Southern Minas Gerais

The Southern region of Minas Gerais.

Cities

Matutu Valley near São Lourenço

• 1 Governador Valadares — slick American-style high-rise condos and upscale shopping areas stand out here in what would otherwise be a sleepy agricultural and mining community
• 2 Caxambu — the oldest hydromineral resort in Brazil, with 12 sources of mineral water with different therapeutic properties
• 3 Juiz de Fora — a city whose architecture ranges from Art Nouveau to Art Deco style from the mid-20th century, with many modern concrete edifices including one building by Oscar Niemeyer
• 4 Poços de Caldas — one of the most traditional hydromineral and climatic resorts in Brazil
• 5 Santos Dumont — the Ponte Preta Reservoir is a popular place for water-based recreational activities
• 6 São Lourenço — one of the most important hydromineral resorts in Brazil
• 7 São Thomé das Letras — a tourist city known for its stone buildings, waterfalls, caves and its mystical atmosphere
• 8 Viçosa — a university town with a party atmosphere at the weekends

Other destinations

Caparaó National Park

• 1 Caparaó National Park — it has an extensive network of hiking trails and camping areas for visitors, and Pico da Bandeira, one of the highest mountains in Brazil

Get in

Juiz de Fora Airport (JDF ^IATA) has daily flights from São Paulo (Guarulhos), Belo Horizonte (Pampulha), Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont) and São João Del Rey.

See

The Museu Mariano Procópio, in Juiz de Fora, is one of the principal exhibitions of the imperial period of Brazil.

Do

At Caxambu, you can find the only place in the world to find 12 springs of mineral water with different chemical properties in one place. São Lourenço and Poços de Caldas are also important spa towns.

Juiz de Fora hosts the International Festival of Colonial Brazilian Music and Antique Music in July, and the Rainbow Fest LGBTQ festival in August.

Explore the caves at São Thomé das Letras.