The city is about 100 km from the capital […]
It all started as a tiny village, built around a chapel. It soon became a village and, almost two centuries later, saw the rise of the coffee barons’ farms.
About 100 kilometers from the capital São Paulo, Itu is not only the address of exaggerations, as a humorous character from the now defunct TV Tupi called it, but also one of the most beautiful historic centers in the interior of the state, with colonial buildings and cobblestone streets.
This city on the Rota dos Bandeirantes tourist circuit, a sort of miniature Ouro Preto, is also considered the Cradle of the Republic, where at the end of the 19th century the first meetings that overthrew the Monarchy took place.
A perfect weekend destination, Itu not only has well-preserved architecture and historical museums, but also colonial farms open to visitors and an Ice Age geological park.
What to do in Itu
⇒ Squares
Also known as Largo do Carmo, in the Historic Center, Praça da Independência is famous for its sequence of palm trees and the Igreja do Carmo, surrounded by 19th century architectural constructions.
Praça Padre Miguel, also known as Praça da Matriz, is home to Itu symbols such as the Candelária church, the famous public telephone and giant traffic lights. The place also houses a bandstand and souvenir shops.
⇒ Varvito Park
Home to glaciers, 280 million years ago, the park is known for its examples of varvite, a sedimentary rock formed from a sequence of slabs. It is also considered the most important of its kind in South America, the structure of which includes a trail, a cave, a lake and a forest.
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Rua Parque do Varvito, 400 (Parque Nossa Senhora Candelária)
Tel. (11) 4850-7178
From Tuesday to Sunday, from 8:00 to 16:45
Free Entrance
⇒ Rocha Moutonée Park
In nearby Salto, a municipality eight kilometers from Itu, this park of over 43 thousand m² is also dedicated to geology, with sedimentary rocks over 500 million years old and replicas of dinosaurs from the Mesozoic era.
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Rocha Moutonnée Highway (Antica Estrada das Sete Quedas), s/n – Salto
Tel: (11) 4602-8500
From Tuesday to Sunday, from 8.30am to 4.30pm
Free Entrance
⇒ Chocolate farm
Fazenda da Serra, one of the city’s most popular attractions, is a complete family option and offers activities such as a train ride, an orchid nursery, a museum, a replica of historical environments, a winery and a chocolate shop.
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Parque Road (SP-312), Km 90
Tel.: (11) 4022-5492
Every day, from 8.45am to 5.30pm
Free Entrance
farmdochocolate.com.br
Capoava farm
This beautiful 19th-century mill-era farmhouse is a boutique hotel with the Roteiros de Charme label and features chalets in the old houses that housed Italian immigrants. For non-guests, the daily use includes spaces such as swimming pools, tennis courts and other areas of the property.
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Av. Dom Gabriel Paulino Bueno Couto – Km 89.9 (Pedregulho District – Rural area)
Tel: (11) 2118-4100
farmcapoava.com.br
Maeda Park
Cable car, water park with water slides and train ride are some of the attractions of this ancient fishing spot, which is still in operation.
One of the highlights is the Japanese Garden, which with its 27,500 m² is considered one of the largest in Brazil, a landscape project with ponds with Koi carp, bonsai trees, a Japanese bridge, waterfalls, bushes, trees and flowers .
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Deputado Archimede Lammoglia state road, Km 18
Tel: (11) 2118-6200
Weekends, from 9:00 to 18:00
R$25 (entrance only)
parquemaeda.com.br
Marcos Amaro Art Factory Museum (FAMA)
Located in the warehouses of the former São Pedro textile factory, this 25,000 m² cultural center houses ateliers and exhibition rooms with a collection that includes works by Aleijadinho, Candido Portinari and Tarsila do Amaral.
One of the highlights is Jardim Dona Helena, a contemplation space with more than 30 works by artists such as Tomie Ohtake, Mestre Didi, Franz Weissmann and Emanoel Araújo.
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Rua Padre Bartolomeu Tadei, 9
Tel.: (11) 4022-4828
Wednesday to Sunday, 11am to 5pm
R$ 10 (free entry, Wednesdays)
famamuseu.org.br
Republican Museum of Itu
It is in the same building that they hosted the first meetings that gave rise to the Republican Party of São Paulo and the Itu Convention, as the meeting of politicians and farmers to discuss the republican campaign became known.
The collection preserved by the USP houses paintings, printed texts and objects from the time, such as the table where the ideas that would end the Monarchy were discussed.
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Rua Barão de Itaim, 67
Tel.: (11) 4023-0240 / 4023-2525
From Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 to 17:00
Free Entrance
Museopublicano.usp.br
Music Museum
This material heritage of São Paulo, classified by CONDEPHAAT (Council for the Defense of the Historical, Archaeological, Artistic and Tourist Heritage), is located in a building from 1890 and houses a collection of Italian scores and musical instruments.
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Rua Floriano Peixoto, 480 (Centre)
Sunday, from 9:00 to 13:00
Free Entrance
Museudamusicaitu.com.br
Energy Museum
In a tiled house from 1847, in the historic center of the city, there are permanent and temporary exhibitions in rooms dedicated to the history of electricity and the different lifestyles in Itu.
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Rua Paula Souza, 669
Tel.: (11) 2429-3530
From Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 to 17:00
entrance: R$ 10
Museudaenergia.org.br
Republican train
Operated by the Serra Verde Express Group, which operates train tours between Curitiba and Morretes, Paraná, this train tour goes from Itu to Salto and has four categories of carriages, such as the panoramic carriage which allows the transport of bicycles.
During the seven kilometer journey, passengers are accompanied by guides who tell the history of the Ituana Railway and its role in the Proclamation of the Republic.
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Itu station
Praça Doutor Gaspar Ricardo, 50 (Liberdade – Itu)
Tel.: (11) 4013-1319
Starting from R$65
tremrepublicano.com.br
How to get
Just over 100 km from the capital, Itu is accessible via the Bandeirantes (SP-348) and Castelo Branco (SP-280) highways, via Rodovia do Açúcar (SP-308). On weekends, Castelo Branco usually has heavy traffic on Fridays and Saturdays (internal route) and on Sundays, heading towards the capital.
By bus, from the Barra Funda terminal, the journey takes between 1h30 and 2h and costs R$48.85 (valedotiete.com.br).
Circular
The Historic Center region, compact and with parking restrictions, is best explored on foot. For more distant attractions, the best option is still the car.
Just eight kilometers from Salto, the destination can be combined with this neighboring municipality, known for the viewpoint on the cable-stayed bridge over the Tietê river.
Opened in 2016, the attraction is nearly 230 meters long, with its 48 meter high glass observation deck accessed via a 12-story panoramic elevator.
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Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
