Canela, Rio Grande do Sul

Canela
Municipality of Canela
Location in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and Brazil
Coordinates: 29°21′42″S 50°48′56″W / 29.36167°S 50.81556°W / -29.36167; -50.81556
Country Brazil
RegionSouth
State Rio Grande do Sul
FoundedDecember 28, 1944
Government
 • MayorConstantino Orsolin
Area
 • Total
254.579 km2 (98.294 sq mi)
Elevation
837 m (2,746 ft)
Population
 (2020 )
 • Total
45,488
 • Density157.7/km2 (408/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−3 (BRT)
HDI (2010)0.748 – high
Websitewww.canela.rs.gov.br

Canela (Portuguese pronunciation: [kɐˈnɛlɐ]), meaning Cinnamon in Portuguese, is a town located in the Serra Gaúcha of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Both Canela and neighboring Gramado are important tourist locations and they both draw many visitors each year. Ecotourism is very popular in the area and there are many opportunities for hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and river rafting.

One of the most important tourist destinations in Rio Grande do Sul, the city of Canela had its first urban center formed in 1903, when Colonel João Ferreira Corrêa da Silva settled there. On December 28, 1944, State Law No. 717 created the municipality, which was officially established four days later on January 1, 1945.

It is located at a latitude of 29º21'56" south and a longitude of 50º48'56" west, at an altitude of 837 meters. Its estimated population in 2018 was 44,489 inhabitants, according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. It has an area of 252.91 km², representing 0.0947 percent of the territory of Rio Grande do Sul.