We Walked Around Rio Grande Brazil

So Much To See When We Walked Around Rio Grande Brazil

We were glad we walked around Rio Grande Brazil on our cruise port stop as we travelled along the Brazil coast.  Our tour guide provided us with so much local insight.  We were sure we would have missed so much if we wandered on our own.

The small city centre had much to draw our attention as we walked.  We visited both a church museum and two very different churches in Rio Grande.  On our final stop, the Oceanographic Museum provided another view of this part of Brazil.  Certainly an interesting port stop on our South America cruise with Oceania Cruises.

A Walk Around The Main Square

After we were docked in Rio Grande, we left for our walking tour.  We started in Xaviar Ferreira Park.  This main square of Rio Grande was a busy spot when we visited.  Both tourists and locals enjoyed the shaded places.  And the art in the park.

Interesting buildings faced the square.  The colonial style buildings with flags flapping were artistic and colourful in design.  

Across from the park we visited the fish market.  It was a bit late in the day but we found there was still seafood for sale in the stalls.  Always a fun stop in a sea town.

We walked around Rio Grande Brazil and enjoyed the main square.

History At The Customs House

The Customs House was located on the edge of the main square.  It was an old gothic style building.  Even under the faded paint we saw how beautiful it was in the past.   

We stopped when we went in and looked up at the ceiling.  We saw crests of various countries that were early trading partners with Brazil.  As we wandered in this still working building, we saw many displays that showed the history of this building.  And trade in Brazil.  

Through the back we found a large grassy courtyard.  It was certainly a reminder of another time in Rio Grande’s past.  We were certainly glad we stopped at the Customs House when we walked around Rio Grande Brazil.

Learning About Christianity Visiting Churches

When we walked around Rio Grande Brazil we saw some of the history of the town through the churches.  We started in the Museo da Cidade do Rio Grande located by the main square.  The Sacred Art collection included approximately a thousand objects focused on the Catholic religion in Rio Grande.  We found many interesting pieces to look at as we explored.  

From there we went around the corner and visited the Cathedral of St Peter (Igreja Matriz Sao Pedro).  This was the oldest church in Rio Grande do Sur.  The building was quite simple compared to many churches we visited around the world.  But we found art and beauty on display inside.

Late in the day we made on more stop at the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo.  This gothic church was a sharp contrast to the earlier one.  Inside and outside we found ornate decorations.  We admired the inside of this church as we walked around.  

Throughout this church we found the big stained glass windows.  The patterns were geometric and colourful.  Quite different from the stained glass windows that often told stories in many churches we visited.  

It was interesting to see the variety in the churches in Rio Grande, Brazil.

A Stroll Through The Oceanographic Museum

We re-boarded our bus and headed to the Oceanographic Museum.  The site housed several different buildings including one dedicated to Antarctic expeditions and one for recovered sea animals.

We started at the animal recovery centre.  At any point, there may be a wide variety of animals held before being released back to nature.  We started with a view of several penguins.  It was another tease for us.  We saw penguins in the Acqua Mundo Guarjua Aquarium on our day trip in Santos, Brazil.  Later on this South America cruise, we then had several opportunities to see penguins in the wild.  First when we visited Bluff Cove in the Falkland Islands and then on Magdalena Island in Chile. 

All of the other animals were inside when we visited.  So next we headed into the main display area.  There were several interesting displays that showed the local sealife, some that looked quite prehistoric.  There was a lot to learn about the maritime history in this area.

We next went into the Museu Antartico to see the displays related to Antarctic expeditions.  The displays were held inside of containers and showed the history of Brazil in Antartica.  We learned much more about this when we finally did our cruise to Antarctica.

The last stop on our day in Rio Grande at the Oceanographic Museum provided a different look into life in this part of Brazil.

Many Things To See When We Walked Around Rio Grande Brazil

On this port day as we cruised along the coast of Brazil, we walked around Rio Grande Brazil and saw the vibrant downtown area.  A look at several churches gave us another perspective on this small city.  And a final stop at the Oceanographic Museum was interesting.

We were glad we chose to visit the town of Rio Grande with a guide.  It provided us with so much more background information.  But you could also stroll around and discover this small city on your own on a cruise around South America. 

What did you see when you walked around Rio Grande in Brazil?  Or did you take a day trip to explore the region?

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