Campo Largo

Introduction

Campo Largo is a municipality in Paraná, Brazil, whose inhabitants are known as campolarguense. It sits close to Curitiba, functioning as a near suburb of the state capital, so you can treat it as an easy extension of a Curitiba trip rather than a separate expedition.

The town is best known for its large production of porcelain, and it serves as headquarters to companies including Incepa, Porcelana Schmidt, Germer and Lorenzetti. Ouro Fino mineral water also comes from this town.

Getting there

Campo Largo sits west of Curitiba along BR-376, the highway that connects the two. If you're coming from Curitiba, this is the route to take.

Getting around

Campo Largo sits just west of Curitiba, and road transport is the default for getting around. The BR-376 highway is the key link between the two, so whether you arrive by car, bus, or taxi from the Curitiba area, plan your movements around roads. There is no rail, metro, or tram network serving the town that a visitor can use, so don't count on any.

Bus services are the realistic option if you don't have a car, with connections to and from Curitiba the most relevant routes for travellers. Specific routes, timetables, and ticket arrangements aren't documented, so confirm current services locally or with your accommodation before relying on them. Taxis are practical for short trips within the city and for reaching the highway connections toward Curitiba, and ride-hailing apps are worth checking as an alternative, though availability in smaller municipalities can be more limited than in a big city. Walking works well for the central area, but there's no sourced information on pedestrian infrastructure, so use taxis or buses for anything beyond the centre. Campo Largo has no airport documented for visitor use; the practical arrival point is Curitiba, from which you continue by road along the BR-376 corridor, choosing between a bus, a taxi, or a ride-hailing car for the final leg. Arrange your onward transport from Curitiba in advance where possible, especially if arriving late, and keep taxi and ride-hailing apps on hand for short trips and highway connections.

Where to stay

Most of Campo Largo's accommodation clusters in the Centro, where you'll find the Hotel Campo Largo on Rua Domingos Cordeiro and the Hotel Fabru on Avenida Desembargador Clotário Portugal. The Campo Largo is the fuller-featured of the two: rooms come with private bathrooms, cable TV, direct-dial telephones, internet connection, minibars and gas-heated showers, and there's a colonial breakfast and laundry service. The Fabru offers laundry service as well, but has no covered parking and no telephones in the rooms.

If you're arriving by road, the Hotel Nortesul sits out on the Rodovia do Café (BR-277) with a small number of rooms and suites; only the suites have private bathrooms and televisions, and an on-site restaurant serves meals, though there's no parking garage. In the Bom Jesus area, the Novtel on Avenida Ayrton Senna da Silva provides rooms with TV and private bathroom, breakfast and snacks, and parking that isn't covered.

Food & drink

Campo Largo has a strong pizza tradition, with several pizzerias in the Centro where you can sit down for a meal, including Antonini, Pizza Park, Pizzaria Colônia and Abaré Pizza Bar. For something beyond pizza, the centre also offers options such as O Pescador, Dom Supremo, Jef Restaurante and Sabor e Equilíbrio, while Carloto's and Mister Kuka give you further choices in town.

Churrasco is well represented around the city and along the BR-277 corridor, where you'll find churrascarias such as Tabaldi, O Laçador, Quinta, Gaúcho and Estrela de Prata. These are hearty places to seek out if you want a substantial meal, particularly if you're passing through by road.

What to see and do

Campo Largo's sights are spread between a cluster of plazas in the centre and a set of parks and natural attractions on its edges. Start downtown: Praça Getulio Vargas holds the Campo Largo Museum and the 500 Year Memorial, along with gardens, benches and a monthly night market, while Praça Atílio Almeida Barbosa is tree-lined and home to the Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Piedade. Praça João Antonio da Costa contains the Fountain of Campo Largo and flower gardens, Praça da Polônia has a playground among its trees and benches, and Praça do III Milênio, near the city entrance, was built to mark the new millennium.

• Lagoa Grande Park (Lagoa Encantada), near BR-277 in Ouro Verde – bike paths, barbecue grills, an event stage, soccer fields, a playground and public bathrooms.
• Cambuí Municipal Park – a large park in the Granja neighbourhood, a short drive from the centre, with the ruins of the city's first school and medical clinic.
• Matte Historical Park on BR-277 – exhibits explaining the traditional system of mate production and its influence on the state's culture and economy.
• Boa Vista Falls in Bateias – the tallest waterfall around at 38 metres, and a good rappelling spot; open weekends or by reservation.
• Serra da Endoença, reached via Bateias or Cerne – a panoramic viewpoint with a glimpse of Curitiba, popular with trekkers and mountain-bikers though the grounds lack adequate infrastructure.
• Rio Açungui – the only river in the region whose mouth lies on the state's coast; part of it is popular for rafting, though there is no touristic infrastructure.

Three days in Campo Largo

Day one: Start in Centro, where Rua Domingos Cordeiro and Avenida Desembargador Clotário Portugal give you the main streets to walk and get your bearings. Use the centre as your base for the first day, settling into a hotel such as Hotel Campo Largo, Hotel Fabru or Hotel Nortesul, and arrange taxis or a bus for anything further out. Keep the pace easy and let the centre introduce you to the city before you range wider.

Day two: Give the day to Campo Largo's ceramics and porcelain, the trade the city is known for. Visit the factories and showrooms of Incepa, Porcelana Schmidt, Germer, Lorenzetti and Ouro Fino to see how the pieces are made and displayed. In the evening, head for pizza at Pizza Park or Pizzaria Colônia.

Day three: Take a bus or taxi out along the Rodovia to Bom Jesus and the surrounding area, or stay closer and use the Avenida Ayrton Senna and the Silva Antonini corridor as your route. Round off the trip with a coffee and a last look around Centro before you leave. If you are heading on to Curitiba in Paran, arrange your onward transport in advance.