Diamantina

A World Heritage town built on 18th-century diamonds, with colorful colonial houses and wooden balconies, balcony concerts and serenades, plus Biribiri's waterfalls and Estrada Real villages nearby.

Diamantina sits in the Serra do Espinhaço in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil, at about 1,300 m above sea level. Diamonds were discovered here in the 18th century, and the Portuguese Crown set up a tightly controlled "Diamond District"; the resulting wealth left behind a wealth of colonial houses and Baroque churches, and the historic center was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1999. It is also the hometown of Juscelino Kubitschek, the former Brazilian president who founded Brasília, and is known as the "City of Serenades". A visit has two parts. In the old town, explore on foot: the cathedral, the Chica da Silva House, the Diamond Museum, the Passadiço da Glória and several old churches, then dine and listen to music on Rua da Quitanda in the evening. Out of town, head to Biribiri State Park with its old village, waterfalls and natural pools, the Gruta do Salitre, and the Estrada Real villages of São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras and Milho Verde and the historic town of Serro. Best time to visit: the dry season from Apr to Oct is sunny with little rain and cool nights; on some Saturday evenings in high season there are balcony concerts; Carnival in February is lively, but book rooms early. Getting there: about 5 hours by long-distance bus from Belo Horizonte, or about 290 km by car. The old town's streets are steep and the stones slippery, so wear shoes with good grip; for the outlying sights, drive yourself or join a local 4x4 tour. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Historic Centre of Diamantina – A UNESCO-listed colonial town where two-story houses with colorful doors and windows and wooden balconies line stone-paved slopes, backed b…
• Rua da Quitanda & Vesperata – The liveliest dining street in town. On Saturday nights in peak season, musicians play from the balconies on both sides, a concert found on…
• Catedral Metropolitana de Santo Antônio – A twin-towered cathedral on the central square of the old town, the most eye-catching focal point on Diamantina's skyline.
• Casa de Chica da Silva – The 18th-century residence of Chica da Silva, a legendary freed enslaved woman. Its upper floor features wooden-lattice balconies and a sma…
• Museu do Diamante – A museum on the history of diamond mining, housed in an 18th-century colonial residence, displaying mining tools, shackles, and colonial fu…
• Passadiço da Glória – A blue enclosed wooden footbridge spanning Rua da Glória and connecting two old buildings. It is the most photogenic landmark in the old to…
• Casa de Juscelino Kubitschek – The childhood home of Juscelino Kubitschek, former president and the architect of Brasília. The simple house displays family photos and per…
• Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo – Built in the mid-18th century and funded by a diamond contractor. Its bell tower is unusually placed behind the church, and the interior is…
• Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos – One of the town's oldest churches, built by a Black brotherhood. A large tree in front has swallowed a stone cross into its trunk.
• Igreja de São Francisco de Assis – A late 18th-century Third Order church. Its ceiling paintings and gilded wooden altars are representative of Minas Gerais Baroque.
• Mercado Velho – An 1830s wooden market built for mule trains, with a weekend market selling cheese, cane liquor, and handicrafts.
• Caminho dos Escravos – A colonial-era stone-paved trail laid by enslaved people, winding up the hillside with views over the old town and the Serra dos Cristais.
• Biribiri Village & State Park – A quiet village left behind by a 19th-century textile mill, nestled in a state park ringed by rocky mountains and waterfalls.
• Cachoeira dos Cristais – A multi-tiered waterfall and natural swimming pool in Biribiri park, the most popular spot for a dip near the historic town.
• Cachoeira da Sentinela – A rocky waterfall and pools on the road to Biribiri. Park and walk a few steps to reach it, making it an easy stop for a dip on the way.
• Gruta do Salitre – A huge rock cavern and chasm in a quartzite canyon, with rock walls tens of metres high and sunlight creating dramatic light effects.
• São Gonçalo do Rio das Pedras – A quiet colonial village on the Royal Road, with stone-paved streets, a small chapel and nearby waterfalls that attract backpackers.
• Milho Verde – A small village with a white chapel and grassy slopes against the backdrop of Itambé Peak, a favorite of hippies and backpackers.
• Serro – One of the earliest colonial towns in Brazil to be listed as a national heritage site, known for its churches, hillside streets and Serro c…

Where to eat

• Apocalipse – A Minas Gerais restaurant beside the old town square with a pay-by-weight buffet, offering a wide selection at good val…
• Relicário Gastronomia – A contemporary Minas Gerais restaurant beside the old market, reinterpreting classics like preserved pork and corn-grit…
• O Garimpeiro – A long-established Minas Gerais restaurant inside Pousada do Garimpo, where a local chef has run the kitchen for over t…
• O Quinto – A pizza and wine bar named after the colonial-era gold tax 'quinto do ouro', decorated with works by local artists and…

Itineraries

• Diamantina & Caminho dos Diamantes – Travel through Serro and Milho Verde to Diamantina, blending historic trails with waterfalls.