The fortunes of Minas Gerais were built on Brazil’s 17th and 18th Century gold rush, when its mines were producing nearly half of the world’s gold.
An hour’s flight inland from Rio de Janeiro, this Brazilian heartland features a landscape of lush valleys and mountains, rivers, lakes, immense fertile plains. In the towns of Ouro Preto, Diamantina, Tiradentes and Mariana, the finest examples of Baroque art and colonial architecture in the country.
After a day or two exploring the meandering cobbled streets and picturesque churches of Minas Gerais, head out into some of Brazil’s most enchanting countryside, riding or walking along old gold trails and plunging into waterfalls. We suggest staying on a working fazenda, to soak up the famous Minas Gerais hospitality, and we have two absolute gems – one, a private lodge ideal for those who enjoy riding, the other a charming eight-room farmhouse dating from 1715, set in the rolling hills of the Ibitipoca Reserva.
