on the theory that the dry cold air helped - the sanatoriums are still visible in the fabric. It rebuilt itself as a winter resort, and the Capivari district is a stage set of Swiss chalets, chocolate shops and fondue restaurants that has nothing to do with any immigrant history. Two things justify the trip: the Horto Florestal and the Campos do Jordao state park protect large stands of native araucaria, and the Festival Internacional de Inverno each July is a serious classical music programme with concerts in the Claudio Santoro auditorium. July temperatures drop below freezing at night.

What you actually see

• Araucaria forest - native stands protected in the state park and the horto.
• A July music festival - a substantial classical programme in the auditorium.
• A constructed Swiss centre - Capivari's chalets, with no immigrant basis.
• Sanatorium-era buildings - the town's original purpose still visible.

When to go

June to August for the season and the festival. Three days.

Honest expectations

In July the town is completely full, traffic in Capivari is at a standstill and prices multiply. The Alpine styling is entirely invented. Festival concerts need tickets bought well ahead. Nights are genuinely cold and heating is inconsistent.

Nearby

Pedra do Bau is north-east; Sao Bento do Sapucai is over the ridge.