Brazil - Campos do Jordão

Campos do Jordão.

Sent by Antonio, a postcrosser from Taubaté, Brazil.


This is from Wikipedia : Campos do Jordão is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The population in 2003 was 47,903 and the area is 290.27 km². The elevation is 1,628 m.

The city's economy is based mainly in tourism; due to its location at high elevation (on the Mantiqueira mountains) and European-looking architecture. Buildings are mostly German, Swiss or Italian inspired. Many of the richest people from the state of São Paulo build their winter country houses there and July (the winter season vacations) sees an enormous influx of visitors (more than quadrupling the city's population), due in part to the winter festival of classical music. Its attractions throughout the year include German and Swiss food restaurants, bars and a cable car. There are many pousadas (inns) and chalets.

There are numerous outdoor activities for winter residents and tourists. These include hiking, mountain climbing, treetop cable swings (arborismo), horseback riding, ATV riding, and motorbike riding. The mountain ranges provide unique panoramic views and much of the area is still undeveloped. Also, in order to cater to the large number of visitors, several bars, lounges, discos and clubs will open up during the winter months.

The state governor also has his winter residence there, the Boa Vista Castle.

The city, due to its elevation, is relatively cold for Brazilian standards. The winter is normally the dry season and the colder weather allows for warm fireplaces and winter foods such as fondue, soups and hot chocolate. In spring and summer, one can see Hydrangea macrophylla blossoming all over the town.

Despite the high income of many visitors, the HDI (0.820 in 2004) of Campos do Jordão is not very high because the owners of the houses in the best neighbourhoods are not regular inhabitants; these houses are used only during the holidays. The city can be reached from São Paulo mainly by road through the Rodovia Floriano Rodrigues Pinheiro. There is also a picturesque railroad from Pindamonhangaba, used mostly by tourists. At the end of the main road going through Campos do Jordão, there is a state park called Horto Florestal.

Campos do Jordão features a subtropical highland climate under the Köppen climate classification. Despite its location within the tropics, due to the high elevation, temperatures here are cooler than one might expect. The resort town features “spring-like” temperatures throughout the year, with mild summers and cool winters. However, by Brazilian standards, the town is downright cold. In summer, maximum temperatures average 24°C/75°F and minimum temperatures average 13°C/55°F. In winter, maximum temperatures average 18°C/64°F and minimum temperatures average 4°C/39°F. Temperatures drop below zero sometimes in winter (lowest ever recorded: -7.3°C/19°F), but snow is very rare. Similar to many other places with this climate, Campos do Jordão sees a noticeable drying trend during its “low-sun” season. The city sees on average 1800 mm of precipitation, most of which falls from September through March.