Things to do in Belo Horizonte
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Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto
The free Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto, southwest of Savassi, features a renovated colonial farmhouse, the solitary remnant of Curral del Rey, the rural village destroyed in the 1890s to make room for Belo. There are some fascinating historical photos and other bric-a-brac.
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Parque Municipal
One of Belo's most appealing spots is Parque Municipal, an enormous sea of tropical greenery with artificial lakes and winding pathways, just 10 minutes southeast of the bus station along Av Afonso Pena. It's especially fun on Sunday, when everyone's out strolling and socializing.
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Palácio das Artes
The Palácio das Artes, an arts complex with multiple performance spaces and galleries near the southern end of Parque Municipal, is the hub of Belo’s theater, dance, and music-concert scene.
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Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
The Igreja de São Francisco de Assis is an architectural delight and the paintings by Portinari are beautiful.
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Café com Letras
Bookstore-café deeply rooted in Belo’s music and arts scene.
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Pampulha District
Fans of modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer won't want to miss his creations dotted around a huge artificial lake in the Pampulha district. Juscelino Kubitschek, mayor of Belo at the time, commissioned the recent architectural school graduate in the early 1940s. Niemeyer's Igreja de São Francisco de Assis is an architectural delight, with some beautiful Portinari paintings inside.
The Casa do Baile, a former dance hall that has had extensive renovations and now holds temporary art exhibits. Its on-site cafe is a lovely place to take a break.
The Museu de Arte de Belo Horizonte, with its cute garden designed by renowned landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is also worth…
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Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim
Centro de Arte Contemporânea Inhotim, greater Belo’s new tourist attraction, is an impressive, sprawling complex of gardens dotted with 16 modern art galleries and numerous outdoor sculptures, 50km west of the city, near the town of Brumadinho. Much of the international artwork on display is monumental in size. The gardens, which were opened to the public in October 2006 and are expanding constantly, boast 1600 different species of plants (including 200 types of palm alone), peacocks and lakes with swans. You can wander at will, or attend daily scheduled programs led by guides trained in visual arts and natural science. The on-site restaurant and café are both…
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Casa Cheia
The name means ‘full house, ’ and if you visit on a weekend you’ll understand why. People line up by the dozens for a table at this long-established Mercado Central eatery, where a bevy of women cooks up traditional favorites on a giant stove. Pratos do dia (daily specials) include a Saturday feijoada (a bean-and-meat stew served with rice; the Brazilian national dish) for only R$14.50 – not to be missed!
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O Porto do Bacalhau
Fine seafood isn't the first thing you'd expect in the landlocked capital of Minas, but it's exactly what O Porto delivers. This traditional place with a covered outdoor terrace has been delighting local palates for three decades, with some of the best bolinhas de bacalhau (codfish fritters), moqueca (Bahian fish stew) and grilled fish this side of the Atlantic.
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Feira de Arte e Artesanato
One of Belo’s major community events, this Sunday street fair attracts massive crowds searching for clothing, jewelry, street food and more. Located between Rua da Bahia and Rua das Guajajaras, and bordered by the soothing greenery of the Parque Municipal, it’s a fun place to wander and enjoy a slice of city life, even if you’re not in a shopping mood.
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O Alambique
The decor, the music, the drinks and the food all conspire to make this one of Belo’s most entertaining nightspots. There’s an old waterwheel, tables made from barrels with stone tops, 70 different cachaça -based drinks, and forró (popular music of the Northeast) and sertanejo music to keep things lively all night long.
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Gruta Rei do Mato
Gruta Rei do Mato is the most interesting cave. Near Sete Lagoas, north of Belo, it has prehistoric paintings and petroglyphs. From Belo Horizonte, take any Sete Lagoas–bound bus running along Hwy BR-040 (R$15, 80 minutes, hourly from 7am to 11pm) and ask the driver to drop you at the cave entrance.
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Xapuri
This local institution features fabulous Mineiro food served at picnic tables under a thatched roof, with hammocks close at hand for premeal children’s entertainment or postmeal relaxation. The traditional wood stove blazes up front, while colorful Mineiro desserts are attractively displayed in two long cases.
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Café da Travessa
For budget dining with a touch of Savassi flair, try this sidewalk café just off Praça da Savassi. It’s a great place to enjoy local street life. Sandwiches, salads and pasta are all delicious, and there’s frequent live music. On weekdays, there’s also a per-kilo lunch buffet (per kg R$29.90).
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Baiana do Acarajé
A little slice of Bahia just off Praça da Savassi, this bright, lively and informal bar-restaurant specializes in tasty and affordable acarajé (shrimp-stuffed brown bean fritters) served alongside pricier and more substantial dishes like moqueca (Bahian seafood stew).
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Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó
Parque Nacional Serra do Cipó - forming the heart of Unesco's brand new Serra do Espinhaço Biosphere Reserve - is Belo Horizonte's backyard wilderness area. Its vast mountain and river landscapes lie just 100km from the city center, offering excellent hiking opportunities.
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Gruta da Lapinha
The highlight at Gruta da Lapinha is the Véu de Noiva, a crystal formation in the shape of a bride’s veil. At the time of research the cave was closed, with plans to reopen (possibly with modified hours and prices) in December 2010. Phone for the latest info.
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Splendido Ristorante
Visiting dignitaries and celebrities often stop by this Savassi eatery, mingling with the local beautiful people. The French - and Italian -influenced meat dishes go well with imported wines, and local vegetables are used to surprising effect as fillers for pasta entrees.
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Restaurante Atlântico
Wonderful smoky aromas fill the air and the open-air corner location conjures up the lively sidewalk dining atmosphere of a Parisian brasserie. Opt for the simplicity of the impeccably grilled fish, or splurge on paella valenciana, feeding two for R$149.
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Museu de Artes e Ofícios
The new Museu de Artes e Ofícios, in Belo’s historic train station, houses a wide-ranging collection of objects used in the daily lives of Mineiros past and present. There are interpretive cards in English adjacent to each exhibit.
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Livraria da Travessa
For budget dining with a touch of Savassi flair, try the sidewalk café at this bookstore just off Praça da Savassi. It's a great place to enjoy local street life. Sandwiches, salads, and pasta are all delicious, and there's occasional live music.
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Museu de Arte de Pampulha
The Museu de Arte de Pampulha, with its cute garden designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, is worth a look. It was designed as a casino and shows the obvious modernist influence of Le Corbusier.
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Restaurante do Minas Tenis Clube
For atmosphere and price combined, it’s hard to beat the midweek buffet at Belo’s tennis club. Gorge to your heart’s content in the spacious, parquet-floored dining room overlooking the pool and giant waterslides out back.
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Bar Tizé
Since 1967, this strategically located corner bar with tables spilling onto a long island of sidewalk has been drawing crowds with ice-cold buckets of beer and award-winning comida di buteco (bar food; see p238).
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Mercado Central
You’ll find everything from parrots to perfume at this indoor market, a true Belo Horizonte institution. Sample the delicious local produce, socialize with locals at one of the bars or just roam the aisles aimlessly.
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