Nestled in the Mantiqueira Mountains, Campos do Jordão is a cool-climate resort town in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is renowned for its Swiss-style architecture and leafy parks, while it’s also surrounded by pine forests that provide a habitat for native cats and birds.
Things to do in Campos do Jordão
Spend an afternoon exploring the village of Capivari, which is clustered with European-inspired buildings. Be sure to visit the Estação Emílio Ribas, where you’ll find a small history museum and tourist trains offering leisurely rides through the surrounding mountains. Nearby is leafy Parque Capivari, which features a lake where you can go pedal boating and a chair lift offering elevated views across the village.
On the southern edge of Campos do Jordão is the Amantikir Garden, a magnificent green space designed by the landscape architect Walter Vasconcellos. Set across 450 square metres, it is home to more than 700 different species from all corners of the globe. In addition to boasting the largest grass maze in Brazil and a European-inspired hedge maze, the Amantikir Garden features vegetable gardens, a tree house and a Japanese garden.
Art enthusiasts can visit Museu Felícia Leirner, which is dedicated to the life and work of the Polish-born Brazilian sculptor. Dotted throughout the grounds are dozens of bronze, cement and granite sculptures representing Leirner’s transition from Figurative to Abstract art, as well as her landscape clipping work of the 1980s.
Getting around Campos do Jordão
Campos do Jordão is around three hours’ drive from São Paulo and 2.5 hours from Guarulhos International Airport, which has flights to destinations across the globe. Long-distance buses connect to Campos do Jordão while renting a car is the most convenient way of getting around the region.