Canela

Canela
Canela
	Nossa Senhora de Lourdes Cathedral in Canela, also known as Cathedral of Stone ("Catedral de Pedra" in Portuguese)
	; Flag
	; Flag
	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°WCoordinates: 29°21′42″S 50°48′56″W / 29.36167°S 50.81556°W
Country	Brazil
Region	South
State	Rio Grande do Sul
Founded	December 28, 1944
	Government
• Mayor	Cleomar Eraldo Port
	Area
• Total	254.579 km2 (98.294 sq mi)
Elevation	837 m (2,746 ft)
	Population (2006)
• Total	40,147
• Density	157.7/km2 (408/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-3 (UTC-3)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-2 (UTC-2)
Website	Canela City Hall

For the spice plant, see Canella.

For the language of the Canela indigenous people of Maranhão, northern Brazil, see Canela language.

Canela, meaning Cinnamon in Portuguese, Spanish, and Italian, is a town located in the Serra Gaúcha of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Both Canela and neighboring Gramado are important tourist resorts 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. The main tourist attraction in Canela is the Parque do Caracol, the Cathedral of Stone, and Caracol Falls (Cascata do Caracol). Like sister town Gramado, Canela is a large tourist draw during the winter, where snowfall can occur, and during the Christmas holiday and the local town council deck Canela with lights and other festive decorations. Canela is part of the Rota Romântica or Romantic Route, a touristic scenic bypass.