The historic cities of Minas Gerais were born out of the mining fever that marked Brazil from the 18th century until the first decades of the following century.
The historic cities of Minas Gerais are divided into two groups:
Ouro Preto and Diamantina have been declared World Heritage Sites by Unesco; the other cities, regardless of their titles, also boast treasures of colonial art and architecture.
What they all have in common – more than the houses, the magnificent churches and monuments, the uneven cobblestones and the beautiful landscapes that surround them – is the untranslatable atmosphere in which nature and history, past and present are mixed.
Catas Altas is a graceful colonial town that was founded in 1712. Located 110 kilometres from Belo Horizonte on the MG-129 and BR-381 motorways, it borders Santa Bárbara, Mariana and Alvinópolis. Located at the foot of the Caraça mountain range, especially the peak of Catas Altas, at an altitude of […]
Pico do Itacolomi in Pico do Itacolomi State Park (“stone-child” in Tupi-Guarani), with its 1772 metres, was the point of reference for bandeirantes searching for gold in the Minas Gerais hills at the end of the 15th century. It was in the streams that cut through its surroundings that gold was […]
The Arraial de Sabarabuçu, founded in 1674 with the arrival of the Fernão Dias flag under the command of Borba Gato, was elevated to Vila Real de-Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Sabarabuçu in 1711. The alluvial gold that flowed from the now polluted and pale Rio das Velhas gave it […]
For more than three hundred years, Minas Gerais supported the Portuguese Crown, helped to build the idea of an independent Brazilian nation and always managed to remain influential in Brazilian political decisions. In the beginning it was the backlands. In the first centuries of colonization, the territory that we now […]
Baroque appeared in Brazil a little later, during the 18th century. The Baroque of Minas Gerais was a peculiar version of the Baroque that developed in Minas Gerais between the 18th and 19th centuries. Architecture, painting, sacred sculpture and music all featured prominently in the Baroque of Minas Gerais. Evoking […]
The Caraça Sanctuary Complex is the only private natural heritage reserve with 11,233 hectares of enchanting transitional landscapes of Atlantic forest and savannah framed by a mountain range with peaks over 2,000 meters high that is part of the Espinhaço mountain range. The Serra do Espinhaço is a mountain range located […]
Serra do Cipó National Park is located in the south of the Espinhaço mountain range in Minas Gerais. The Serra do Cipó encompasses the municipalities of Jaboticatubas and Santana do Riacho, both of which have a good infrastructure of inns and restaurants. Serra do Cipó National Park, with altitudes ranging […]
In the early days of exploration in the gold region, at the end of the 17th century, a long road connected the mining settlements to the port of Paraty, crossing the Mantiqueira mountain range. The journey took three months. In 1698, the bandeirante Garcia Rodrigues obtained authorization to open a […]
The town of Serro, in its early days known as the former Vila do Príncipe do Serro Frio, was the seat of one of the first four districts of the Captaincy of Minas Gerais. The city’s colonial architecture has been preserved, and its streets retain the characteristics of the eighteenth-century […]
Diamantina in Minas Gerais, 280 kilometers north of Belo Horizonte via the BR-040 highway, is the gateway to the Jequitinhonha valley. Its formation dates back to the 18th century; it was then called the arraial of Tijuco, and arose from the exploitation of diamonds, which was ruthlessly controlled by the […]
Modern buildings mix with colonial relics in São João del Rei, whose history begins at the end of the 17th century. In 1713, the village founded by bandeirantes on the banks of the River Mortes was elevated to the status of a town with its current name, in honor of […]
At the beginning of the 18th century, the future Tiradentes was just another prosperous mining town in Minas Gerais. In 1718 it was elevated to the category of town and renamed São José, in honor of the Portuguese prince. The current name came only after the Republic, in reference to […]
The Church of São Francisco de Assis, located in Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, is considered one of the masterpieces of the Brazilian Baroque. During the colonial period, no city grew as much and as fast as the curvaceous Ouro Preto in Minas Gerais. The abundance of gold and precious metals […]
Aleijadinho is considered the greatest representative of the Baroque style in Minas Gerais and is known for his soapstone sculptures, wood carvings, altars and churches. Biography of Antônio Francisco Lisboa, better known as Aleijadinho Antônio Francisco Lisboa (1738-1814), better known by his nickname Aleijadinho, was born in Ouro Preto, the […]
The Sanctuary of Bom Senhor Jesus de Matozinhos is home to one of the most valuable monuments on the planet and is located in the city of Congonhas, in the central region of Minas Gerais. Geniuses such as Aleijadinho and Mestre Ataíde not only created true masterpieces, but also promoted […]
Mariana in Minas Gerais is one of the most important historic cities on the Minas Gerais Gold Circuit. Together with its districts, it holds interesting relics from the time when the history of the state began to be drawn. Mariana was the first capital of Minas Gerais, the first city […]
The architectural complex of the town of Monte Santo in Bahia has great scenic and symbolic beauty, combining natural and cultural heritage, and is
The Chapada Diamantina is famous for the diversity of its buildings, with many architectural complexes. The architectural styles of the Chapada
The Chapada Diamantina is located in the centre of the state of Bahia and covers an area of 50,610 km2, stretching north-south in a “Y”
The city of Aquidauana MS is the Gateway to the Pantanal, one of the most beautiful ecosystems in the world and with many tourist attractions. The
Coxim belongs to the central-western region of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Originally, the Caypós Indians lived in Coxim and the city was known
The Alcatrazes Archipelago was a former target for cannon fire, Alcatrazes is a living laboratory for evolutionary studies. The Alcatrazes
The jararaca-ilhoa lives exclusively on Queimada Grande Island, also known as the island of snakes; The jararaca-ilhoa is a sui generis snake,
Corumbá MS lies on the border between Mato Grosso do Sul and Bolivia, and is also strongly influenced by the customs and traditions of the
The pleasant city of Campo Grande, capital of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, is characterised by its urban planning, with wide, tree-lined avenues.
As well as fishing and birdwatching, the observation of land animals (above all mammals and reptiles, but also amphibians, molluscs and insects) is a
The Pantanal is an excellent destination for those who like travelling and fishing. In the Pantanal region, there are several rivers and around 300
The species of fish found in Mato Grosso’s Pantanal are not large, but the quantity of fish is great. Although there are currently around 260
The Pantanal in Mato Grosso is the richest floodplain in terms of bird species on the planet and is a perfect place for birdwatching. The Pantanal
The following list of bird species, drawn up with the collaboration of specialists, presents some of the most frequently observed species in the
The flora of the Pantanal in Mato Grosso is surprising and exuberant. The Pantanal landscape is made up of fragments of various ecosystems, with an
The wildlife and fauna of the Pantanal in Mato Grosso consist of a harmonious universe, unique in the world in its extraordinary and teeming beauty,
The geography, the complex network of rivers and the immense expanse of wetlands of the Pantanal plain in Mato Grosso make up a unique landscape on
Far from the industrial centers, the Pantanal of Mato Grosso remained almost untouched for centuries, until its spaces were occupied by cattle
The Southern Pantanal occupies almost two thirds of the Pantanal in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. The Southern Pantanal is an excellent
The Pantanal in Mato Grosso is the best place in South America to see and photograph wildlife. Sure, everyone has heard of the Amazon, but it’s
