Northern Paraná city founded as a coffee boomtown, with British roots and a large Japanese-Brazilian community.
Londrina is northern Paraná's largest city, a planned agricultural boomtown that grew with extraordinary speed from a patch of Atlantic forest. It was founded in 1929 by a British land company — the name means "Little London" in Portuguese — which sold parcels of the fertile red soil to thousands of European and Japanese immigrants who came to grow coffee. For several decades in the mid-20th century it was one of the fastest-growing cities in South America.
The coffee era is over, replaced by soy and wheat, but the city has retained its prosperity and its cosmopolitan character. Londrina has a large Japanese-Brazilian community — one of the largest outside São Paulo — and the result is a restaurant scene that is genuinely varied, with good sushi and Japanese cooking alongside the inevitable rodízio churrasco and Italian pizza. The city is also a university town, with the State University of Londrina giving it a student energy that keeps the bar and live music scene alive.
Sights are modest but worth a half-day: the Museu Histórico de Londrina in the old train station, the substantial Cathedral, and the Lago Igapó parks in the city centre. The Estádio do Café — the coffee stadium, naturally — hosts football and music events and is a landmark of the city's self-image.
Guide
Eating Out
Londrina's restaurant scene reflects its immigrant heritage. Japanese-Brazilian food is particularly good here — the large Nikkei community supports high-quality sushi and cooking that goes well beyond the usual all-you-can-eat format. Italian-influenced churrasco and pizza are equally pervasive, as they are throughout Paraná.
The city centre around Avenida Higienópolis and Rua Minas Gerais has the greatest concentration of restaurants. For a more local experience, the neighbourhood of Gleba Palhano in the western part of the city has developed into a restaurant and nightlife strip that is popular with young professionals and students. Rodízio (all-you-can-eat) churrasco houses are everywhere and are generally good value for carnivores.
Guide
Getting Around
Londrina is a sprawling city and public transport, while extensive, is not fast. The urban bus system covers most of the city but routes can be complex; taxis and ride-hailing apps (Uber operates here) are more practical for visitors. The main bus terminal (Terminal Central) is in the city centre and is the hub for the urban network.
For intercity travel, the rodoviária (long-distance bus station) is on Avenida Guilherme de Almeida, about 3km from the centre. Frequent buses run to Curitiba (3.5-4 hours), Maringá (1.5 hours), and São Paulo (6-7 hours). The airport — Aeroporto Governador José Richa — is about 6km from the city centre and is served by flights from São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and other Brazilian cities.
