Minas Gerais - A Colonial Treasure
Posted by Adam Carter on Sat, Jun 06, 2009 @ 01:05 PM
The following is a guest blog report from Ryan Farias, our Project Marketing Manager at the Brazil Tour Operators Association, who just returned from a 6 day site inspection trip to Minas Gerais.
Like the Portuguese colonists 300 years ago, he discovered a gold mine of reassures and excitement in Minas!
From the area's priceless cultural heritage attractions and sweeping mountain vistas to the renowned warm hospitality and gastronomy, Minas Gerais is a unique Brazilian destination that's shines like a jewel in comparison to many other Brazilian states. Plus, it's never been easier to reach Minas Gerais thanks to the new American Airlines direct flights from Miami to Belo Horizonte. The destination is great on its own, or as part of a trip to nearby Sao Paulo or Rio de Janiero, both of which are also easily accessed by American Airlines.
Below is a summary of the site inspection, complete with attractions, hotels, and restaurants we visited
Belo Horizonte
The capitol of the state of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte is a planned, modern city full of picturesque parks, high rise buildings, and sweeping mountain vistas. Arriving at Confins Airport 45 minutes outside the city via American Airlines extremely convenient direct service from Miami, we were excited to explore Belo Horizonte as the first stop on our inspection and as an introduction to Mineiro culture. Our tour of the city included architectural highlights from Oscar Niemeyer such as the beautiful, modern, and very Brazilian inspired masterpiece, the Church of St Francis of Assisi in the Pampuhla district. We also visited the city's central square, Praca da Liberdade, a lively park where a group of people were playing samba music and attracting those passing by to dance. Around the park are many state government offices, including the Ministry of Tourism, whom we met with on the second day. Their presentation, in which they introduced their state and marketing plans for the US market, was very informative. We seized the opportunity to discuss the market with the officials and meet with local receptive operators for new business opportunities.
While in Belo Horizonte, we stayed at the Royal Golden Hotel, a contemporary and comfortable property located in the happening Sarvassi neighborhood. Also in this neighborhood, we inspected the Mecure, a great 4 star option with extensive meeting space, a fantastic fitness area, and a sleek design. The newly opened Quality Inn, just outside of Sarvassi and located on the city's main business thoroughfare, was another favorite due to its spacious, modernly designed rooms and outstanding amenities such as free Wi-Fi service. We also visited Ouro Minas, Belo Horizonte's only 5-star hotel. Located outside the center of the city, the hotel's meeting space and 5-star service make it popular among business travelers and VIPs.
Belo Horizonte was also our introduction to the unique Mineiro gastronomy. Upon arriving, we had a refreshing lunch at Xapuri, an open air restaurant in the Pampuhla area just outside of Belo Horizonte's center. The restaurant was packed with local families enjoying the outstanding Mineiro classics like sliced pork, shredded marinated kale, and crispy pork rinds. Nearby Aurora restaurant was an eclectically designed oasis for our lunch on the second day, where the owner prepared an international-inspired menu for us. Back in the center of the city, we enjoyed dinner at A Davida, a trendy restaurant with creative, modern cuisine and a hip atmosphere that felt like being on Miami Beach's Ocean Drive. Around the corner, cozy A Favorita was the site of our final dinner in Belo Horizonte. Specializing in Italian cuisine, the inventive entrees and desserts were "the favorites" of Belo Horizonte for many members.
Ouro Preto / Mariana
Departing Belo Horizonte, we drove approximately 90 minutes through the majestic mountains to reach Ouro Preto and Mariana, two historically preserved cities full of cultural wonders. In Mariana, we visited the city's central square and its Basilica da Se while wandering the cobble stoned streets. We also traveled over 1000 feet below ground at the Mina da Passagem, an old gold mine now converted to a tourist attraction complete with a multilingual guides. The city of Ouro Preto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is full of historic gems, from its churches to the oldest still operating theater in the Americas. The city's Mineralogy Museum, located in a former colonial government building, is a must-visit for travelers to really understand the treasures found in the local area mines. The city's soap stone market, jewelry dealers, and handicrafts stores were exciting explorations as we trekked the hilly, cobble stone streets with breath-taking views at every turn.
From the candle lit lobby that we entered upon check-in, to the well-maintained gardens we walked through to reach our rooms, we felt that Solar do Rosario was a magical place to spend the night in Ouro Preto. Each room is quaint, yet full of local character and very comfortably furnished. We inspected Pousada Do Mondego, a very historic-feeling property located in the center of old town Ouro Preto, and Hotel Pousada do Arcanjo, a slightly more economy option which had hints of feeling like a mountain ski lodge despite being located in the middle of the town.
Ouro Preto allowed us to continue to explore traditional Mineiro foods as they've historically been prepared for 300 years. Bene da Flauta's second floor dining room had stunning views of the surrounding mountains and was the perfect place to dine on delicious regional specialties like their outstanding chicken with okra. Chafariz offered a lunch buffet of many traditional foods, and was the first place that we tried feijao tropeiro. As a special treat, we had afternoon tea in a historic private house with a local host who owns the restaurant Janela Do Rosario. Offering this type of experience for groups of 6 or more, she prepared a full spread of food to enjoy with the tea, including a regional kale and cornmeal soup, and the best homemade pao de quiejo that many of us had ever tasted! On the casual side, Passo has an excellent selection of pizza, pastas, and salads to satisfy any traveler's tastes.
Tiradentes, Congonhas, and Sao Joao Del Rei
On the way to Tiradentes, we stopped in Congonhas to visit the Church of Bom Jesus de Matrozinhos, a UNESCO World Heritage site and popular pilgrimage destination. With statues of prophets and cavernous chapels depicting the Stations of the Cross, the site has some of the greatest works of Brazilian Baroque artist Aleijadinho, whose works are also featured throughout other cities and towns in Minas Gerais. Arriving in Tiradentes, we were taken aback by the charm of this extremely well-preserved small colonial town. From the handicraft markets in Bichinho to the majestic Matriz de Santo Antonio church, the small town surrounded by mountains is a perfect time-warp getaway.
The Solar Da Ponte provided excellent service in a historically reconstructed setting just off the the main square in Tiradentes. Its fascinating British hosts were happy to talk to us about everything from the local monkey population (who are frequent visitors at breakfast!) to the history of the area. On inspections, we visited the boutique Pousada Pequena Tiradentes, a newly constructed "village" of rooms just outside the town. Also just outside of Tiradentes, the stately Pousada Dos Inconfidentes is an excellent option featuring a manor house feel, private garden terraces for first floor rooms, and well-appointed furnishings. On the way back to Belo Horizonte for our departure, we also inspected Garden Hill Small Resort, a boutique golf resort in Sao Joao Del Rei that's an excellent option for golf lovers who are visiting this historic area.
Our arrival dinner in Tiradentes was hosted at Santissima Gula, the dreamy gourmet restaurant and event space opened by Carioca chef Nancy Souza, who personally prepared inspired, delicious creations for our enjoyment. Located in a small house at the back of Souza's own home, the restaurant's warm red walls added to the coziness created by the fireplace and soft jazz music. Traga Luz in downtown Tiradentes is a local favorite and was full of other travelers the night we dined there. Its hand drawn menu full of cartoons and descriptions of the food and drink items are just the start of the creative experience in store. Down the street, Padre Toledo, a restaurant and pousada, served regional, historic cuisine using some ingredients from its own working farm outside the town.
A Special Thanks
After a feast at Baby Beef in Belo Horizonte, it was time to board our flight back the the US. This trip was a great success for the members who attended thanks to the help of our many partners. Daniel Marques and Izabel Dayrell at the Minas Gerais State Tourism Ministry did a wonderful job creating and facilitating our Mineiro experience. Simone De Sa at American Airlines dealt with our frequently changing flight schedules and helped us arrive and depart comfortably and conveniently. Our driver and tour guide helped us understand everything we were seeing, as did Cristiane and Elena from the Minas Gerais State Tourism Ministry who also accompanied us throughout the trip.