Minas Gerais · Brazil
In the destination Historic Towns of Minas Gerais (Estrada Real).
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
São João del-Rei combines colonial heritage with a lively town on the banks of the Córrego do Lenheiro (stream). Walks through the center reveal stone bridges and musical and religious traditions that are still alive.
5 places to stay in São João del-Rei.
3 places picked to eat.
What to know before you go.
Brazilian routes
From Ouro Preto to Paraty, the oldest route of the Estrada Real passes through historic towns, spa towns, and the Mantiqueira.
The local experience
The church of the Third Order of Carmel, with a Rococo facade, a doorway decorated with sculptures and set-back octagonal towers. Inside there is woodcarving by Manuel Rodrigues Coelho and an unfinished statue of Christ without arms in the nave.
Discover Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
It occupies the townhouse of commander João Antônio da Silva Mourão, one of the most refined residences of the Second Reign (the reign of Emperor Pedro II), listed in 1946 and opened as a museum in 1963. The collection includes furniture, sacred art and 19th-century sculptures.
Discover Museu Regional de São João del-Rei
A Roman-style stone bridge completed in 1798, after the old wooden bridge collapsed during a procession. The name comes from the town hall and jail building that stood next to it.
A 19th-century steam locomotive that still runs the narrow-gauge route between the two towns, along the Rio das Mortes (river). The train leaves from a historic station that serves as a railway museum.
Discover Trem Maria Fumaça São João del-Rei–Tiradentes
A Baroque church with a curved facade designed by Aleijadinho, surrounded by a churchyard of royal palms and by the cemetery where Tancredo Neves is buried. It is the town's postcard image.
Discover Igreja de São Francisco de Assis
