Canela, meaning “Cinnamon” in Portuguese, is a town located in the Gaucha Sierra inRio 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 famous Parque do Caracol and the Cataract or Cascata do Parque do Caracol (Snail Falls Park). Like sister town Gramado, Canela is a large tourist draw during the Christmas holiday and the local town council deck Canela with lights and other festive decorations. Canela is part of the “Rota Romantica” or Romantic Route, a touristic scenic bypass.