Faxinal dos Guedes
Faxinal dos Guedes is a municipality in western Santa Catarina, Brazil. In 2022, about 11,192 people lived there, and the area covers 273 square kilometers. The town sits at roughly 1,005 meters above sea level, making it one of the highest cities in the state. Because of its height and winds, it’s sometimes called the Capital of the Winds.
The city is in the Xanxerê Microregion and the Chapecó Metropolitan Area, about 307 miles from Florianópolis, the state capital. It lies near the western edge of the Vargeão Dome meteor crater. The climate is temperate: the average temperature is around 16.4°C, with winters that can dip below freezing and summers up to about 30°C. The main access road is BR-282.
Economy-wise, Faxinal dos Guedes relies on industry (notably paper and packaging) and agriculture (corn and soy).
History and name: the Guedes Ramos family gave the town its name. It was once known as Gramado de Joaquina Rosa. Indigenous Tupi-Guarani people lived in the area about 2,000 years ago. Settlers from Rio Grande do Sul, including Italians and Germans, arrived in the 1940s. Faxinal dos Guedes became a district of Xanxerê in 1958 and soon after gained municipality status; the first elected mayor took office in 1959.
Facilities include two cultural centers, with the main Cesar Avelino Bragagnolo Auditorium (capacity 530) housing the city council and library, and a smaller center in Barra Grande. The municipal sports complex features an athletics track, a football field, and a gym. The Vitório Alessio Bus Terminal provides regional connections, and daily bus service links the city to surrounding areas. The region is served mainly by BR-282, with Xanxerê Airport (about 8.6 miles away) and Chapecó Airport (about 42 miles away) offering additional travel options.
Education options include six primary schools and two secondary schools; state-run schools provide secondary education, while municipal schools offer elementary and kindergarten.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 01:53 (CET).