Maringá is a planned city in northern Paraná, laid out with broad avenues and large pockets of green space rather than the denser colonial pattern found in older Brazilian towns. It is not a place to cross the country for, but if you are already moving through the north of the state it has enough character for a good day.
The city landmark is the Cathedral of Maringá, a tall concrete cone inspired by the Sputnik era and visible from much of the centre. Nearby, Parque do Ingá preserves a piece of urban forest around a lake, while Parque do Japão points to the strong Japanese-Brazilian community that helped shape the city.
Maringá works best as a relaxed urban stop: the cathedral in the morning, a walk under the trees in Ingá Park, lunch in the centre, then the Japanese gardens or the high point around Praça Pio XII before sunset. The appeal is modest but real, especially compared with using the city only as a bus or airport connection.