São Francisco de Paula is a city in the Serra Gaúcha of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The municipality covers about 3289.7sqkm and sits about 112km from Porto Alegre. City population estimate for 2004 is 19,968. The municipality was originally created on December 23, 1902. The city is a tourist destination and is a link along two official scenic tourist routes: the Região das Hortênsias and the Rota Romântica. The municipality contains the São Francisco de Paula National Forest, a 1,616ha sustainable use conservation area created in 1968. It also contains part of the 6655ha Tainhas State Park, created in 1975.
