 Back
Tourism Brazil: Minas Gerais
By : Renata Almeida | Sotaque Brasileiro, Number 4, Spring 2004
History, culture and ecotourism in one place. Minas Gerais is recognized by national and international tourists for its beautiful architectural ensembles and works of renowned artists such as Mestre Athayde and Aleijadinho, famous for sculptures and religious paintings. Ouro Preto and Diamantina, a World Heritage Site, reinforce this cultural base. Strolling around the sidewalks admiring the rustic mountains of Minas Gerais, brings the memory of a time of riches of gold and diamonds mined at the expense of hand labour of African slaves...
Photo: Estrada Real - Fazenda da pedra in Santana dos Montes. |
Chica da Silva, in Diamantina, and Chico Rei, in Ouro Preto, made history because they supplanted the condition of slaves to exert their influence. Chica da Silva was the mistress of the rich and prosperous white master, João Fernandes, and they had thirteen children who were legally recognized. She enchanted historians and curious with her charm and unique style, by living in luxury in the stronghold of authentic love in a society that despised the slaves. Chico Rei was already a king in Congo, Africa, when he was captured and submitted to servitude by the Portuguese in Brazil. But, without losing his ancestry, he reigned with the captives in Vila Rica (Ouro Preto today) and saving gold from the mines, emancipated the slaves from his tribe and several others.
But if the colonial past of Minas Gerais has its tourist identity, the future points to where the new Nature sets the tone. Minas Gerais is a state with a huge variety of flora, fauna and scenic landscapes where seven percent of its territory is already legally preserved in protected areas, among national parks, state and private reserves. Anyone who has travelled by the Environmental Protection Area of Serra da Mantiqueira certainly revelled in some of its waterfalls and crystal clear cold water, stepping on round pebbles brought down by the force of the mountain waters.
In the Serra do Cipó, a region of outstanding beauty, riches barely noticeable like the carnivorous plants lining the upper lands, encourage visits of researchers and students aiming to achieve greater knowledge of species and studies of market opportunities. Also in the Espinhaço, the little evergreen flowers radiate joy, and are being exported to many regions of Brazil and the world. This activity supports many local families who take advantage of their knowledge of different types of flowers and their flowering times to collect tons of product. The trade of evergreens has grown so much that today there are already tourists, environmentalists and non-governmental organizations being mobilized to make this activity sustainable, avoiding the possibility of extinction of some species.
The Parque Estadual do Rio Doce is located in the Vale do Aço (Steel Valley), a region of intense economic activity and with serious problems of environmental degradation. There are dozens of lakes, giving it the second place as the largest water area of Brazil, second only to the Pantanal. Caparaó National Park is home to the Pico da Bandeira which with its 2,889 meters high, and attracts tourists from all states.
Small groups of ecotourists seek and enjoy being close to nature and therefore appreciate a well preserved and most primitive natural environment. Many venture on walks, bird watching, contemplation of landscape or finding animal tracks on the trails. But, not only nature arouses the interest of this tourist. They are also interested in local culture, knowledge of traditions that give identity to the place as the cuisine, music or crafts.
The ecotourists seek information and quality services but prefer to ride with like-minded people to enrich their experiences in the region. They can sleep in hostels, inns or small hotels but seek the source of enjoyment and satisfaction in the external environment. Stories such as Chico Rei and Chica da Silva are good reasons to sit in the large tables of the rustic restaurants of the inns, to talk about it, and relax after a nice long walk with a drink of some of the famous cachaça mineira "to stimulate the appetite".
A good menu based on the mineira kitchen is also part of the tour of mix of cultures and traditions: the famous "cheese bread" as appetizer, and main dishes such as chicken with okra reflect the African culture and delicious sweets such as ambrosia, the Portuguese side.
So, you know when it’s time to get ready to pack for a tour of Minas Gerais, do not forget the appropriate clothing for walking the trails, comfortable shoes and binoculars for observing wildlife. But also, do not forget the swimsuit, hat or sunscreen to enjoy a dip in rivers and waterfalls along the way. Also, do not forget to bring appropriate clothing for visits to museums, religious monuments and restaurants where mouth-watering typical food and serenades are followed by delicious fruit liqueur and always completed by the unique coffee of top quality.
Back |
