Holambra

Dutch families displaced by the war arrived here in 1948 under a settlement scheme, and the name is a contraction of Holland, America and Brazil. The colony struggled with unfamiliar soil and disease for its first years and then found its business in flowers - Holambra now supplies a very large share of Brazil's cut flowers and ornamental plants, with greenhouses across the municipality and a wholesale market that sets national prices. The town is built to a Dutch template with a windmill, brick gables and tulip beds, which is theatrical but rests on a real industry. Expoflora each September is the largest flower show in Latin America, with displays, a parade and a petal rain, and it fills the town for several weekends.

History

In the late 1940s the Dutch government encouraged emigration, and Brazil was the only country to accept large groups of Catholics; organised by the Catholic Dutch farmers' union, about 650 migrants from North Brabant founded the colony of Holambra I and its farming cooperative on the Fazenda Ribeirão on 14 July 1948. After a referendum in 1991 in which 98% voted for autonomy, Holambra became a municipality in January 1993, and in April 1998 it was named a tourist resort for its flowers and the Expoflora show (Wikipedia, Holambra).

What you'll find

• A 1948 Dutch colony - founded by families displaced after the war.
• The flower industry - greenhouses and the wholesale market behind the scenery.
• Dutch-template building - a windmill, brick gables and planted beds.
• Expoflora in September - the largest flower show in Latin America.

When to go

September for Expoflora; any time for the farms. A day.

Things to know

Outside Expoflora the town is small and the Dutch styling is thin. During the show it is crowded and roads in queue badly. Tulips do not thrive in this climate and the beds are seasonal and limited. Farm visits need booking.

Nearby

Campinas is south; Jaguariuna and Serra Negra are close by.

Key facts