Central Minas Gerais

Serra de São José, as seen from Tiradentes

The Central region of Minas Gerais.

Cities

• 1 Belo Horizonte — a good stopping point on the way to the beautiful colonial towns such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes
• 2 Brumadinho — home to the Inhotim Museum of Contemporary Art, a botanic park and contemporary-art expo
• 3 Congonhas — a historic mining city that hosts a World Heritage Site
• 4 Divinópolis — a city with beautiful churches, beaches and squares
• 5 Mariana — has many well-preserved colonial buildings and churches
• 6 Ouro Branco — home of the architectural and landscape complex of Capela de Santana and the main house of Fazenda Pé do Morro
• 7 Ouro Preto — one of Brazil's best-preserved colonial towns and a UNESCO World Heritage Site
• 8 São João del Rei — a relaxing colonial mining town
• 9 Serro — well known for its traditional cheese, cultural richness, colonial influence and unique environment
• 10 Sete Lagoas — takes its name from the seven lakes in and around town that provide recreational opportunities
• 11 Tiradentes — one of the smallest yet best preserved colonial towns, it boasts some fine examples of 300-year-old buildings

Other destinations

Serra da Canastra

• 1 Serra da Canastra National Park — known for its numerous waterfalls, diverse wildlife and for being a haven for the endangered Brazilian Merganser

Get in

• Belo Horizonte's Tancredo Neves/Confins International Airport (CNF ^IATA)

See

The colonial towns of Mariana, Tiradentes, and Ouro Preto are remarkably well preserved, with the latter being a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pampulha neighborhood in Belo Horizonte has some of the highlights of Brazil modern architecture, and one of the city's Oscar Niemeyer buildings.

The Inhotim Museum of Contemporary Art in Brumadinho is one of the most important art venues of Brazil. The city also hosts the tourist circuit of Veredas do Paraopeba, which encompasses several landscapes that are considered heritage sites.

The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus Matosinhos in do Congonhas is a complex of church, chapels and magnificent statues of prophets carved by the artist Aleijadinho. It is also a World Heritage Site.

The Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção in Mariana was constructed between 1709 and 1750.

There are several mines near Ouro Preto that offer tours, and the city has many beautiful churches and interesting museums.

Do

Visit the Caraça Natural Reserve near Mariana to explore its waterfalls, rivers, lakes and caves.

The Itacolomi State Park, between Ouro Preto and Mariana, is a park which contains very diverse flora and fauna with many hiking opportunities.

Serra da Canastra National Park has several waterfalls that can be visited.

Eat

Tiradentes is well-known amongst food lovers for its food festival in August and its many good regional and modern restaurants.

Drink

Divinópolis is known as the largest per capita consumer of beer in the country, so you have trouble finding a place drink there.