This is the tenth on a series of videos produced by the Brazilian tourism authorities. They all have a common theme: those states that will host 2014 World Cup games. During the coming weeks we will present all those videos here in the blog. They are shortish videos, with conventional but beautiful images of the states and its main destinations. Today’s video is devoted to the state of Minas Gerais.

Minas Gerais:

We have plenty of information on the state of Minas Gerais here at the Brazil Travel Blog, with destination cards for Belo Horizonte, the Cidades Históricas, Inhotim, Mariana and Ouro Preto.

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RELATED POSTS:
institutional videos: Paraná
institutional videos: Ceará
institutional videos: São Paulo
institutional videos: Rio Grande do Norte
institutional videos: Bahia
institutional videos: Pernambuco
institutional videos: Rio Grande do Sul
institutional videos: state of Amazonas
institutional videos: Rio de Janeiro

Mariana is a small and quaint Cidade Histórica a few miles off Ouro Preto. It makes for a perfect half-day trip from the latter.

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1. HOW TO GET THERE:

By bus.

• from Belo Horizonte: bus company Pássaro Verde runs two daily direct buses to Mariana (at unearthly hours). Schedules and fares available at its website. The trip lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• if you find yourself in Ouro Preto, take a local bus to Mariana.

By train. The Trem da Vale is a tourist train linking Ouro Preto and Mariana. You can check schedules and prices at its website. If you want to save some money, you can go to Mariana by train and return to Ouro Preto by bus.

By car. You can reach Mariana from Belo Horizonte, São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. Extreme caution is required as roads in the state of Minas Gerais are notorious for its alarming accident rates.

By plane. There is no airport in Mariana. The nearest airports are Confins and Pampulha in Belo Horizonte.

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2. WHEN TO GO:

It rains quite a lot in Mariana from November to March. Between April and October rainfall is scarce. June, July and August can see the temperatures drop to 10 degrees at night, warm clothing is recommended.

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3. CAREFUL WITH:

Coolish temperatures in winter. Local food is as delicious as it is caloric.

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4. WE LIKE THE MOST:

The exceptional collection of baroque colonial architecture. The local food delicacies.

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5. WE LIKE THE LEAST:

Outside the historic centre Mariana is chaotic.

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6. FAVOURITE PLACES:

Minas Gerais square with the beautiful churches of São Francisco de Assis and Nossa Senhora do Carmo. The church of São Pedro dos Clérigos.

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7. PIECE OF ADVICE:

• half a day is enough to visit the most important churches in Mariana. You can walk or drive your car.
• the places mentioned under 6. are unmissable. From the Minas Gerais square, follow the street going up till you reach the church of São Pedro dos Clérigos.
• of a lesser interest is the Catedral Basílica da Sé ou de Nossa Senhora da Assunção.

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8. HEALTH:

No vaccines are needed for Mariana. The rural areas of Minas Gerais recorded recent cases of yellow fever. Though not essential nor required, take the shot if you want some peace of mind (10 facts about yellow fever in Brazil).

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9. LINKS:

Mariana.org is the official Mariana tourism page.

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10. WEATHER FORECAST:

The weather in Mariana for the next ten days

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11. CLIMATE:
Average temperatures and rainfall in Mariana.

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12. GOOGLE MAPS:
Mariana in Google Maps.

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13. PHOTO ALBUM:

Mariana photo album.

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RELATED POSTS:
Destination: Ouro Preto
Destination: Historical Cities, Minas Gerais
World Heritage Sites
Website on the Cultural World Heritage Sites in Brazil

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Of all the major Brazilian cities Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, is probably the one that gets less attention from international tourism. One of the reasons for this is its location, far awar from the beaches or other tourist centers such as the Amazon or the Pantanal. But Belo Horizonte makes for an excellent base to visit the Historical Cities of Minas Gerais and the highly recommended Inhotim museum.

Before we continue, it’s worth pointing out that locals (and many Brazilians from other cities too) refer to Belo Horizonte both by “bé-agá” (the result of reading the initials B H in Portuguese) and “Beló”.

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1. HOW TO GET THERE:

Confins international airport, on the outskirts of Belo Horizonte, receives many flights from other Brazilian capitals as well as a handulf of international flights. Pampulha airport, within the city limits, receives a small number of flights run by airlines operating small aircraft. To get from Confins to the center of BH there are two regular bus services: an Executivo service, costing R$16,90, and a Conventional service, costing R$7,35. Both services are adapted to transport passengers and their baggages. More details at Expresso Unir.

You can also reach Belo Horizonte by bus, both from Rio de Janeiro and from São Paulo. From Rio, companies Cometa and Util run services to BH. From São Paulo, companies Cometa and Gontijo.

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2. WHEN TO GO:

Rainfall in Belo Horizonte is concentrated during the summer months, from November to March, when torrential rain is not rare. From May to September rainfall is scarce. Belo Horizonte can be visited all year round.

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3. CAREFUL WITH:

Renting a car to move around town, it is not a good idea.

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4. WE LIKE THE MOST:

In spite of its 2 1/2 million inhabitants (many more when you consider its metropolitan area), Belo Horizonte feels like a smaller city, quite different from megalopolis like Rio or São Paulo.

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5. WE LIKE THE LEAST:

Unplanned urban development, particularly on the outskirts. Never-ending concrete. Reckless driving.

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6. FAVOURITE PLACES:

Lagoa da Pampulha and its surrounding area; Mangabeiras viewpoint; the Municipal Market

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7. PIECE OF ADVICE:

• the Lagoa da Pampulha, in the north west of the city, it one of the most beautiful places in Belo Horizonte. Around the winding shore of the lagoon the beautiful church dedicated to São Francisco de Assis is found. It is an early work by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Bus 2004, running through avenida Afonso Pena in the centre of town, will take you there.
• stadium Governador Magalhães Pinto, better known as Mineirão, is home to Cruzeiro and Atlético Mineiro football teams. It is also located in the Pampulha area. There are daily guided visits (R$6) from 8am till 17am except on those days when there is a match at the stadium. More details at Mineirão.
• Belo Horizonte is known as the Brazilian capital of the botecos, the bars. It is said to have the highest per capita number of bars in the entire Brazil. Excellent places for a beer and a snack are the bars at the Mercado Municipal and the Savassi, Lourdes and Funcionários neighbourhoods.
• a morning spent at the Mercado Municipal stalls is a true feast for the senses.
• if you have your own car, drive up to the Parque das Mangabeiras and get to the Mirante do Mangabeiras. There is a spectacular view of Belo Horizonte from there.
• if you have a day to spare, make sure you visit the Inhotim museum. At Inhotim museum we gave details on how to get there.

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9. ACCOMMODATION:

You can search for accommodation in Belo Horizonte through our Hotels Combined search engine, a unique free tool that searches multiple hotel reservation websites simultaneously to help you find the lowest rate instantly. It eliminates the need to search major websites one by one in order to compare prices and availability. An amazing time and money saver!

The results open on a new page.

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10. HEALTH:

You don’t need any vaccines if you are planning to visit Belo Horizonte. However, cases of yellow fever are regularly reported on the rural areas of Minas Gerais, so if you are thinking of getting out of town, it might be a good idea to get the shot.

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11. LINKS:

Belotur is the official tourism website for the city of Belo Horizonte. It has a version in English.

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12. WEATHER FORECAST:

The weather in Belo Horizonte for the next 10 days.

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13. CLIMATE:

Average temperatures and rainfall in Belo Horizonte at the weather channel.

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14. GOOGLE MAPS:

Location of Belo Horizonte in Google Maps.

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15. PHOTO ALBUM:

Belo Horizonte photo album (click on the link to go to the album)

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RELATED POSTS:
photos of Belo Horizonte
Inhotim, the perfect marriage between art and nature
Historical Cities of Minas Gerais

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To complete the information given at destination: Ouro Preto we are publishing the following map prepared with the help of Google Maps. You will find on the map the location of the most important sights in Ouro Preto (most pinpoints on the map are illustrated with a photograph). The points with the camera icon show viewpoints.

View Ouro Preto on a bigger map

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto photo album

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Just in case anybody needed any powerful arguments to visit Ouro Preto, here’s a handful of photographs from our Flickr Ouro Preto album.

From the top of the hill where the church of Santa Efigênia is located there is a fantastic view of the center of town.

There are many to choose from, but my favourite church in Ouro Preto has to be São Francisco de Assis.

In front of the church of São Francisco de Assis there is an unmissable crafts market.

Conde de Bobadela street is perfect for a stroll, a meal and a some shopping here and there.

The interior of the church of Matriz da Nossa Senhora do Pilar is a must (photography not allowed).

And for those with their own means of transportation, it is well worth going as far as the church of Santa Efigênia.

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Ouro Preto
map of Ouro Preto

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Ouro Preto is the jewel on the Historical Cities of Minas Gerais crown. It was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site on account of its outstanding Baroque architecture.

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1. HOW TO GET THERE:

By bus.

• from Belo Horizonte: bus company Pássaro Verde runs an hourly bus from Belo Horizonte to Ouro Preto. Schedules and fares available at its website. The trip lasts 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• from Rio de Janeiro: bus company Util travels from Rio de Janeiro to Ouro Preto. Schedules and fares available at its website. It is a night trip that lasts approximately 8 hours.
• from São Paulo: bus company Util also travels from São Paulo to Ouro Preto. The trip takes 12 hours. The company Vale do Ouro also runs the service but has no useful information at its website.

By car. You can reach Ouro Preto from Belo Horizonte, São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. Extreme caution is required as roads in the state of Minas Gerais are notorious for its alarming accident rates.

By plane. There is no airport in Ouro Preto. The nearest airports are Confins and Pampulha in Belo Horizonte.

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2. WHEN TO GO:

It rains quite a lot in Ouro Preto from November to March. Between April and October rainfall is scarce. June, July and August can see the temperatures drop to 10 degrees at night, warm clothing is recommended.

If you are planning to visit Ouro Preto during carnival, Easter, Corpus Christi or the 7th of September bank holiday you should book your accommodation well in advance.

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3. CAREFUL WITH:

The steep streets and its irregular paving. High heels are strongly discouraged. Pay attention to the traffic, it is irritating and outright dangerous to pedestrians. Local food is as delicious as it is caloric.

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4. WE LIKE THE MOST:

The exceptional collection of baroque colonial architecture. Its beautiful crafts. The local food delicacies.

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5. WE LIKE THE LEAST:

The alarming degradation of the cultural heritage. The heavy traffic running through the center of the city.

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6. FAVOURITE PLACES:

The wonderful church of São Francisco de Assis. The fabulous gold-covered interior of the church of Nossa Senhora do Pilar. The view of the city from the hill where the church of Santa Efigênia is built.

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7. PIECE OF ADVICE:

• to be able to enjoy Ouro Preto day and night we recommend you spend at least the one night in the city.
• the neverending series of steep streets make for a very tiring walk around Ouro Preto. Take your time to complete the visit, make sure you stop and rest to enjoy the beautiful architecture you will find along the way.
• you don’t have to go too far away from the main square to find some of the most beautiful churches in Ouro Preto, including church of São Francisco de Assis and church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo. Church of Nossa Senhora do Pilar (unmissable interior) is on the lower part of the city, far away from the rest. If you have your own means of transportation it is worth driving up the hill where the church of Santa Efigênia is found. There is a beautiful view of Ouro Preto from there.
• along with the churches, the fountains (chafarizes) of Ouro Preto are another outstanding treasure. There are eleven of them.
• Ouro Preto is an excellent place if you are after beautiful crafts at excellent prices. The most traditional material used to make crafts is soapstone (pedra-sabão). There is a small and very interesting market right in front of the church of São Francisco de Assis.
• precious stones are another local specialty. There are quite a few shops in and around the main square.
• the center of Ouro Preto is dotted with restaurants where you can taste the local food (comida mineira).
• for those keen on visiting a gold mine, on the old road from Ouro Preto to Mariana you will find the Minas da Passagem, open for visitation. There is a bus from Ouro Preto driving through the front of the mine.
• Mariana is another historic city a few miles away from Ouro Preto. It is a natural extension to any visit to Ouro Preto. You can get to Mariana by bus or take the tourist Ouro Preto – Mariana train, the Trem da Vale (website with schedules and prices). You can purchase a single ticket or a return one.

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8. HEALTH:

No vaccines are needed for Ouro Preto. The rural areas of Minas Gerais recorded recent cases of yellow fever. Though not essential nor required, take the shot if you want some peace of mind (10 facts about yellow fever in Brazil).

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9. ACCOMMODATION:

At our Accommodation in Brazil blog you will find a full list of hotels and pousadas in Ouro Preto.

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10. LINKS:

Ouro Preto.org is the official tourism website. Other websites with information are Ouro Preto e Circuito do Ouro Convention Bureau and Ouro Preto Turismo.

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11. WEATHER FORECAST:

The weather in Ouro Preto for the next ten days

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12. CLIMATE:
Average temperatures and rainfall in Ouro Preto.

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13. GOOGLE MAPS:
Ouro Preto. And our very own map of Ouro Preto.

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14. PHOTO ALBUM:

Ouro Preto photo album

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RELATED POSTS:
Destination: Historical Cities, Minas Gerais
Map of Ouro Preto
Ouro Preto photo album
Ouro Preto photo album in Flickr
Destination: Mariana
World Heritage Sites
Website on the Cultural World Heritage Sites in Brazil

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follow the Brazil Travel Blog on Twitter
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The Instituto Inhotim is located in the town of Brumadinho, 60 km from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. I’d rather not use the term museum to refer to it as it does not do any justice to everything Inhotim has to offer. It contains a fantastic collection of contemporary art set in the middle of a stretch of Atlantic rainforest. The art collection lives side by side with the landscaping project of people like Roberto Burle Marx. At Inhotim the contemplation of art and the contemplation of nature go hand in hand.

Inhotim is a private non-profit organization set up in 2005 by a Brazilian entrepeneur. To host each work of art and installations a specific building was constructed. The art collection includes works by Brazilian and international artistas, from the 60′s to the present time. Between one building and another the visitor will find the wonderful botanic collections of the institute.

Inhotim and Belo Horizonte are not in most travellers’s itineraries and for that reason I dare not suggest that visiting Inhotim is a must. But if you find yourself in Belo Horizonte or visiting the Historical Cities of Minas Gerais (Ouro Preto, Mariana, Congonhas, Tiradentes, São João del Rei) I’d definitely make an effort to spend one day at Inhotim.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Address: Inhotim, Brumadinho, Minas Gerais.
Website: Inhotim. It’s got an English version.
Opening times: Thursdays and Fridays, from 9h30 till 16h30. Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays from 9h30 to 17h30.
Admission: R$15.
How to get to Inhotim: if you have your own means of transportation, follow the map provided at the Institute’s website. Saturdays and Sundays there is a bus running from Belo Horizonte bus station (platform F2) to Inhotim. Departs from Belo Horizonte at 9am and returns from Inhotim at 4pm.
Facilities: there are snack shops and two restaurants.
Piece of advice: as most of the visit to Inhotim is done outdoors, it is best avoided on a rainy day.
Photo album: my Inhotim photos at Flicrk.
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[read the 2010 update: 10 must-see places in Brazil]

This is a list of my top 10 favourite places in Brazil. It only includes places I have visited – for that reason you will not find on the list potential jewels such as Ilha Grande. Click on the names of the places to find out more about them.

1. Fernando de Noronha (Pernambuco)

Noronha is where you will find the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Brazil, and crystal-clear waters of unparalleled beauty. A place like no other in Brazil.

2. Paraty (Río de Janeiro)

Atlantic rainforest, desert beaches and the best preserved colonial architecture in the country come together to make of Paraty a very special destination. On top of that, Paraty is close to Rio and São Paulo.

3. Lençóis Maranhenses (Maranhão)

While it’s not easy to get to the Lençóis, the reward more than makes up for the long journey. A unique landscape of dunes and lagoons where mass tourism hasn’t left its mark yet.

4. Jericoacoara (Ceará)

Another destination with a nearly-mythical status among travellers. Captivating sand dunes in a remote setting.

5. Iguazu falls (Paraná and Argentina)

The breathtaking beauty of the falls will captive you the moment you set your eyes on them.

6. Arraial d’Ajuda (Bahia)

Hard to believe you would find a charming place like Arraial d’Ajuda so close to Porto Seguro.

7. Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro)

Rio is a city like no other, not just in Brazil, but throught the world. Its serious problems do not allow for a higher place on the list.

8. Bonito (Mato Grosso do Sul)

In the southernmost point of the Pantanal lies Bonito, a mecca for ecotourism and fun in close contact with nature.

9. Trancoso (Bahia)

Trancoso is near Arraial d’Ajuda and shares with its neighbour a series of wonderful beaches and a relaxed atmosphere.

10. Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais)

In spite of the sorry state of conservation of its World Heritage, Ouro Preto makes it to the top 10 because of the truly mesmerizing historical riches found in its churches.

MyMaps!: mash-up that will allow you to locate of all the places listed above at GoogleMaps!

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Exceptionally, this review covers not just one destination but several of them, in the vicinity of Belo Horizonte, state of Minas Gerais. We are talking about the Cidades Históricas (Historical Cities). The best well-known are Ouro Preto (Unesco World Heritage Site, we have a blog post devoted to it: destination: Ouro Preto), Mariana (we also have a blog post: destination: Mariana), São João del Rei, Tiradentes, Congonhas and Sabará. The other jewel on the crown is Diamantina, far away from the others, which I will not cover here as I haven’t visited it yet.

WE LIKE THE MOST: the outstanding collection of colonial baroque art, the crafts, the food

WE LIKE THE LEAST: the alarming deterioration of the artistic heritage with the utter connivance of the authorities. Unesco have repeteadly expressed their concern with the state of Ouro Preto

HOW TO GET THERE: The Cidades Históricas can only be reached by road. You will need to you use a rented car, the public transport system, or embark on a one-day trip from Belo Horizonte.

CAREFUL WITH: it gets very cold on the mountain region during the Brazilian winter; the “comida mineira” (food from the region), as delicious as it is caloric; the notorious roads in the region, with one of the hightest accident rates for the whole of Brazil

FAVOURITE PLACES: Congonhas, the church of Nossa Senhora de Ó in Sabará, the steam train between Tiradentes and São João del Rei, Tiradentes, Mariana

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• there is plenty to see in Ouro Preto, you will easily fill a day visiting the town; Mariana is nearby, a couple of hours to visit the village will be enough
• São João del Rei and Tiradentes can be visited on the same trip, there is a steam train linking both places

LINKS: Associação das Cidades Históricas de Minas Gerais, Cidades Históricas de Minas, Ouro Preto, São João del Rei, Tiradentes, Conheça Minas pela Internet

WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Ouro Preto for the next 10 days

GOOGLE MAPS: Cidades Históricas

PHOTOS: Cidades Históricas

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Ouro Preto
destination: Mariana

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