Paddling near São Leopoldo, Rio Grande do Sul

São Leopoldo sits in the Vale do Rio dos Sinos in Rio Grande do Sul, flanked by the Rio dos Sinos, which runs through the city itself. The broader region connects paddlers to a network of lowland rivers including the Rio Jacuí and Rio Paranhana, as well as the expansive Lagoa dos Patos to the south — one of the largest lagoons in South America. Flatwater paddling on calm river stretches is the dominant experience here, with kayak and SUP activity concentrated on the region's slow-moving waterways.