Belo Horizonte

• Belo Horizonte: The Brazil Most Travelers Never See · Botecos, Mercado Central, Pampulha, Inhotim and Ouro Preto, plus five hotels I'd consider.

Where should I stay?

Harris's 5 hotels in Belo Horizonte

For a first visit, stay in Lourdes or Savassi. The full write-ups are in the Belo Horizonte guide.

1. Hotel Fasano Belo Horizonte (Luxury): If you want the best luxury experience in BH, start with Hotel Fasano Belo Horizonte.
2. Radisson Blu Belo Horizonte, Savassi (The best combination of comfort and location): Radisson Blu Belo Horizonte, Savassi puts you right where I'd want to be for exploring the city.
3. Novotel Belo Horizonte Savassi (Modern comfort and value): Hotel Novotel Belo Horizonte Savassi is a modern four-star option right in Savassi.
4. Royal Collection Savassi Hotel (Couples and nightlife): Royal Collection Savassi Hotel is another very good choice if you want to stay in the middle of Savassi.
5. Ouro Minas Palace Hotel (Traditional full-service hotel): Ouro Minas Palace Hotel is the old-school grand hotel option.

Where should I eat?

• Mercado Central · Centro · Food market / Mineiro: Covered market packed with cheese, cachaça and spice stalls, plus counter bars serving fígado com jiló and cold beer.
• Mercado Novo · Centro · Food hall / Bars: Old market building revived with small bars, breweries and eateries, busiest on evenings and weekends.
• Cantina do Lucas · Centro (Edifício Maletta) · Brazilian / Italian bar food: Decades-old cantina in the bohemian Maletta building, known for its waiters in white jackets and hearty classic dishes.
• Restaurante Xapuri · Pampulha · Comida mineira: Rustic farmhouse-style restaurant serving wood-stove Minas Gerais cooking like tutu, frango com quiabo and homemade sweets.
• Dona Lucinha · Funcionários · Comida mineira: Long-running buffet of traditional Minas dishes, a good way to sample many regional recipes in one meal.
• Glouton · Lourdes · Contemporary Brazilian: Chef Leonardo Paixão's restaurant reinterprets mineiro ingredients with French technique; reserve for dinner.
• Café com Letras · Savassi · Café / Bookshop: Café-bookshop in Savassi for coffee, light meals and occasional live music.

What should I do?

• Inhotim · Brumadinho: Vast contemporary art museum set in botanical gardens about 60 km from the city; plan a full day.
• Praça da Liberdade · Funcionários: Palm-lined square ringed by former government buildings now housing museums and cultural centers of the Circuito Liberdade.
• Museu de Artes e Ofícios · Centro (Praça da Estação): Museum of Brazilian trades and tools housed in the historic railway station buildings.
• Parque das Mangabeiras · Mangabeiras: Large park on the slopes of the Serra do Curral with trails and viewpoints over the city.
• Feira Hippie (Feira de Arte e Artesanato da Afonso Pena) · Centro: Huge Sunday-morning street fair on Avenida Afonso Pena with crafts, clothing and food stalls.
• Mineirão · Pampulha: Big football stadium where Atlético and Cruzeiro play; catch a match or take the stadium tour.
• Day trip to Ouro Preto · Ouro Preto: Colonial gold-mining town about 100 km away with baroque churches and Aleijadinho sculptures.