Minas Gerais

Though it's far from the circuit of Brazil's most visited places, the state of Minas Gerais holds unforgettable historical, architectural, and ecological riches. Minas has more UNESCO World Heritage sites that any other state in Brazil. This mountainous state's name, which means "general mines," was inspired by the area's great mineral wealth. Prior to the 18th century the region was unexplored due to its difficult terrain, but in the late 17th century bandeirantes, or adventurers, forged into the interior, eventually discovering vast precious-metal reserves. As a result, the state, and particularly the city of Ouro Preto, became the de facto capital of the Portuguese colony. That period of gold, diamond, and semiprecious-stone trading is memorialized in the historic towns scattered across the jagged blue mountain ridges and remains a tremendous source of pride for mineiros (inhabitants of the state). More »