3 Best Sights in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Towering trees, shimmering ponds, and fountains containing various minerals—each believed to cure a different ailment—fill the Parque das Águas. Lavish pavilions protect the springs, and the balneário, a beautiful Turkish-style bathhouse, offers saunas and massages. Hundreds of thousands of liters of mineral water are bottled here daily and distributed throughout Brazil.

A delightful way to explore the streets of Caxambu, as well as old farms in the surrounding area, is by horse and buggy. Rides are arranged on a first-come, first-served basis near the entrance to Parque das Águas.

A chairlift (daily 9–5; R$10) accessed near the bus station heads to the peak of the Cristo Redentor, a smaller version of the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio. The summit has a small restaurant and an impressive city view.