Salgado Filho International Airport stands just four miles northeast of the city of Porto Alegre in southern Brazil. Inauspiciously, it is named after an Air Force Chief killed in a plane crash here. There are two passenger terminals housing shops, restaurants and commercial counters. Outside you'll find more than 1,400 parking spaces. If you hire a car at Porto Alegre's airport you'll find that the main BR-116 road leads south towards the city centre and the bridges across the Rio Jacuí. The airport itself stands on flat land in the suburbs. Nearby are airport hotels, the ‘Pepsi On Stage' live music venue and a Metro station.
If you drive a hire car from Salgado Filho Airport into this high-rise city, you'll soon see it's the busy heart of a major urban conurbation: the fourth biggest in Brazil with almost 4.5 million residents. It's a wealthy industrial and commercial hub, and an important port on a huge lagoon linked to the sea. It has a long attractive lakeshore with beaches and an archipelago of unspoilt islands to explore. Tourist highlights include grand 19th-century neo-classical buildings like the State Government House, various museums and the Public Market. Also look out for the enormous parks, conservation areas and the acclaimed Botanical Gardens.
