Southern Amethyst: 4 tips on what to do

Amethyst do Sul is a relatively new but very interesting destination. Home to one of the largest semi-precious stone mines in the world, you can see stones of all sizes and shapes.

To discover more about this curious place, continue reading until the end.

What is Southern Amethyst

Firstly, it is important to establish what Southern Amethyst is, and then delve deeper into the subject, talking about where it is, how to get there, what you will find there and tips for your trip.

Therefore, Ametista do Sul is a municipality located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, well known for its amethyst deposits. There are 48 active mines out of more than 130 in total, which are located at an average of 60 meters deep.

The violet-colored semi-precious stone is widely used in jewelry and decoration, which is why the extraction of amethyst is the city's main economic activity. Furthermore, the city has a museum dedicated to the history of stone extraction.

However, the region is also known for its natural beauty such as waterfalls and rivers. But it also draws a lot of attention to tourists interested in geology, mining and the ecotourism that emerges around this.

In a quick summary, Amethyst do Sul is a place famous for its amethyst gemstones and its tourist attractions related to this economic activity and the natural beauty of the region.

Where is Southern Amethyst?

Ametista do Sul is a municipality located in the northwest of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, in the region known as the Precious Stone Region. The city is about 450 km from the capital Porto Alegre and borders the state of Santa Catarina.

The region is well known for its deposits of amethyst, which are violet-colored semi-precious stones. In addition to the extraction of amethysts, the city also has a strong production of quartz crystals and other minerals.

Therefore, there are several attractions linked to the mineral extraction routine in the city, which makes Ametista do Sul a geological tourism hub, in particular. As mentioned, the city museum provides learning about the history of this extraction in the region.

The region surrounding the city has beautiful natural landscapes, such as waterfalls, rivers and leafy valleys. The best-known waterfall in the region is Salto do Yucumã, the largest longitudinal waterfall in the world, measuring almost 2 thousand meters long.

Furthermore, there are other options for you to explore, ranging from ecological and natural tourism to visits to bars, churches and even swimming pools made with local amethysts – or from the mines where they were extracted.

How to get there?

Getting to Ametista do Sul is not difficult. However, as the city does not have an airport, you will need to use a nearby city, with access to one, as an intermediate point for your trip, which will end via land routes.

This article topic is constructed taking into consideration three different starting points in Brazil: Porto Alegre, Curitiba and São Paulo. However, these are examples of accessible routes for you, but nothing prevents you from going to Ametista do Sul from elsewhere.

Leaving Porto Alegre, the easiest way to get to Ametista do Sul is by car. The two regions are approximately 450 km away from each other, with the ideal route being BR-386 towards Carazinho, then taking RS-342 towards Ametista do Sul.

Taking the bus to the city is also a good option, but you will take the same route. Now, if your option is to travel by plane, you will need to land at Chapecó airport (XAP) and, from there, take some type of transport to the city. But the journey is very long.

Departing from São Paulo and Curitiba, however, the fastest route is by air. This time you can follow from Chapecó, via BR-480, to Erechim. After that, continue along RS-211 until Ametista do Sul. The journey will take around 4 hours and 300 km of road ahead.

However, if you want to hit the road, you can take the BR-376 towards Ponta Grossa, and then take the BR-277 towards Guarapuava and finally take the BR-153 towards Passo Fundo, ending at RS -342 to South Amethyst.

Be aware that this is a journey of almost 600 km and, if done by bus, will take around 12 hours.

What to do in Ametista do Sul?

Now that you're thinking about visiting the beautiful Amethyst of the South, you're probably thinking about what to do there, and having read the article so far, you already have some ideas of what you can do.

This list below is designed to give you more than just a few scattered references, in it you will find some tips on what to do and where to go so that your exploration of the city starts from an interesting point.

These tips are:

• Amethyst Park Museum
• Mine Deactivated
• São Gabriel Parish Church
• Heated Underground Swimming Pool

Furthermore, it is important to remember that this list is a time frame and can change for different reasons. You don't need to follow all of these tips either, there is plenty to do and the list is just a starting point.

Amethyst Park Museum

The Amethyst Park Museum is also known as the Amethyst Museum. There, therefore, you will find more than 1500 examples of minerals and precious stones from different places around the world.

Furthermore, one of the highlights of the visit to the museum is a rare meteorite that weighs 140 kg. Another is a huge amethyst stone, considered the most valuable in the world, which weighs around 2.5 tons.

Mine Deactivated

In Ametista do Sul you can explore a deactivated mine using a cart that is prepared to take you on a tour of the no longer active galleries in the place. 

Taking the tour, therefore, you will be able to see where and how the miners worked there.

São Gabriel Parish Church

In Ametista do Sul is located the only church in the world covered with amethyst stones. You will find more than 40 tons of stones lining the walls of the place.

The Igreja da Matriz was made in honor of the angel Gabriel and was inaugurated at the end of 2008. Inside, you will find ornaments on the altar and images of saints, and a baptism font made of a huge and beautiful amethyst stone.

However, next to it, something will catch your attention: a huge tower, which even during its construction was already responsible for a view from any point in the city.

Heated Underground Swimming Pool

The heated underground pool at Ametista do Sul is a very curious and interesting place to visit. It is located inside a deactivated mine that was transformed into a place with several attractions.

However, to take advantage of it you will need to stay at the Belvedere hotel.

Conclusion

In short, in Amethyst do Sul, you will find plenty to do and everything, you will be surrounded by natural beauty – and amethysts.