Paraná

The state

Paraná runs from a short, forested Atlantic coastline up the escarpment of the Serra do Mar to high inland plateaus once covered by Araucaria forest, and west to the Paraná and Iguaçu rivers on the borders with Paraguay and Argentina. Curitiba, the capital, sits at around 935 m and is known for its planning, parks and a pioneering bus rapid transit system. Waves of Polish, Ukrainian, German, Italian and Japanese immigrants shaped the interior, while the colonial ports of Paranaguá and Antonina recall an older Portuguese history. In the far west, Foz do Iguaçu gives access to the Brazilian side of Iguaçu Falls, the Itaipu Dam and the Triple Frontier.

For agencies, Iguaçu is the anchor: it works as a two to three night stop within a wider Brazil or Argentina circuit, for FIT and groups alike, and Foz do Iguaçu has solid hotel and event capacity for incentives. Curitiba suits short city stays, business travel and conferences, easily combined with the Serra do Mar train to Morretes and a coastal extension to Ilha do Mel. Distances are real, though: Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu are more than 600 km apart, so the two are normally linked by air rather than road.