November 24 and 25, 200

Foz do Iguaçu - PR - Brasil
Personal Information
 
Participating Hotels
 
Rafain Palace Hotel & Convention Center
Apto Single: R$ 170,00
Apto Double: R$ 170,00
* + Tourism Fee R$ 2.00 / day
www.rafainpalace.com.br		  
Hotel Bourbon
Apto Single: R$ 318,00
Apto Double: R$ 379,00
* + Tourism Fee R$ 2.00 / day
www.bourbon.com.br
 

Mercure Grand Hotel Internacional Foz
Apto Single: R$ 180,00
Apto Double: R$ 200,00
*Acrescentar 3% ISS.
* + Tourism Fee R$ 2.00 / day
www.www.accorhotels.com.br
 


Recanto Park Hotel
Apto Single: R$ 166,00
Apto Double: R$ 185,00
* + Tourism Fee R$ 2.00 / day
www.recantoparkhotel.com.br
 

Hotel das Cataratas
Apto Single: R$ 532,00
Apto Double: R$ 532,00
*Add 3% ISS.
* + Tourism Fee R$ 2.00 / day
www.hoteldascataratas.com.br
 
* Transportation to the event venue will be available at participating hotels.
Câmbio
Previsão do tempo
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atendimento@ableturismo.com.br
0800-643-4140 / 55 45 3572-4141
Technical Programs
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Visit 01
Renewable Energies

With the purpose of training human resources, providing space for business development, and carrying out advanced technology programs, in 2003 Itaipu Binacional created the Itaipu Technological Park (Parque Tecnológico Itaipu - PTI), which is run by a Foundation (FPTI). It is a research center that develops programs geared towards job generation and production and distribution of scientific and technological knowledge.

One of the several programs developed by the PTI is the Itaipu Platform for Renewable Energies, which focuses on sustainable electricity sources (hydro, wind, geothermal and biogas).

Among other projects, the one for generating power from biomass (more precisely, from animal waste) has shown remarkable progress. Biomass generates biogas, which in turn powers an engine that generates electricity. This electricity is used by farms and its surplus is sold to Copel (Companhia Paranaense de Energia – Paraná Power Company).

Visitors will have the chance to see the prototype of a generator developed by the Itaipu Platform for Renewable Energies, and which has been operating since January 2008 on the Colombari farm, city of São Miguel do Iguaçu, about 40 km from Foz do Iguaçu.

The farm's owner, José Colombari, is a large scale pig breeder who today uses manure to generate enough power for his needs and also surplus he sells to Copel. Not to mention he prevents waste from generating environmental liabilities.

The system has proven to be efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly, responding positively to the basic purposes of Itaipu ventures and to the best ecological science and technology: fostering power efficiency and local sustainable development based on the use of renewable energies.
 
Visit 02
Soil and Water Conservation Practices

Along a course of about 100 km that sets off from Foz do Iguaçu and includes the cities of Santa Terezinha de Itaipu, São Miguel do Iguaçu, Missal and Itaipulândia, visitors will have the chance to learn about conservation initiatives implemented by Itaipu and its partners on the Paraná Basin 3 (BP3), according to Management per Basin methods:

* Country roads fitted for soil protection and good driving conditions (311 km have been improved to date);
* Terraces protecting the soil from erosion on crops (3,939 ha preserved);
* Water-bordering vegetation recovered, fenced in and protected (over 2 million seedlings planted and 507 km of fences put up);
* Support for the No-Till Farming system;
* Community water supply facilities (90 units installed to date);
* Animal waste spreading equipment (4 units in operation);
*Environmental Control Projects (ECPs) on farms (3,685 set up to date);

* Other initiatives.
 
Visit 03

Sustainable Farming and Ranching

The development of sustainable farming and ranching practices, and therefore environmentally correct, is one of the foundations of the Cultivating Good Water program. That is accomplished primarily by the projects: Organic Agriculture, Family Agriculture, Production Diversification, and Medicinal Plants, all interfacing with the Environmental Education for Sustainability program.

VISIT PROGRAM

* São Miguel do Iguaçu Association of Organic Farmers (Associação de Produtores Orgânicos de São Miguel do Iguaçu - APROSMI) and the store where they sell their production.
* A farm presenting remarkable development of the organic farming system, owned by farmer such and such in the city of Constantinopla.
* Advanced Research Center in the city of Santa Helena, which experiments with alternative crops to large scale cereal production that may come as the salvation for small farmers.
* Medicinal Plant Nursery and Herb Shop of the Medicinal Plants project at the Bela Vista Biological Sanctuary, Foz do Iguaçu.
 
Visit 04
Social Insertion of At-Risk Population

The eminently social portion of the Cultivating Good Water program focuses primarily on society's disadvantaged and at-risk population: recyclable material pickers, native communities, squatters, fishermen, and underprivileged youth. The Cultivating Good Water program has a specific program dedicated to each of those groups, which visitors will have the chance to learn about:

* Association of Recyclable Material Pickers (Associação de Catadores de Materiais Recicláveis) from Foz do Iguaçu, and their storage shed where they sort the items and send them to processing companies. There visitors will also see the electric trash collection cart developed by the Itaipu Platform for Renewable Energies in collaboration with Curitiba company Blest Engenharia, specialized in electric circuits.

* Young Gardener program offering year-long gardening training and activities to socially insert youngsters aged 16 to 18, provided they are in school and prove they come from poor families. In Foz do Iguaçu the project develops its main activities at the Bela Vista Biological Sanctuary and the Eco-museum.

* Mitacoré Farm Settlement in São Miguel do Iguaçu, comprising 80 families that fight a very brave war to earn a property that belonged to José Eduardo Andrade Vieira, owner of a large farm and bankrupt banker (owner of Bamerindus, which went belly up), former senator and former Minister of Agriculture.

* Tekohá Añetete native community in São Miguel do Iguaçu, which keeps most of their traditions, customs and way of life alive, despite having adopted new elements essential to their sustainability, like for instance crop mechanization, given their limited area and ecosystem alterations.
Suggested Tours (Optional Tours)
a Macuco Safari
Adventure begins at the gateway of Macuco Safari when visitors board open-top vehicles that allow the guides to show specimens of local animals and plants over the 3 km long ride. The tour continues along a 600 m hike leading to the waterfall called Salto do Macuco. Upon getting to the Iguaçu River, visitors board two-engine boats equipped with life jackets and then cross the canyon, going up the rapids towards the Iguaçu Falls, where they will enjoy the best sights of the tour.

Business hours:
Mondays to Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm.
Approximate length: 2 hrs.
Distance: 25 km from downtown
Tips:
Make sure to put on bug repellent and sunscreen. Wear light, comfortable clothes. Should you choose to you may change clothes at the site's locker rooms.
a Bird Park
The Bird Park is located close to the Iguaçu National Park. Rare, colorful tropical birds fly around large enclosures integrated into the exuberant subtropical rainforest. Visitors have the chance to go into these enclosures to see birdlife up close. Besides them, alligators, snakes, constrictors, tamarin monkeys and butterflies delight the tourists.

Business hours:
Mondays to Sundays from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Approximate length: 2 hrs.
Distance: 17 km from downtown
Tips:
Put on sunscreen, light clothes and comfortable hiking shoes.
a Itaipu Binacional
Itaipu Binacional is the world's largest hydro power plant in its class, and considered the 7th wonder of the modern world. It was built between the countries of Brazil and Paraguay. The tour starts with a movie telling the details of its construction and operation. Next, tourists board a bus and in the company of expert guides they go to spots close to the dam, making a stop at the observation deck to take pictures.

Business hours:
Mondays to Saturdays from 7:30 am to 3:30 pm (except Sundays and holidays).
Approximate length of daytime tour: 1:30 hrs.
Distance: 12 km from downtown
2 Iguaçu Falls - Brazil
The Iguaçu Falls are one of nature's most striking sculptures. The cluster of waterfalls makes up 275 falls with an average height of 60m. There are 19 major falls but only three of them are on the Brazilian side. Most are in Argentina facing Brazil, which provides a better view of the Brazilian falls. The tour includes a hike along trails leading to the most extraordinary view of the falls, at 1 km long.

Business hours:
Mondays to Sundays from 9 am to 5 pm, and from 9 am to 6 pm during daylight saving time
Approximate length: 2 hrs.
Distance: 28 km from downtown
Tips:
Private cars are not allowed into the national Park, so make sure you book your tour with the travel agency. Put on sunscreen, light clothes and comfortable hiking shoes.
a Iguaçu Falls - Argentina
The tour offers 3 circuits. One of them is the top circuit over the falls and includes a hike about 1,100 m long. The bottom circuit is approximately 1,600 m long. The Devil's Gorge circuit is a sightseeing tour along the top section of the Iguaçu River. It starts on a green railroad leading to a flat, 1,100 m long catwalk allowing visitors to see and enjoy the dazzling show put on by Mother Nature: the magnitude of the Devil's Gorge waterfall.

Business hours:
Mondays to Sundays from 8 am to 6 pm.
Approximate length: 5 hrs.
Distance: 29 km from downtown
Tips:
Put on sunscreen, light clothes and comfortable hiking shoes.
a Rafting
Lasting approximately 30 minutes, the tour going down the rapids is taken on oar-driven inflatable boats. The ride starts in two small boats carrying up to eight people besides the guide (pilot) and a larger model, carrying up to 12 passengers and the guide.

Business hours:
Everyday from 09:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Approximate length: 30 min.
Distance: 25 km from downtown
Tips:
Put on bug repellent, light clothes and comfortable shoes.