Gold Circuit

1 · MG

Nova Lima

Nova Lima preserves the mining memory of Morro Velho and the Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar. Close to Belo Horizonte, it opens this circuit with urban heritage and mountain scenery.

→ Raposos Leave Nova Lima along the MG-030 axis and take the signed access to Raposos. The connection crosses the Rio das Velhas valley; the branch that reaches the town center is different from the continuation toward Rio Acima.

2 · MG

Raposos

Raposos developed along the Rio das Velhas and gold mining. The Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição and the streets of the old town are landmarks for the stop between Nova Lima and Sabará.

→ Sabará From Raposos, return to the Nova Lima access and use the connection to Sabará via the MG-437 corridor. This road route makes a detour relative to the line on the map; avoid taking rural shortcuts as equivalents.

3 · MG

Sabará

Sabará brings together colonial churches, the Museu do Ouro and the tradition of the Festival da Jabuticaba. The historic center's heritage requires time for walking before the climb toward Caeté.

→ Caeté Connection via MGC-262, between the Sabará valley and the accesses to Caeté. There are curves and mountain terrain; check the road conditions and any works before traveling.

4 · MG

Caeté

Caeté has the Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Bom Sucesso and the Serra da Piedade, associated with religious pilgrimage. The town marks the transition between the metropolitan surroundings and the mountain ranges of the Barão de Cocais sector.

→ Barão de Cocais The MGC-262 connects Caeté to Barão de Cocais through the mountain range, in the Cachoeira do Cambota sector. There is a history of construction and paving works; confirm the current situation before using this crossing.

5 · MG

Barão de Cocais

Barão de Cocais brings together the Igreja de São João Batista and the historic district of Cocais. The urban core and the approaches via the MG-436 link the passage to the Itabira sector.

→ Itabira Leave Barão de Cocais via MG-436 to BR-381. Continue to the junction of the access to Itabira and use the MG-434/MG-129 corridor, with regional traffic related to mining.

6 · MG

Itabira

Itabira links the history of mining with the memory of Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Casa de Drummond and the Memorial Carlos Drummond de Andrade are references for getting to know the town beyond the road transit.

→ Nova Era Between Itabira and Nova Era, use the MG-129/MGC-120 corridor. The road crosses a mining region with rolling terrain; check for interventions and urban access to Nova Era.

7 · MG

Nova Era

Nova Era grew from the São José da Lagoa settlement on the banks of the Rio Piracicaba. The eighteenth-century mother church and the Praça da Matriz ensemble mark its stop in the sector visited with Itabira.

→ Santa Bárbara From Nova Era, return to BR-381 toward the access to Barão de Cocais via MG-436 and proceed to Santa Bárbara. There is backtracking over part of the sector already covered; the line on the map does not represent a direct road.

8 · MG

Santa Bárbara

Santa Bárbara has the Matriz de Santo Antônio and the Casa de Afonso Pena. The municipality is part of the accesses to Caraça and begins, on this route, the sequence along the MG-129 axis toward Catas Altas.

→ Catas Altas Follow MG-129 from Santa Bárbara to Catas Altas. The connection follows the Serra do Caraça sector; accesses to the sanctuary and other attractions are detours that require separate planning.

9 · MG

Catas Altas

Catas Altas sits at the foot of the Serra do Caraça. The Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição and the houses of the historic core make up the visit before continuing along the MG-129.

→ Mariana Continue on MG-129 toward Mariana. The route passes through the Santa Rita Durão and Bento Rodrigues sectors, in a mining region; visits to localities off the highway require separate planning.

10 · MG

Mariana

Mariana, the first town and first capital of Minas Gerais, concentrates religious heritage around Praça Minas Gerais and the Catedral da Sé. The stop precedes Ouro Preto along the BR-356.

→ Ouro Preto Mariana and Ouro Preto are connected by BR-356. The route ascends between the two historic centers and passes through the Passagem de Mariana sector; visiting the mine is an additional stop.

11 · MG

Ouro Preto

Ouro Preto preserves baroque churches, steep streets and the Museu da Inconfidência. Its urban ensemble, recognized as a World Heritage Site, calls for a longer stay to explore the museums and historic streets.

→ Ouro Branco Leave Ouro Preto via the MG-129 connection toward Ouro Branco. The crossing goes through the mountain sector and accesses to villages; the map's drawing does not reproduce the road's curves.

12 · MG

Ouro Branco

Ouro Branco preserves the Matriz de Santo Antônio and has the Serra do Ouro Branco as its main landscape reference. The town connects the Ouro Preto sector to Congonhas.

→ Congonhas The connection from Ouro Branco to Congonhas uses the MG-443 axis and the approach to the municipality. The section combines urban and industrial traffic; plan navigation to the Santuário do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos separately.

13 · MG

Congonhas

Congonhas brings together the soapstone prophets and the chapels of the Passos at the Santuário do Bom Jesus de Matosinhos. The Museu de Congonhas helps contextualize this complex before departing toward Itabirito.

→ Itabirito From Congonhas, follow BR-040 toward Belo Horizonte and join BR-356 heading to Itabirito. This road option bypasses the mountain sector; rural accesses may present different conditions.

14 · MG

Itabirito

Itabirito combines the Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem, the Complexo Turístico da Estação and the tradition of the pastel de angu. São Gonçalo do Bação expands the visit with district heritage.

→ Rio Acima Itabirito and Rio Acima are linked by the MG-030 axis in the Rio das Velhas valley. Check the conditions of the rural segments; the existence of the connection does not guarantee continuous paving or easy traffic after rain.

15 · MG

Rio Acima

Rio Acima developed along the Rio das Velhas and the railway. The old station and the accesses to waterfalls characterize the final stop before returning to Nova Lima via the MG-030.

→ Nova Lima Return from Rio Acima to Nova Lima via MG-030, passing through the Honório Bicalho sector. The route follows the valley and reaches Nova Lima's urban accesses, completing the circuit.