Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
PRECIOUS STONES OF OURO PRETO
Ouro Preto is littered with jewellery stores selling the region's
precious stones
, notably
tourmaline, topaz and imperial topaz (the latter is only found here). Quality is usually very
good, and despite the touristy focus, prices are much cheaper here than in the US or Europe
and the trade is well regulated; try
Brasil Gemas
at Praça Tiradentes 74 (
T
031 3551 4448).
church was due to finally reopen after a long renovation - check at the tourist o
ce
before heading out there. Although plain in comparison to what you'll see in Ouro
Preto's other churches, the artwork here is well worth the steep climb and the
views
towards town are outstanding. The altar was carved by Javier do Briton, the mentor of
Aleijadinho; the interior panels are by Manoel Rabelo de Souza; and the exterior image
of Nossa Senhora do Rosário is by Aleijadinho himself. Slaves contributed to its
construction by smuggling gold in their teeth cavities and under their fingernails.
2
Mina do Chico Rei
Rua Dom Silvério 108 • Guided tours daily 8am-5pm • R$10 •
T
31 3552 2866
If you don't have time to visit the Mina da Passagem
gold mine
near Mariana (see p.166),
much closer, and cheaper too, is the
Mina do Chico Rei
, in the eastern
bairro
of Antônio
Dias. Founded in 1702, barely seven years after gold was first struck in Sabará, the mine
continued operating until 1888. Though visually not as striking as the Mina da Passagem,
it nonetheless boasts some impressive statistics, which give an idea of just how rich Ouro
Preto must once have been: the mine, constructed on five levels, contains an astonishing
eighty square kilometres of tunnels, vaults and passages.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
OURO PRETO
By train
The “Trem da Vale” tourist train links Ouro Preto
with Mariana (see p.164), 12km to the east, which makes
for a very pleasant day-trip. Trains depart Fri-Sun at 10am,
returning from Mariana at 2pm (the trip takes 1hr). Tickets
are R$40 one-way or R$50 return (the “panoramic wagon”
is R$60/R$80). The train station - built in 1889 - is located
south of the city centre at Praça Cesário Alvim (Tues-Sun
9am-5pm;
T
31 3551 7310,
W
tremdavale.org).
By bus
All long-distance buses arrive at the rodoviária
(
T
31 3559 3252), an easy 10min walk westwards from
Praça Tiradentes at Rua Padre Rolim 661, though you'll
want to grab a taxi if you have accommodation anywhere
else in town - the hills are very steep. There is a local bus to
Mariana operated by Transcota (daily 5.30am-11.30pm;
R$3.15) from Praça Tiradentes (no need to go to the
rodoviária) - you pay as you board.
Destinations
Barão de Cocais (2 daily; 1hr);
Belo Horizonte
(hourly 6am-8pm; 2hr); Brasília (1 daily; 11hr); Mariana
(every 20min; 30min); Rio (2 daily; 7hr); São João del Rei
(2 daily; 4-5hr); São Paulo (2 daily; 11hr).
By taxi
Taxis in Praça Tiradentes charge around R$250 to
drive to central Belo Horizonte, but it depends exactly
where you want to go - the airports will be more like
R$320. Taxis to Mariana charge around R$50 one-way. Try
private operators such as Edson Loredo (
T
31 8893 7563,
E
edslor@gmail.com).
Tourist information
On the east side of Praça Tiradentes
at no. 41 is the tourist o
ce (daily 8am-7pm;
T
31 3559
3269,
W
ouropreto.org.br,
W
ouropreto.mg.gov.br).
ACCOMMODATION
Ouro Preto gets very crowded at
weekends
and
holidays
, so it's a good idea to reserve a room in advance, while during
Carnaval or at Easter you'd be wise to book several months ahead. All of the options listed below feature free wi-fi.
Brumas Hostel
Rua Antonio Pereira 43
T
31 3551
2944,
W
brumashostel.com.br.
Part of the HI network,
this place offers basic dorms, kitchen, breakfast and
laundry facilities. Located midway between the rodoviária
and the city centre, the hostel is reached by a steep 5min
trek, but offers commanding views of Ouro Preto's historic
centre. Prices
for HI m
embers are given
in brackets. Dorms
R$42 (R$35)
; doubles
R$150 (R$130)
Buena Vista Hostel
Rua Henri Gorceix 198
T
31 3551 4677,
E
buenavistahostel@hotmail.com.
Close to the bus station, this spotless hostel has a pool
table, helpful owner, kitchen and cosy communal areas.
The dorms are newish and the do
ubles
are small
l and
simple. Towels cost R$3 extra. Dorms
R$40
; doubles
R$90
Grande Hotel de Ouro Preto
Rua Senador Rocha Lagoa
164
T
31 3551 1488,
W
grandehotelouropreto.com.br.
★
