Penedo

Penedo is a settlement in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is located next to Itatiaia National Park (Parque Nacional do Itatiaia).

Understand

Penedo was settled by Finnish immigrants in 1929. The founder of the settlement, Toivo Uuskallio, came to the place with a small group of like-minded Finnish with the idea of building a community that would live in peace with nature and have a strict vegan diet. Uuskallio arrived in the city of Rio de Janeiro with his wife Liisa. He took some Portuguese lessons and went by train to nearby Barra Mansa. From there, he started exploring the region, visiting farms and properties in Rio de Janeiro and neighboring states.

Eventually, he visited Fazenda Penedo, then owned by the Saint Benedict's Monastery. With 3,500 hectares, Fazenda Penedo was crisscrossed by fresh water springs and rivers that were distributed along several altitudes. He could use the large Casa Grande, the main house in the farm, to accommodate his group. Envisioning that the area would allow them to grow both European and tropical plants, Uuskallio was not aware that the former use of the farm as a coffee plantation had basically drained all the nutrients from the soil, and after the abolition of slavery the treeless land was used as pasture for cattle. Also voracious saúva ants were ready to eat anything in sight.

In 1929, he purchased the property, and a second group of settlers arrived. After working on the land, they were finally able to plant corn, yams, bananas, flowers, and loofahs. By 1935, most settlers had their own individual houses. Women took care of the laundry, cooking and vegetable gardens, while men tended the earth, planted and negotiated the crops.

Get in

By car

If you are coming Rio de Janeiro, then take Avenida Brasil and then BR 116 Via Dutra (Intersatate) going towards São Paulo. You will drive for about 165km (you will have to pay a toll of about R$7.50 during the journey) and then take the road to Penedo.

The interstate is well-maintained and the average speed is about 100km/h. Beware of radar ticketing for speeding. The speed varies in different sections of the Interstate (100km/h to 110km/h) and you are allowed to exceed the limit by 10% without being fined or stopped by troopers.

If you need to overtake, you should do so on the left. Never do it on the right or use the hard-shoulders for overtaking.

If you car breaks down on the interstate, there are emergency lines every 1km, so the walk for help won’t be arduous. All you need to do is to call for help from one of the available booths. Your car will be towed free of charge and if it is fixable, they will fix it for you too.

The interstate has plenty of signs and moves on a straight line until you need to get off to Penedo. Keep an eye on the exit 311 for Penedo after you have driven from at least 150km, as you will be approaching it on your right (you may want to reduce speed and keep on the right lane to be sure you won’t miss the exit).

Once you take the road to Penedo, beware of animals crossing the road. You will drive for about 10km before reaching Penedo’s town center.

By bus

from Rio de Janeiro viação Cidade do Aço, phone +55 21 2253-8471, to Resende or Penedo bus terminal

from S. Paulo viação Resendense or Sampaio to Resende bus terminal

taxi can be used for transportation from or to Resende, Rio and S. Paulo city or airport

Get around

You can get around town:

• By car
• On horseback - Horse riding is a good option to go around town. If you haven't been exercising, you will feel some discomfort next morning. Apart from that, it is a great way to get around.
• On foot
• By bike

See

Penedinho Peak

As soon as you arrive at Penedo, you will feel a different atmosphere from Rio de Janeiro. If you are from Europe, you may have that familiar feeling. The first-time visitor should visit Pico do Penedinho (Little Penedo Peak) from where she or he can have a wonderful view of Penedo, the Penedo Valley and part of the Itatiaia Park.

Since the Peak is on private property, you will need permission to visit. Simply go to Casa do Chocolate (Chocolate House) and get a permission ticket. From the Chocolate House, you will drive about 1km before reaching the entrance where you will be granted access to the trail leading to the peak.

You will walk about 600 meters uphill to reach the peak. It can be tiring, but it is worth your while.

Beware of Leafcutting ants along the way. Leafcutting ants have powerful bites, which can be pretty awful since the area is scattered with nests. If you spot a nest or a bunch of them going about their business, run past them hitting your feet on the ground so they do not climb your legs. If you're wearing trousers, close the legs at the ankles tightly so you are not surprised by ants inside your pants.

As you reach the peak, the trail is very narrow. Give way to people coming down, and avoid rushing uphill.

Waterfalls

• Cachoeira das Três Quedas

The "Three Falls Waterfall" can be reached on your way up to Cachoeira de Deus (God's Falls) and Cachoeira das Três Bacias (Three Basins Falls). Since it is the last fall counting from the top, the water is not particularly clean, but it is clean enough for anyone who wants to bathe in its waters.

As with any waterfall, you must be extremely careful. The rocks are very slippery. If you slip and hit your head on the rocks, it can be fatal even though the water does not run fast enough at these falls.

• Cachoeira de Deus

As you drive further up the hills of Penedo, you will come to the entrance to Cachoeira de Deus. You will need to park your car and walk about 100 meters to the falls.

As you can see from the picture, the water is very clean and good for swimming. Staying under the falls is very relaxing. As the water is falling on you, it will gently massage your body and wash away all the stress.

To get into the water, you can jump from the rock which forms a natural platform into a 2-meter deep section of the falls. Once you're in the water, the depth will vary from 2.5 meters to as few as 5 centimeters. The dark patches you see in the picture (right hand corner) are its deepest parts.

You can easily climb the side walls and go to the top where a natural rocky pool is formed with a nice mini-fall above it. Here, you jump into the pool and enjoy a massage from the falling waters. Make sure, though, you have someone with you so the person can help lift you up from the hole, which is about 2 meters high. The pool itself is only about 30 centimeters high.

• Cachoeira das Três Bacias

The last waterfall along the same road is Cachoeira das Três Bacias (Three Basins Falls). This waterfall is particularly good for sliding down the rocks. You sit at top of the first basin and push your body forward, and you will gently slide down its slippery rocky surface. You continue to do this until you reach the last one.

It may sound scary, but if you are careful, it is pretty safe. The dangerous thing about waterfalls--any of the types shown here--is always the slippery rocks. You should always keep this in mind and be extremely careful.

Another place to visit is Fumaça. It is a small village about 40km from Penedo. It has a beautiful waterfall that will be worth the arduous road you will have to drive on.

Do

If you want a quiet stay you should go during the week.

• Trekking, mountainbiking, birdwatching
• Horse riding is one of the things you should do.

Eat

• Bella Cittá Restaurant, Av. das Mangueiras, 1763, ☏ +55 24 3351-1926. V. da Gula. Opens everyday (except Tuesdays) for lunch and dinner. 
• Koskenkorva, ☏ +55 24 3351-2532. Estrada Três Cachoeiras (opposite Pousada Suarez). Serves typical Finnish food. So if you're from Finland and want a taste of home with a Brazilian hint, this is the place to go! 
• Vikings - Av. Brasil 800. Phones: +55 24 9219-1516 and +55 24 3351-2145. It won the 2004 Gastronomic Competition and serves delicious Scandinavian food. It opens Monday to Friday for dinner only. Saturdays and Sundays it opens for lunch and dinner.
• Wein Stüble - It serves German food and the restaurant is located at the Papai Noel Mall (Santa Claus Mall). Its opening times are Friday (dinner), Saturday/bank holidays (lunch and dinner) and Sunday (lunch).
• You also have "fish-and-eat" restaurants, where you can catch your own trout and they will cook for you. You should not worry about not catching a fish, as it is a fish farm and you will certainly have loads of trout disputing your bait.

Local chocolate

If you are a chocoholic, then Penedo is for you! You will find many chocolate houses and they all produce wonderful chocolate. At Chocolate House, you will be able to see how the chocolate is produced as well, whilst you enjoy a wonderful cup of coffee or hot chocolate.

Drink

• Local liquors (try chocolate and sweetcorn liquors)
• Local nightclubs - If you want a bit of night life, go over the weekend (arrive Friday and leave Sunday)

Sleep

• City Park Hotel, Pça. Toivo Uuskallio, 10, ☏ +55 24 3351-1181. Staff speaks English and Spanish 
• Pousada Lapônia, Avenida Brasil, 820, ☏ +55 24 3351-2216, fax: +55 24 3351-2254. 
• Village Colonial, R. Francisco J. Barros nº 61, ☏ +55 24 3351-1178, +55 24 3351-1165. 
• Pousada Nossa Senhora, Rua das Rosas, 544, ☏ +55 24 3351-2104, +55 24 9999-5560. 

You can camp if you wish.

Go next

Getting out is simple. Simply drive back to Via Dutra and head back to Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. This interstate connects these two major cities and you can reach any other city from these two centers.