Sitting in southern Brazil, Apucarana is a laid-back city that serves as a gateway to the Paraná region. The downtown core has a lively atmosphere and is built around a bustling central plaza. Spend your days visiting cultural sites, admiring colourful street art and sampling tasty Apucarana cuisine. Venture further afield, and you’ll find a variety of lush rainforests and cascading waterfalls to explore.

Things to Do

While Apucarana isn’t as big as Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo, it still buzzes with energy. In the downtown core, most of the action is centred around the beautiful Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral. It anchors Rui Barbosa square, which is a great spot for people watching.

For many travellers, Apucarana serves as a jumping point to the mighty Iguazu Falls. Straddling the Argentinian border, it sees more than 275 individual falls tumble down the Iguazu River. The untouched rainforests of Iguazu National Park surround the falls and are a great introduction to the Brazilian wilderness.

Closer to home, Apucarana is a great base for exploring attractions in the nearby city of Londrina. You can stroll around Londrina Botanical Garden, dive into Brazil’s colourful past at the Londrina Historical Museum and admire local artwork at the Londrina Art Museum.

If you love birds, Parque Biguaçu is a must. It may be small, but it’s home to a fantastic bird nursery housing tropical parrots, toucans, peacocks and more. Lake Jaboti is another popular green space, with woodlands and walking trails to explore.

Getting around

Apucarana’s downtown core is compact and walkable, which makes it easy to explore the city on foot. If you’re travelling further afield, the easiest way to get from A to B is by taxi. Local buses run throughout the city and are fast and reliable. Capitão João Busse is the closest airport, with the drive taking around 25 minutes.