The southernmost leg crosses the litoral gaúcho, the strip between the Lagoa dos Patos and the Atlantic: a ferry crossing, lunch in the state's oldest city, a pause in the Taim wetlands, and the run to the end of Brazil.
The Crossing
The day begins at 8:00 am from Mostardas, heading south through country settled by Azoreans in the 18th century. The BR-101 ends here at the ferry terminal, tracing the isthmus between the Lagoa dos Patos and the ocean, past towns rooted in Portuguese outposts, fishing villages, and quilombos, through flat rice fields, lagoons, and restinga under a wide sky.
At São José do Norte, F. Andreis and Becker Transportes run the thirty-minute ferry crossing over the Canal do Rio Grande, which feels more sea than lagoon, departing hourly, boarding mid-morning. On the far bank, Rio Grande appears through the haze of its port.