Belo Horizonte

Brazil

View of Praça do Papa from the Serra do Curral

Belo Horizonte is Brazil's third largest city and the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. With its orderly grid plan and tree-lined avenues, it's a pleasant metropolis. For travelers, it's a good stopping point on the way to the beautiful colonial towns such as Ouro Preto and Tiradentes.

Founded in 1897, Belo Horizonte (or simply "BH" (beh-ah-GAH) to locals) is a little over a century old. With a metropolitan population reaching more than 5 million (edging out Salvador), it was built as a planned city to take the place of Ouro Preto as the state's capital. Its layout features square sections delineated by broad avenues, intersected diagonally by smaller streets.

The city lies in the center of the Minas Gerais state, and was intended to bring together the many parts of this very diverse state.

Pope Square Nighttime view from the Alta Vila Tower Parque Municipal Note that a lot of places including museums, the parque municipal and the Mangueira park are closed on Mondays.

  • Pampulha - This 1940s neighborhood has some of the highlights of Brazil modern architecture, including the São Francisco de Assis Church, designed by the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer (designer of the United Nations building in NYC and also Brasilia, Brazil's capital) . The building is not shocking by itself, until you realize it was meant to be a church. Not surprisingly, the Catholic Church refused to consecrate it for more than one decade. Next to the church, there's the Parque Guanabara, an amusement park that is small, but worth visiting. In Pampulha lies the world-famous Iate Tenis Clube, founded along with the Pampulha Architectural Complex designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Invitations to the club can be bought at the place (they are free if you know someone affiliated to the club). The Pampulha Modern Ensemble is listed as a world heritage site.
  • Mineirão Stadium - One of the largest and newly renovated stadiums in Brazil, where several matches from the FIFA Federation Coup (2013) and FIFA World Cup (2014) were played including the infamous 1-7 semifinal loss in Brazil v Germany. It is located at Pampulha neighborhood.
  • Mangabeiras Park - This is an amazing place for nature lovers, a place where the Cerrado mixes with the Atlantic Forest, this is a great visit for children and family.
  • Praça da Liberdade - A beautiful palm tree-lined square, sidelined by interesting buildings from the 19th century, including the seat of the State Government, and a curvaceous (yes, you can use this word to describe an Oscar Niemeyer building) edifice from the 60s. Also museums and a Planetarium (you can get tickets for free)
  • Museum of Arts and Crafts, +55 31 3248-8600. Praça Rui Barbosa, Centro. . Tue, Thu, Fri noon to 7PM. Wed, noon to 9PM. Sat, Sun, 11AM to 5PM. Groups: daily, from 9AM-noon. The Museu de Artes e Ofícios is installed in the 19th Century buildings of the former Central Train Station. Its collection shows the richness of Brazilian popular work and professions before the country's industrialization. Admission: R$4. Saturday - free.
  • Alta Vila Tower - Located in the district of Nova Lima, (Belo Horizonte city Metro area), this tower offers a spectacular view of Belo Horizonte and its surrounding mountains. On the main floor is the Hard Rock Cafe - Belo Horizonte.
  • Parque Municipal - An oasis of green right in the centre of downtown. Based on French parks, it has small lagoons where you can rent a boat or feed the ducks. It has the Casa Maluca (Crazy House), the Casa dos Pneus and a small amusement park - three places where children always like to play.
  • Museu de Ciencias Naturais - Take the Metro to the Gameleira station, go NW to the PUC campus, and turn right. Diverse mollusks, whales, and Brazilian forest animals. A new exhibit is under construction. Admission: R$3.
  • Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto, Av Prudente de Morais, 135. Cidade Jardim Neighborhood - (0xx)31 3342-1268 - This museum is dedicated to the history of the city and was created in the only standing farmhouse from the old Curral d'El Rey, farmland replaced by the new planned city.

Pampulha - This 1940s neighborhood has some of the highlights of Brazil modern architecture, including the São Francisco de Assis Church, designed by the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer (designer of the United Nations building in NYC and also Brasilia, Brazil's capital) . The building is not shocking by itself, until you realize it was meant to be a church. Not surprisingly, the Catholic Church refused to consecrate it for more than one decade. Next to the church, there's the Parque Guanabara, an amusement park that is small, but worth visiting. In Pampulha lies the world-famous Iate Tenis Clube, founded along with the Pampulha Architectural Complex designed by Oscar Niemeyer. Invitations to the club can be bought at the place (they are free if you know someone affiliated to the club). The Pampulha Modern Ensemble is listed as a [[world heritage site]].

Mineirão Stadium - One of the largest and newly renovated stadiums in Brazil, where several matches from the FIFA Federation Coup (2013) and FIFA World Cup (2014) were played including the infamous 1-7 semifinal loss in Brazil v Germany. It is located at Pampulha neighborhood.

Mangabeiras Park - This is an amazing place for nature lovers, a place where the Cerrado mixes with the Atlantic Forest, this is a great visit for children and family.

Praça da Liberdade - A beautiful palm tree-lined square, sidelined by interesting buildings from the 19th century, including the seat of the State Government, and a curvaceous (yes, you can use this word to describe an Oscar Niemeyer building) edifice from the 60s. Also museums and a Planetarium (you can get tickets for free)

Museum of Arts and Crafts, +55 31 3248-8600. Praça Rui Barbosa, Centro. . Tue, Thu, Fri noon to 7PM. Wed, noon to 9PM. Sat, Sun, 11AM to 5PM. Groups: daily, from 9AM-noon. The Museu de Artes e Ofícios is installed in the 19th Century buildings of the former Central Train Station. Its collection shows the richness of Brazilian popular work and professions before the country's industrialization. Admission: R$4. Saturday - free.

Alta Vila Tower - Located in the district of Nova Lima, (Belo Horizonte city Metro area), this tower offers a spectacular view of Belo Horizonte and its surrounding mountains. On the main floor is the Hard Rock Cafe - Belo Horizonte.

Parque Municipal - An oasis of green right in the centre of downtown. Based on French parks, it has small lagoons where you can rent a boat or feed the ducks. It has the Casa Maluca (Crazy House), the Casa dos Pneus and a small amusement park - three places where children always like to play.

Museu de Ciencias Naturais - Take the Metro to the Gameleira station, go NW to the PUC campus, and turn right. Diverse mollusks, whales, and Brazilian forest animals. A new exhibit is under construction. Admission: R$3.

Museu Histórico Abílio Barreto, Av Prudente de Morais, 135. Cidade Jardim Neighborhood - (0xx)31 3342-1268 - This museum is dedicated to the history of the city and was created in the only standing farmhouse from the old Curral d'El Rey, farmland replaced by the new planned city.

  • BH Shopping. BH's oldest and largest shopping malls, with shops, a food court, movie theatre and games. It's in the Belvedere area and close to Nova Lima road.
  • Shopping Del Rey. Another of BH's oldest and largest shopping malls, with shops, food court, movie theatre and games.
  • Minas Shopping. Among the largest shopping malls, with shops, a food court, movie theatre and games. Metrô station nearby.
  • Diamond Mall. A very refined (and usually expensive) shopping center.
  • Pátio Savassi. Also very refined (and usually expensive) shopping center, in the heart of Savassi.
  • Mercado Central, Av. Augusto de Lima and R. Curitiba. A large, traditional indoor market founded in 1929 where you can find tofu, whole grains, cheese, meat, herbs, traditional foods, religious articles, fruit, live birds, pots, souvenirs and lots of other stuff. It's one the most visited places in the city.
  • Hippie Fair, Av. Afonso Pena in front of the Municipal Park. Opens every Sunday, from 8AM to 2PM. This artesian fair is one of the largest in the country and offers everything from crafts to jewelry, furniture to souvenir, clothing to food. Receives from up to 100,000 people every Sunday. Definitively worth the visit.

BH Shopping. BH's oldest and largest shopping malls, with shops, a food court, movie theatre and games. It's in the Belvedere area and close to Nova Lima road.

Shopping Del Rey. Another of BH's oldest and largest shopping malls, with shops, food court, movie theatre and games.

Minas Shopping. Among the largest shopping malls, with shops, a food court, movie theatre and games. Metrô station nearby.

Diamond Mall. A very refined (and usually expensive) shopping center.

Pátio Savassi. Also very refined (and usually expensive) shopping center, in the heart of Savassi.

Mercado Central, Av. Augusto de Lima and R. Curitiba. A large, traditional indoor market founded in 1929 where you can find tofu, whole grains, cheese, meat, herbs, traditional foods, religious articles, fruit, live birds, pots, souvenirs and lots of other stuff. It's one the most visited places in the city.

Hippie Fair, Av. Afonso Pena in front of the Municipal Park. Opens every Sunday, from 8AM to 2PM. This artesian fair is one of the largest in the country and offers everything from crafts to jewelry, furniture to souvenir, clothing to food. Receives from up to 100,000 people every Sunday. Definitively worth the visit.

Minas Gerais is renown for its cuisine across Brazil, and is the origin of many famous foods such as pão de queijo (small baked roll made with cheese and cassava flour) and feijoada (black bean and meat stew). Like elsewhere in Brazil, restaurant food is typically served in some variation of a buffet. For a good sample of traditional mineira food, here are some options:

  • Dona Lucinha II, Rua Sergipe, 811, +55 31 3261-5930. Mon-Fri 12PM-3PM and 8PM-midnight, Sat 12PM-5PM and 8PM-midnight, Sun 12PM-5PM. R$19-27.
  • Restaurante Xapuri, Rua Mandacaru, 260. Pampulha, near the Pampulha Lake and the City Zoo, the restaurant is open Tue-Thu from 11AM to 11PM, Fri-Sat from 11AM to 2AM and Sunday and holidays from 11AM to 6PM. It has live music from Wed-Sun (and Holidays)

For great Brazilian food, here are some options:

  • Porcão, Avenida Raja Gabaglia 2671, +55 31 3293 8787. Cep:30350-540. One of the most famous restaurants in BH is the steakhouse chain Porcão. Considered to have the best meat in BH, it is also one of the most expensive in town. Some nights there are live performances by some of the more well-known performers in BH.
  • Fogo de chão, Rua Sergipe, 1208, +55 31 3227-2730. Savassi. It's a restaurant chain similar to Porcão. Both offer the traditional Brazilian barbecue. They are a must go to any tourist who isn't familiar with the Brazilian way to prepare and serve meat. Fogo de chão started in Porto Alegre (Brazil) and now has subsidiaries in many other Brazilian cities and even in the United States.

For great international food, here are some options:

  • Applebee's Restaurant. Located at BH Shopping, the restaurant has a casual feel with an American Menu.

If your food tastes lean toward brown rice and tofu, try Bem Natural. This is both a snack bar with tuna and chicken sandwiches on whole wheat, and a por quilo buffet with stuffed tomatoes, vegetarian feijoada, and brown rice. There are four locations in BH:

  • Av. Afonso Pena 941, Centro, +55 31 3224-1385.
  • Augusto de Lima 1652, Barro Preto, +55 31 3295-2325.
  • Bernardo Guimarães 166, Funcionários, +55 31 3284-6680.
  • Tomé de Souza 947, Savassi, +55 31 3261-5676, open weekends and holidays too.

Dona Lucinha II, Rua Sergipe, 811, +55 31 3261-5930. Mon-Fri 12PM-3PM and 8PM-midnight, Sat 12PM-5PM and 8PM-midnight, Sun 12PM-5PM. R$19-27.

Restaurante Xapuri, Rua Mandacaru, 260. Pampulha, near the Pampulha Lake and the City Zoo, the restaurant is open Tue-Thu from 11AM to 11PM, Fri-Sat from 11AM to 2AM and Sunday and holidays from 11AM to 6PM. It has live music from Wed-Sun (and Holidays)

Porcão, Avenida Raja Gabaglia 2671, +55 31 3293 8787. Cep:30350-540. One of the most famous restaurants in BH is the steakhouse chain Porcão. Considered to have the best meat in BH, it is also one of the most expensive in town. Some nights there are live performances by some of the more well-known performers in BH.

Fogo de chão, Rua Sergipe, 1208, +55 31 3227-2730. Savassi. It's a restaurant chain similar to Porcão. Both offer the traditional Brazilian barbecue. They are a must go to any tourist who isn't familiar with the Brazilian way to prepare and serve meat. Fogo de chão started in Porto Alegre (Brazil) and now has subsidiaries in many other Brazilian cities and even in the United States.

Applebee's Restaurant. Located at BH Shopping, the restaurant has a casual feel with an American Menu.

  • People from BH are famous for their love of bars. The central Savassi neighborhood has dozens of bars. Also, at São Lucas neighborhood, on Contorno Avenue, you will find "Sociedad Pub", one of the best Pubs in town (Contorno Av., n.3849). The city is widely known (although without any confirmation) as the city with most bars per capita in the world. Some clubs that charge a cover are overrated and expensive. The outdoor bar scene is the authentic Brazilian experience. Good places to look for a bar:
    • Avenida Prudente de Morais
    • Rua Marília de Dirceu (follow it while it becomes Rua Curitiba and then Rua São Paulo—yeah, that's how streets work in Belo Horizonte)
    • Rua Pium-í crossing with Rua Passatempo
    • Avenida Fleming (only if you are in the Pampulha region)
  • You may know it only as an ingredient in vitamin pills, but here you can get fresh acerola puree in orange juice squeezed before your eyes. This is called a vitamina with good reason. The fruit is perishable and is stored on ice. Other fruits prepared the same way are abacaxi (pineapple), açaí, banana, and mamão (papaya).
  • Although Savassi is the place to go on Friday and Saturday nights, Trevo Five Place (close to the Hard Rock Cafe) is a great spot on Thursday nights. The dancing is great however the environment is not for the cautious.
  • The state of Minas Gerais is famous for their cachaça (distilled spirit similar to rum made from sugarcane juice). The price ranges from R$1 to R$50 and above, for some high-end brands. It is the main ingredient of the famous caipirinha cocktail, but Brazilians enjoy drinking it straight as well.
  • Another great drink is a sweet tasting wine-like substance called pronounced "catuaba".
  • If your looking for some dancing and clubbing visit naSala . For sure the best nightlife in town. Expect to meet beautiful people.
  • Rei Do Pastel, Savassi. Rei Do Pasetel is a small little corner bar located in the centre of Savassi. It has cheap shots, cheap food and always has something interesting going on, a great place for backpackers

People from BH are famous for their love of bars. The central Savassi neighborhood has dozens of bars. Also, at São Lucas neighborhood, on Contorno Avenue, you will find "Sociedad Pub", one of the best Pubs in town (Contorno Av., n.3849). The city is widely known (although without any confirmation) as the city with most bars per capita in the world. Some clubs that charge a cover are overrated and expensive. The outdoor bar scene is the authentic Brazilian experience. Good places to look for a bar:

  • Avenida Prudente de Morais
  • Rua Marília de Dirceu (follow it while it becomes Rua Curitiba and then Rua São Paulo—yeah, that's how streets work in Belo Horizonte)
  • Rua Pium-í crossing with Rua Passatempo
  • Avenida Fleming (only if you are in the Pampulha region)

You may know it only as an ingredient in vitamin pills, but here you can get fresh acerola puree in orange juice squeezed before your eyes. This is called a vitamina with good reason. The fruit is perishable and is stored on ice. Other fruits prepared the same way are abacaxi (pineapple), açaí, banana, and mamão (papaya).

Rei Do Pastel, Savassi. Rei Do Pasetel is a small little corner bar located in the centre of Savassi. It has cheap shots, cheap food and always has something interesting going on, a great place for backpackers

To keep hydrated, drink bottled water or water from drinking fountains, usually located at malls.

Tap water provided by COPASA (sole provider for the city) is regarded as fully potable (filtered, sterilized, PH controlled and fluoridated), but it is important to note that due to historical unreliability of water supply in Brazil, the vast majority of buildings have water tanks, so even if it is provided by COPASA, if you are unsure of the sanitary conditions of the building water tank, you should avoid drinking it before filtering, boiling or ozonizing it.

Even though bottled water in Brazil is labeled as “mineral water”, you should be careful and use good sense when buying it. Cases of tap water and untreated water being bottled and labeled as “mineral” are not uncommon. Always check the color of the water, the general aspect of the bottle and the seal. Some Brazilians are used to untreated water but it is very likely that tourists will have serious issues with it, including diarrhea, vomits, fever, headaches and muscular pain. It is usually safer to drink COPASA tap water then bootleg bottled water. Free healthcare is widely available, but waiting times may be long (even on minor emergencies), for non urgent cases go to the free “Posto de Saúde” near where you are staying (there are plenty all over the city). Private hospitals usually have faster service and better facilities and you can pay your treatment with either cash or with your insurance. Check with your insurance company the hospitals and clinics covered beforehand. If you have any allergies or known health problems, it is wise to learn some Portuguese words to describe it as it is very likely most of the hospital staff won’t speak English except for more qualified MDs, nurses and social workers. Although you might not see any initial difference, nurses are divided into “college nurses”, “technical nurses” and “auxiliary nurses”. You are more likely to find an English speaker among the college nurses (they are called Enfermeira or Enfermeiro and usually act as sector supervisors in a hospital).

Belo Horizonte can get very hot during summer, so avoid staying out in the sun for too long, specially between 10AM and 3PM. Even though it is not on the coast, sunscreen is advisable, especially if you have light skin.

Public restrooms can be found at malls and public buildings. A small fee may apply. Also, bars and restaurants are required by law to have a restroom available to its customers, but even if you are not buying anything, just ask nicely and they will let you use it.

Smoking in Belo Horizonte is banned from closed buildings. This includes malls, restaurants, bars (except if you are sitting outside), clubs, public buildings, airports and others. Smoking has been increasingly regarded as a bad habit and even on the sidewalk people might get annoyed by it, so it is best to smoke privately or away from non smokers.

When crossing the street, watch for motorcycles, which can appear out of nowhere and sometimes ignore stop signs. At some intersections with divided streets, you can cross only one side at once.

Minas has both the military police (polícia militar) who are the enforcers of the law at street level, however not linked to the Brazilian Military and the civilian police (polícia civil) who conduct further investigations like the British CID. Note, though, that most officers don't even have a knowledge of basic English. The uniform of the Minas Gerais state military police is brown.

The emergency number (by which you can reach the military police) is 190.

The city has its own police, the Municipal Guard, the uniform is blue and officers are found in parks, near monuments, schools, hospitals.

The city has seen a recent surge on crime related to drugs. It is wise to avoid walking alone at night or carrying expensive electronics such as cameras, notebooks, iPods or jewelry. It is not uncommon to be mugged at traffic lights or walking during the day or night. Despite Brazil's huge ethnic diversity, tourists can be easily identified by bad guys as people who carry electronics carelessly and seem to be always wondering where are they going. Be discreet.

If someone mugs you, don't resist. Your life is worth more than a hundred dollars.

  • MP Games, Rua dos Inconfidentes 868, between Pernambuco and Paraíba, Savassi. You can bring your laptop. 3 R$/h.

Wifi is readily available in many bars and restaurants throughout the city.

MP Games, Rua dos Inconfidentes 868, between Pernambuco and Paraíba, Savassi. You can bring your laptop. 3 R$/h.

The area code for Belo Horizonte is 31. The code for Oi, the phone company that runs most of the phone booths in the city, is also 31. So to call Belo from outside using Oi, you dial 031 31 and the desired number, for example: from São Paulo to Belo, dial 03131 xxxx-xxxx. But to make a local call, you don't have to dial 31 at all, just the eight digits. Sometimes, it depends, because there are many other cities surrounding Belo, with the same area code, so you might be dialling the long distance code, using 31. Dialing from or to Ouro Preto, to or from Belo, you need to dial 03131 xxxx-xxxx. There are other long distance companies codes available, which can be used to make calls, such as Embratel (21), Intelig (23), which provides long distance calls with suitable rates, to or from Brazil, and to other countries.

Belo Horizonte has a good network of hospitals. The main hospital area of the city is located downtown, close to the Municipal Park, where it is possible to find lots of healthcare institutions such as hospitals, clinics, and laboratories.

Hospital das Clínicas da UFMG, Av.Professor Alfredo Balena, 110 - Santa Efigênia, +55 31 3409-9300.

Hospital de Pronto-Socorro JOÃO XXIII, Av.Professor Alfredo Balena, 400 - Centro, +55 31 3239 9200.

Hospital Odilon Behrens, Rua Formiga, 50 – São Cristóvão, +55 31 3277-6206, +55 31 3277-6181.

Hospital Risoleta Tolentino Neves, Rua das Gabirobas, 01, +55 31 3459-3200. Bairro Laranjeiras.

  • Hospital Felício Rocho, Av.do Contorno, 9.530 - Barro Preto, +55 31 3514-7000.
  • Hospital Lifecenter, Av. do Contorno, 4747, +55 31 3280-4000. Serra.
  • Hospital Mater Dei, Rua Gonçalves Dias, 2700, +55 31 3339-9000. Santo Agostinho.
  • Hospital Socor, Rua Tupis, 1578, +55 31 3295-1399. Centro.
  • Hospital Vera Cruz, Av. Barbacena, 653, +55 31 3290-1000. Barro Preto.
  • Santa Casa Hospital, Av. Francisco Sales, 1, +55 31 3238-8100. 111 - Santa Efigênia.

Hospital Felício Rocho, Av.do Contorno, 9.530 - Barro Preto, +55 31 3514-7000.

Hospital Lifecenter, Av. do Contorno, 4747, +55 31 3280-4000. Serra.

Hospital Mater Dei, Rua Gonçalves Dias, 2700, +55 31 3339-9000. Santo Agostinho.

Hospital Socor, Rua Tupis, 1578, +55 31 3295-1399. Centro.

Hospital Vera Cruz, Av. Barbacena, 653, +55 31 3290-1000. Barro Preto.

Santa Casa Hospital, Av. Francisco Sales, 1, +55 31 3238-8100. 111 - Santa Efigênia.

Araújo Drugstore - +55 31 3270-5000

Onofre Drugstore - +55 31 3115-1515

Pacheco Drugstore - +55 31 3489-1300

Droga Raia - 0800 774 4040

This can be requested by a free call to one of two instituitions: SAMU (the acronym for the health emergency service) - Phone: 192 or Fire Department - Phone: 193 .

Belo Horizonte is an entryway to many of the country's most important colonial towns:

Belo Horizonte is an entryway to the following other sights:

  • Inhotim