Located in Rio Grande do Sul, this Brazilian city centers around a neoclassical Roman Catholic church built in 1875, which sits at the highest point overlooking the region.
Santa Maria lies in the center of Rio Grande do Sul, where dinosaur fossils rest beneath grassy hills and university students fill the streets with cultural events. You can walk through the Paleontological Sites of Santa Maria to see fossils of creatures like the Rhynchosaur, discovered shortly after Darwin’s voyages. The Santa Maria Railroad Museum displays old locomotives and documents tracing the city’s role in connecting Brazil to Uruguay and Argentina. Every October, crowds fill the streets for the Romaria da Medianeira, a nine-day festival with candlelit processions, live music, and markets selling handmade crafts. Summers here get hot, winters stay cool, and the city combines city life with forests and hills waiting just beyond the sidewalks.
Visit Fossil Sites and Museums
Santa Maria sits along Paleorrota, a route connecting fossil-rich areas across Rio Grande do Sul. Over 20 excavation sites near the city reveal remains of prehistoric reptiles and early dinosaurs, including species studied by 19th-century scientists. The Coronel Pillar Historical Center holds pottery fragments from indigenous groups and tools used by Portuguese settlers in the 1700s. At the Santa Maria Railroad Museum, you can step inside restored train cars from the early 1900s and learn how railways shaped trade in southern Brazil. The Gama D'Eça Educational Museum highlights the work of local researchers, with exhibits on geology and regional history.
Life in a University City
The Federal University of Santa Maria (UFSM) enrolls more than 30,000 students, many of whom live in neighborhoods like Camobi and downtown. Cafes along Avenida Roraima stay busy with study groups during the day, while bars host live samba or rock music after dark. Student theaters put on plays ranging from Brazilian classics to experimental works, often with free admission. On weekends, fans pack the Estádio Presidente Vargas to watch Inter-SM and Riograndense-SM, two local football clubs with fierce rivalries. Food trucks near campus serve grilled meats on skewers and hot yerba mate, a bitter herbal tea popular in the region.
Romaria da Medianeira Festival
During the first week of October, Santa Maria prepares for the Romaria da Medianeira, a Catholic pilgrimage that fills hotels and campgrounds. Pilgrims gather at the Medianeira Shrine for daily masses, then join parades through streets decorated with ribbons and flowers. Temporary stalls near the shrine sell clay figurines, leather goods, and snacks like pastel (fried pastry filled with cheese or meat). On the final night, thousands carry candles during a two-hour walk to the shrine, singing hymns under the stars. The festival mixes solemn rituals with street parties, reflecting the city’s strong ties to faith and community.
Getting Around Santa Maria
Buses run hourly between Santa Maria’s airport and the main terminal in the Nossa Senhora de Lourdes district, with connections to Porto Alegre and Uruguaiana. If you rent a car, drive 40 minutes north to Itaara for hiking trails through pine forests or south to 4a Colônia, where small wineries offer tastings. Within the city, taxis provide quick rides between downtown and the university area for about R$20–30. Cyclists can use bike lanes along Avenida Rio Branco, passing murals painted by local artists. For longer trips, Azul Airlines flies daily to Porto Alegre, with extra routes added during festival seasons.
Weather and Seasonal Events
Temperatures in January often reach 32°C, with brief afternoon rains cooling the air. July nights can drop to 4°C, though frost is uncommon and snow almost never falls. September brings wildflowers to the hills around the city, making it a good time for walks at sites like Parque Itaimbé, where paved trails loop past ponds and picnic areas. Pack a sun hat and reusable water bottle if visiting fossil sites in summer, as shade is limited. The busiest weeks are early October during the Romaria and late March when UFSM hosts its annual science fair.
Food and Outdoor Spaces
Butcher shops and restaurants in Santa Maria specialize in churrasco, serving pork ribs and beef cuts smoked over wood fires. Try queijo serrano, a salty cheese aged in cloth, at the Mercado PĂşblico downtown. For a quick hike, drive 15 minutes to Morro do Elefante, a hill with views of the city and valleys dotted with cattle farms. Families with children often spend afternoons at Parque da Medianeira, which has a playground and shaded benches near the shrine. After sunset, join locals walking dogs along Avenida Rio Branco, where historic buildings like the old post office glow under streetlights.
