Urubici is a small town in the Serra Catarinense, the highlands of Santa Catarina, and one of the coldest places in Brazil. In winter, frost is routine and snow falls some years — enough of a novelty in Brazil that people drive up from the coast to see it.
Its landmarks are close by. The Morro da Igreja, at over eighteen hundred metres, looks out to the Pedra Furada, a huge hole worn through a rock spur, often framed by clouds pouring through it; it is one of the most photographed views in southern Brazil. The Serra do Corvo Branco, a road cut through a sheer rock wall in a deep notch, is another. Waterfalls, including the Cascata Véu de Noiva, and a series of ancient rock carvings are dotted around the valley.
Urubici is a good base for the high country, combined with São Joaquim, with its apples and cold-climate wines, and the dramatic descent of the Serra do Rio do Rastro toward the coast. Parts of the Morro da Igreja road are within a military area and access is controlled; check before you go.