Londrina
Brazil · Americas
About Londrina
Londrina is a city located in the north of the state of Paraná, Brazil, and is 388 km (241 miles) north-west of the state capital Curitiba. It is the second largest city in the state and fourth largest in the southern region of the country, with 555,965 inhabitants in the whole municipality (2022).
Londrina was originally explored by British settlers, and then officially established in 1930 by a small group of Italian, Japanese and German settlers. It rapidly became the commercial, political, and cultural centre of the state's northern pioneer zone. Its universities include the Universidade Estadual de Londrina (Londrina State University) and the Universidade Tecnológica Federal do Paraná (Federal University of Technology – Paraná).
The city was named after British entrepreneurs who launched railroad stations in the region to ease the transportation of coffee grains from northern Paraná and southern São Paulo states to the port of Santos. The word Londrina pays homage to the British capital (Londres in Portuguese), since a London cotton company, Paraná Plantations Limited, made the original investment to...
Londrina travel guide
Getting there
Airport with daily flights to Curitiba, São Paulo, Campinas, and others. Good long distance bus connections. BR-369 connects the city with Ourinhos, São Paulo to the east Herminio Antônio Pennacchi Highway connects to Maringá to the west
Getting around
City buses can be a challenge. They are more frequent during office hours, specially close to the University hours, so it's very likely that they will be crowded with students. Any other time, you'll probably wait very long for your bus, as sometimes they can take longer than an hour to come. Transporte Coletivo Grande Londrina (TCGL)'s website (http://www.tcgrandelondrina.com.br/) has bus lines and time tables, though it's not easy to find your way around it, either. Taxis are frequent and to be found everywhere. However, Londrina's traffic sometimes won't help you, and you'll find red light after red light. Be prepared to pay R$ 15 to R$ 20 for short distances.
See
Calçadão (Huge Sidewalk), Av. Prof. João Cândido. Connecting the core of downtown Londrina with a street that is a dedicated pedestrian walkway has proven to be a huge success here, and along the sidewalk you will find a number of shops (both large and small), various restaurants, a number of banks, and various other businesses of interest to those visiting the city. Lake Igapo Park. There are actually several lakes called "Lake Igapo". They are called, naturally, Igapó 1, 2, 3, and 4. There are several parks along the several lakes, but Lake Igapó 1 has the most well known. This park runs alongside the northeastern side of the lake, between Rua Herodoto and Avenida Amithas de Barros. Crossing to the north side of Avenida Amithas de Barros you come to what is called the "zerão" (big zero), which is another park that has a number of sports facilities. Historical Museum of Londrina, Rua Benjamim Constant, 900 - Centro. The museum is a project of the State University of Londrina (Universidade Estadual de Londrina - UEL) and is located in the old train station - which no longer has any track going to it. The location is just north of downtown. The museum survives entirely on donations and the university, as there is no admissions charge. Free. Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy, Rodovia Mário Gonçalves - Fazenda Santa Helena, ☏ +55 43 3373-8700. Located far to the southwest of the city, and in fact located in the countryside quite far outisde the urban limits, Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy preserves a small section of the original forest of the state of Paranã. Surrounding the state park is what you find has replaced the forest in most areas: corn and other monoculture farmland as far as the eye can see.
Buy
Catuaí Shopping, Rodovia Celso Garcia Cid, s/n, km 377, ☏ +55 43 3315-5000. Open to public in 1990, Catuaí Shopping is the largest shopping center in the southern region of Brazil, with 789 stores, restaurants, amusement squares (including bowling), and a movie theater with 7 projection rooms, including 3D. Parking is paid.
Eat
Churrascaria Galpão Nelore, Av. Higienópolis, 891, ☏ +55 43 3324-2700. La Gondola, Av. Santos Dumont, 1300 - Novo Aeroporto, ☏ +55 43 3325-6052. Jin Jin, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid - Gleba Fazenda Palhano, ☏ +55 43 3029-4144. Kiberama, R. Mato Grosso, 206, ☏ +55 43 3324-6234. Koala, R. Espírito Santo, 123 - Centro, ☏ +55 43 3344-0644. Pastel Mel, Av. Higienópolis, 437, ☏ +55 43 3025-2212. Pátio San Miguel, Av. Higienópolis, 762, ☏ +55 43 3324-5041. Serafini, Av. Higienópolis, 445 - Centro. Strassberg, Rod. Celso Garcia Cid, Km 401, ☏ +55 43 3398-4220. Taiwan, R. Benjamin Constant, 693, Centro, ☏ +55 43 3322-1866. Tchin Min, R. Sergipe, 1654, ☏ +55 43 3028-6139. Vila Fontana, Av. Higienópolis, 479, ☏ +55 43 3324-8181. noon-4:30PM, 7PM-midnight.
Drink & nightlife
Barbearia, Goias, 477, ☏ +55 43 3066-0488. Beco dos Universitários, R. Delaine Negro, 1-1891. Escritório Bar, R. José Roque Salton, 33, ☏ +55 43 3321-9580. Mustang Bar, Av. Maringá, 1550, ☏ +55 43 3327-0925.
Sleep
Bristol, R. Goiás, 877, Centro, ☏ +55 43 3321-6161. Bourbon Londrina Business Hotel, Alameda Miguel Blasi, 40, ☏ +55 43 3315-4000. Hotel Fenix, Av. Duque de Caxias and R. Maranhão (A few blocks from the main square), ☏ +55 43 3323-0526. Very basic, fair breakfast. Single, shared bath, R$ 15. Hotel do Lago, R. Bento Munhoz da Rocha Neto, 1505, ☏ +55 43 3377-4455.
Go next
Maringá Ourinhos Presidente Prudente Teodoro Sampaio
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.