Rio Grande do Sul · Brazil
Where to stay in Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is a city in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, home to about 1,389,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- POA7 km · Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport
- Currency
- BRLBrazilian real
- Time zone
- America/Sao Paulo
- Language
- Portuguese, Brazilian Sign Language
About
About Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. Its population of roughly 1.4 million inhabitants (2022) makes it the 11th-most populous city in the country and the centre of Brazil's fifth-largest metropolitan area, with 4.1 million inhabitants (2022).
Porto Alegre is the state capital of Rio Grande do Sul and the biggest urban agglomeration of Southern Brazil. Situated geographically and culturally midway between São Paulo and Buenos Aires, Porto Alegre developed its distinct flavor of Portuguese heritage under the influence of other European immigrants and a variety of other ethnic groups. It is one of the richest cities in the country, the state capital with the highest life quality and literacy rate (97%), and the book capital of Brazil.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Porto Alegre
See
Linha Turismo is a tourist bus line that rides through 11 neighbourhoods and shows the main attractions of the city (parks, trees, statues, hospitals, churches, etc.), with audio guides in three languages. The trip is 28 km long and lasts for about 1 hr 20 min, and the arrival is at the same departure address. From Tuesdays to Sundays (holidays included), at 09:00, 10:30, 13:30, 15:00 and 16:30 (winter) or 10:30, 13:30, 15:00, 16:30 and 18:00 (summer). The tickets cost R$30 for a normal fare and R$15 for the student (Foreigners need to have an International Student Identity Card).
- Monument to the Azoreans
- Usina do Gasômetro
- Iberê Camargo Foundation
- MARGS
- Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia da PUCRS
- Casa de Cultura Mario Quintana
- Museu Julio de Castilhos
- Parque Moinhos de Vento
- Parque Farroupilha
- Parque Marinha do Brasil
- Parque Maurício Sirotsky Sobrinho
- Parque Germânia
Do
- Arena do Grêmio
- Beira-Rio Stadium
- Passo d'Areia Stadium
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Porto Alegre
30 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Plaza São Rafael Hotel | 1.0 km | |
| Former Hotel Nacional | 0.4 km | |
| Apart Hotel Garibaldi | 3.3 km | |
| B Flat V | 3.4 km | |
| Blue Tree Towers Millenium Porto Alegre | 2.1 km | |
| Coral Tower Trade Center | 5.0 km | |
| Eko Residence Hotel | 0.6 km | |
| Garibaldi Business Hotel | 1.6 km | |
| Hotel Laghetto Stilo Higienópolis | 4.7 km | |
| Hotel Laghetto Viverone Moinhos | 2.4 km | |
| Hotel Porto Alegre Ltda | 4.2 km | |
| Hotel Praça da Matriz | 0.1 km | |
| Ibis Porto Alegre Moinhos de Vento | 3.3 km | |
| Ibis Styles Porto Alegre Centro | 1.5 km | |
| Intercity Porto Alegre | 1.4 km | |
| Intercity Porto Alegre Aeroporto | 5.2 km | |
| Intercity Porto Alegre Cidade Baixa | 0.7 km | |
| Manhattan Porto Alegre | 2.4 km | |
| Master Cosmopolitan | 3.1 km | |
| Master Porto Alegre Hotel - Av Carlos Gomes | 4.6 km | |
| Novotel Porto Alegre Airport | 7.0 km | |
| Novotel Porto Alegre Tres Figueiras | 5.0 km | |
| OYO Hotel Lancaster OYO Rooms | 0.3 km | |
| Piazza Navona Porto Alegre by Intercity | 1.7 km | |
| Pousada Convento São Lourenço | 4.0 km | |
| Quality Porto Alegre | 2.7 km | |
| Radisson Porto Alegre | 3.4 km | |
| Ritter Hotéis | 1.5 km | |
| Sheraton Porto Alegre Hotel | 2.9 km | |
| Swan Porto Alegre | 4.4 km |
All 30 hotels in Porto Alegre, with their history and operators
When to go
The best time to visit Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 152 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Porto Alegre: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport (POA), about 7.4 km from the city centre in a straight line; Hugo Cantergiani Regional Airport (CXJ, 93 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
The city is roughly a semi-circle that expanded outward in a concentric manner, beginning from the Historic District, right next to the promontory and the harbor. Avenues going from the center to the outer areas of the semi-circle are the radiais (radials) and are crossed by avenues named perimetrais (perimeters). Hence, to go to and from downtown one will use mostly the former, whereas to go from one neighborhood to another, one uses the latter. To understand the bus system, one must consider the above description. All lines are identified as "(prefix)-number name/neighborhood".
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
POA · Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport
CXJ · Hugo Cantergiani Regional Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Porto Alegre
Drink
Porto Alegre's nightlife is basically divided onto three regions: Cidade Baixa, Moinhos de Vento and the Fourth District (Quarto Distrito). Although, several pubs and clubs are located throughout the city. Cidade Baixa is an old neighborhood, filled with historical buildings and oldfashioned mansions. Most of the popular and cheap bars are located in Lima e Silva Street; they are the traditional xis (cheeseburgers) places, such as Speed and Cavanhas. In República Street, pubs and bars are fancier and more expensive too. Inside the old mansions of João Alfredo Street, several dance clubs party every night. The places are perfect to dance Brazilian popular music (called MPB) and samba.
Stay safe
Porto Alegre has greatly reduced rates of violent crime, and the city has become safer than it was before, including in some poor neighborhoods, such as Mario Quintana, Bom Jesus, Santa Tereza, and Lomba do Pinheiro. In 2021, the homicide rate in Porto Alegre was 16.6 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, much lower than in 2018, which was 45.5 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants. However, it is still recommended to use common sense and take the usual safety precautions.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Porto Alegre: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Porto Alegre?
Porto Alegre has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. January is the warmest month, with average highs of 30 °C; July is the wettest, with about 152 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Porto Alegre?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Porto Alegre-Salgado Filho International Airport (POA), about 7.4 km from the city centre in a straight line; Hugo Cantergiani Regional Airport (CXJ, 93 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Porto Alegre?
Brazilian real (BRL).
Nearby
Destinations near Porto Alegre
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.