Fun Things to Do in Belo Horizonte

Explore the Capital of Minas Gerais

Belo Horizonte, Brazil's third-largest Metroplex, has long been discovered by non-locals as much more than a starting point to great Minas Gerais adventures.

While it's true that once you arrive in Belo Horizonte (aka Belô or Beagá, for its initials) you'll be set for a dizzying array of travel options, of which nearby Ouro Preto is one of the most famous, the city has a lot to offer in culture, nightlife, culinary, and sightseeing.

Belô will seem a little closer to the US when American Airlines kicks off its long-awaited Miami-Belo Horizonte nonstop flights in November 2008. Here are some fun ideas for things to do in this vibrant, laidback and very hospitable Brazilian metropolis.

Go Sightseeing

Belo Horizonte was the first planned city in Brazil. When it substituted Ouro Preto as the state capital in 1897, nobody could predict its amazing growth - the city's population doubled twice in the 1940s and 1950s.

Luckily, several nice parks and squares afford Belo Horizonte residents and tourists the feeling of a green oasis. Some of the best are included in these ideas for your sightseeing:

1. The Pampulha Lagoon and the Oscar Niemeyer-designed buildings around it are symbols of Belo Horizonte. Make sure you visit San Francisco de Assis Church, which has panels painted by Candido Portinari. Pampulha is where you'll find the Zoo, Mineirão - the soccer stadium - and Mineirinho, the city's multi-sport arena.
2. Take a walk in the verdant Américo Renê Giannetti Municipal Park, the city's first public park.
3. Meet the locals at one of the Sunday music events at the Liberdade Square in front of Palácio da Liberdade
4. Take a tour of Brazil professions through history at Museu de Artes e Ofícios
5. Drive 37 miles to Brumadinho and marvel at Inhotim, one of Brazil's best contemporary art museums, with gardens designed according to Burle Marx guidelines.
6. In Brumadinho, have a family lunch or a romantic dinner watching the sunset at Topo do Mundo, a hilltop restaurant with an awesome view.

Eat, Drink, Enjoy the Nightlife

Belo Horizonte has great food and it's also known as the bar capital of Brazil. Check out these places:

1. At Pampulha, eat the best authentic Minas food at Xapuri (pronounced sha-pu-REE). Chef Nelsa Trombino, informally known as Dona Nelsa, is one of the best loved chefs in Brazil thanks to her creations and to her gentle hospitality.
2. Savor amazing Italian food at Vecchio Sogno. In 2008, the restaurant was again named the best in town by Veja Belo Horizonte. Chef Ivo Faria was voted Chef of the Year.
3. When you see a sign saying Boca do Forno, stop. Owned by a large Minas Gerais family, this pastry shop with several stores has some of the best quick snacks in Brazil.
4. Minas Gerais has given Brazil and the world the delicious pão de queijo. In Belo Horizonte, lots of bakeries sell excellent pão de queijo, but for a sure bet, go to a supermarket: Verdemar in the district of Sion (Avenida Nossa Senhora do Carmo 1900, phone: 55-31-3286-6349).
5. Have some cold beer and tira-gostos, or bar food, at one of the bars which participated in a Comida di Buteco 2008.
6. Look sharp and show up at Graças a Deus, chosen three times in a row by Veja Belo Horizonte as the best place to flirt in BH.
7. See more beautiful people at Cantina do Lucas. You can linger till the sun rises at the most traditional bar in the unique Edificio Maleta (at Avenida Augusto de Lima 233), a building full of bars and used book stores in the so-called hipercentro of Beagá.
8. Pull up a wooden crate and sit with friends at the famous Bar do Caixote (Rua Nogueira da Gama, phone 55-31-3376-3010). Go on Monday to get some free bean broth with your beer or on Wednesday, when there's a barbecue and broth special.

Read more about Belo Horizonte bars.

Go Shopping

Minas Gerais excels in the production of cachaça. Some of the best shopping in Belo Horizonte is for Brazil's signature distilled drink.

1. Drive less than 19 miles to Betim, where Vale Verde, one of the best cachaças in Brazil, is hand-crafted at Vale Verde Ecological Park. Enjoy the park with an aviary, the tour of the distillery and the Cachaça Museum.
2. Brazilians have a soft spot for Central Markets and BH's Mercado Central is no exception. Check out Ronaldo Queijos e Cachaças and Ronaldo Licores e Cachaças (shops 34 and 141). You'll find hundreds of cachaça brands as well as great Minas cheese and hand-crafted liqueurs.
3. Drosófila is Minas Gerais women's fashion at its best. Find one of the stores in Belo Horizonte for a fun shopping spree.
4. If you're a comics fan or would like a souvenir for someone who is, don't miss Shazam, a shop at the Maleta building, which has several sebos, or vintage book shops besides its bars.

Catch an Event

There's a lot going on in Belo Horizonte any given time of the year. This is just a brief summary of the city's signature events.

1. Run in the Volta Internacional da Pampulha.
2. Join the locals in the annual Belo Horizonte bar food contest - Comida di Buteco.
3. Learn, shop and do business at Expocachaça, the largest event showcasing Brazil cachaça.
4. Visit the yearly National Handicraft Fair.
5. Catch the prestigious International Short Film Festival or one of the great music events at Palácio das Artes, an architectural gem in downtown Belô.
6. Watch a soccer game at Mineirão. If you're in town at the right time and you have what it takes, go to a game between arch rivals Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro. To get an idea of what this classic is like, watch the video for the song "É uma Partida de Futebol" ("It's a Soccer Match") by ultrapopular Minas Gerais band Skank - in my opinion, the best Brazil soccer music video ever made.

This list is a work in progress. Every time I remember or discover something, or my Beagá friends e-mail me saying, "You're missing this", it will grow a little. Help me share everything Belo Horizonte has to offer by posting your tip in the Brazil Travel forum.