After two nights in Bento Gonçalves, the route leaves the Serra Gaúcha behind and turns south toward the coast. The change is dramatic: vineyards and steep valleys give way to the broad lowlands around Porto Alegre, then to the enormous lagoon-and-coastal landscape of southern Rio Grande do Sul.
Leaving the Serra
The morning begins with the descent from Bento Gonçalves and the Serra toward Porto Alegre, fuel taken along the way at Novo Hamburgo. The change comes quickly — hills and vineyards flatten out as the route nears the metropolitan region, with no need to rush the transition before the day's first real stop in the capital.