Santa Maria (Rio Grande do Sul)

Santa Maria is a city in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in southern Brazil. Known as the geographic heart of the state, the city is the gateway to Paleorrota, the state's paleontological tourism route.

Understand
With a population of around 285,000 inhabitants, "Santa Maria da Boca do Monte", as it is known for being surrounded by hills, is a university town with a vibrant nightlife, known for the Federal University of Santa Maria, one of the most important public universities in the country. The city is also home to several museums and historic churches. However, the main attraction of Santa Maria is its paleontological tourism. The city has 20 paleontological sites that house fossils found from the beginning of the 20th century.

Climate
Santa Maria has well-defined seasons and the amount of rain distributed evenly throughout the year. In the summer, highs frequently surpass 30 °C (86 °F) in January, but these temperatures can drop suddenly during a passage of a cold front with quick rains and thunderstorms, providing welcome relief from scorching temperatures. In June, the coldest month, highs reach 19 °C (66 °F) and lows usually go below 9 °C (48 °F), reaching up to −5 °C (23 °F), but snow is rare.

By car
Leaving Porto Alegre, the main highways connecting Santa Maria to other cities in the state are BR-287 and BR-386. BR-287 has a single lane (unlike BR-386, which has four lanes), however, both highways are in good condition. From the west, BR-287 also connects São Borja, on the border with Argentina, to Santa Maria.

From the south, coming from cities like Pelotas and Rio Grande, the main road that connects Santa Maria is BR-392, also with a single lane. From the north, the main road that passes through Santa Maria is the BR-158, which has a single lane. Some of these roads are tolled and have speed traps. Schedule your car trips during the day; it is simply more secure.

By bus
Santa Maria is a city well served by intercity and interstate bus lines to many cities in the state and in the country. The long-distance bus station is located in the Nossa Senhora de Lourdes neighborhood, 2 km (1.24 miles) from the city downtown. Santa Maria Bus Station has good service infrastructure, in addition to a food court and is connected to the rest of the city by several municipal bus lines.

The main bus operator in Santa Maria is Planalto Transportes, which has lines connecting Porto Alegre and other cities to Santa Maria.

By plane
Santa Maria Airport is the main airport serving Santa Maria. It is a small airport, with minimal infrastructure, which is located in the district of Camobi, 11 km from the city downtown. The only airline that operates at this airport is Azul, with a daily flight between Santa Maria and Porto Alegre International Airport and seasonal flights to Hercílio Luz International Airport  in Florianópolis.

Do
Ride a bike "MTB" in Itaara and 4a Colônia.