Campos do Jordão

Brazil [1]’s loftiest town—at 1,628 meters (5,341 feet) above sea level—Campos do Jordão is somewhat of a Gstaad, Switzerland, wannabe. With its high fashion boutiques, swanky spas, hotels equipped with down quilts and crackling fireplaces, and refined eateries serving hot chocolate and fondue, you’d swear you were anywhere other than Brazil.

However, if you prefer nature to nurture, you’ll find it in the surrounding mountain ranges, along with plenty of adventure sports options.

Winter months are when things really heat up in “Campos,” culminating with the Festival de Inverno [2], an internationally renowned classical musical festival. However, the rest of the year—when everything but the temperature cools off—can be equally pleasant, not to mention less crowded.

Getting to Campos do Jordão

The rodoviária (Av. Doutor Januário Miraglia, tel. 12/3262-1996) is between Jaguaribe and Capivari. São Paulo has daily bus service to Campos with Expresso Mantiqueira (tel. 0800/999-701) from Tietê terminal.

Campos do Jordão lies 167 kilometers (104 miles) northwest of São Paulo [3]. By car, take the BR-116, the SP-070, and SP-123. The travel time from São Paulo is roughly two hours.