Visconde de Mauá

Visconde de Mauá is a district of the city of Resende, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Of ampler form, the name Visconde de Mauá is attributed to the set of villages of Mauá, Maringá and Maromba and its diverse valleys, as the Vale das Cruzes, Alcantilado, Pavão and Grama. The region understands part of the cities of Resende-RJ, Itatiaia-RJ and Bocaina de Minas, in the state of Minas Gerais. The villages are, on average, within 40 kilometers of the headquarters of these cities.

Visconde de Mauá has about six thousand inhabitants. The main economic activity of the region is tourism, with more than 100 establishments of lodging and dozen of restaurants, some specializing in trout and pine nut recipes.

This region is located in an area of ambiental preservation, in the mountain Serra da Mantiqueira, at 1200 meters of altitude. The visitors are attracted by the natural beauties of waterfalls and valleys.

History

The name Visconde de Mauá homages Irineu Evangelista de Sousa, baron and later viscount (in Portuguese = visconde), that received lands from the region in 1870, as a concession of the imperial government for wooden exploration, that would be transformed into vegetal coal. In 1889, still in the Empire, his son, Enrique Irineu de Souza, installed in lands a colonial nucleus, formed for families of European immigrants. The initiative failed and most of the colonists returned to the native countries. In 1908 the federal government purchase the lands of Enrique and creates the Colonial Nucleus Visconde de Mauá, second attempt to receive colonists European. This nucleus finished in 1916.

Some German families had remained in Visconde de Mauá and, from the decade of 1930, they started to receive relatives and friends from Europe, initiating the tourist activity in the region. In the decade of 1970, the village of Maromba was discovered by hippies and, from years 1980, becomed one of the preferred mountain destinations of tourists of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Curiosity: Irineu Evangelista, viscount of Mauá, never was in the region that today takes its name.

Weather

The climate of the region is classified as tropical of altitude, having light summers and cold and dry winters. In the winter, from June to August, temperature can go from -2°C to 13°C (28°F - 55°F). The summer presents rain frequently, mainly vespertine rains, with temperatures varying from 8°C to 27 °C (46°F - 80°F).

Access

The nearest International airports to Visconde de Mauá are Tom Jobim/Galeão (GIG) in Rio de Janeiro and Cumbica/Guarulhos (GRU) in São Paulo.

From Rio
* By car: Take the Dutra highway(BR-116) towards São Paulo. 6 kilometers after Resende city, turn right to Visconde de Mauá and Penedo at access 311. Go straight on the RJ-163 for about 34 kilometers until you reach Visconde de Mauá. The last 15km is not paved.

* By bus: Contact Cidade do Aço company at the municipal bus station (Phone [phone]). Approx 3 hours travel.

From São Paulo
* By car: Take the Dutra highway (BR 116) toewards Rio de Janeiro. 5km after Itatiaia city (before Resende), turn left to Visconde de Mauá and Penedo at access 311. Go straight on the RJ-163 for about 34 kilometers until you reach Visconde de Mauá. The last 15km is not paved.

* By bus: Contact Cometa bus company at the Tietê Station (phone [phone]). There are lines to Resende (approx. 4 hours). You must take a local bus to go from Resende to Visconde de Mauá (approx. 1 hour).

Coordinates

22º19'54S, 44º32'22W

Distances

* Rio de Janeiro: 200km (124.3 miles)
* São Paulo: 300km (186.4 miles)

Further information

* Visconde de Mauá does not have banks, and some inns and restaurants do not accept credit cards. The nearest banks are about 40km away, in the city of Resende.
* Zip code: 27560-000 - Visconde de Mauá
* Phone code: 55 (country) and 24 (regional)
* Mobile phones: Vivo and Claro. Visconde de Mauá does not have GSM signal.

External links

* [http://www.visconde-de-maua.com/ Visconde de Mauá: 1315 Photos]
* [http://www.guiamaua.com.br/ Guia Mauá: all about Visconde de Maua]
* [http://www.viscondedemaua.com.br/ Visconde de Mauá]
* [http://visconde-de-maua.blogspot.com/ Visconde de Mauá Blog]
* [http://www.viscondedemaua.org.br/ Mauatur]
* [http://mauapousadas.com/ Visconde de Mauá Hotels]