Barranco Alto

Lake, activities and traditions

Barranco Alto is completely surrounded by Lago de Furnas. The lake shapes the setting of the town; the tourist activities mentioned include boat trips, sport fishing and water tourism. These interests offer different ways to enjoy the area: you may be interested in a specific boat trip, sport fishing or water tourism in general. Religious festivals and the history of the Paróquia São João Batista also give the town a cultural dimension. If you are looking for a holiday rental in Barranco Alto, you can match these highlights to the interests of your travel group: should the lake be the focus, or would you particularly like to explore the festive traditions and local history?

The Barqueata on Lago de Furnas

The 18th Barqueata de São João Batista e São Pedro was held in Barranco Alto as a religious and cultural festival. The traditional Barqueata in honour of São João Batista and São Pedro includes a boat procession on Lago de Furnas and festivities on land. Water and land are therefore both explicit parts of this festival. Those interested in learning about religious traditions can experience an event that is also connected to the lake.

Festivals throughout the year

The traditional festivals can also be distinguished by the months in which they take place: the Festa de Santos Reis is held in January, the Festa de São João Batista in June and the Festa de Nossa Senhora Aparecida in October. The month-by-month details offer a practical guide if you would like to plan your trip around one of these festivals. The three names represent different religious occasions throughout the year. Together with the Barqueata, they provide a picture of local festive traditions that includes both the veneration of São João Batista and the Festa de Santos Reis.

The Paróquia São João Batista

The Paróquia São João Batista in Barranco Alto was founded on 7 September 1878. It includes a chapel dedicated to Santos Reis. The town’s history thus features both São João Batista and Santos Reis; both names also appear in its festive traditions. São João Batista is part of the Festa de São João Batista in June and gives its name to the Barqueata de São João Batista e São Pedro. Santos Reis, in turn, features in the name of the traditional January festival and the chapel. Anyone interested in local religious history will find several named points of connection here, rather than just one reference to a church.

The town’s name and its connection across the lake

The name “Barranco Alto” derives from the high banks of the Rio Sapucaí that once stood by the parish’s harbour. The name’s origin thus connects it to an earlier landscape and the harbour of that time. A ferry service across Lago de Furnas is also part of the town’s history: it connected Porto da Harmonia in Alfenas with Porto de Barranco Alto. Barranco Alto can be reached by the Balsa da Harmonia. The lake, its harbour connections and religious traditions offer different considerations when choosing where to stay; you can decide which of these will shape your stay according to your own travel interests.

More places at a glance

Diamantina, Conselheiro Lafaiete, São Thomé Das Letras, Confins, Araçuaí, Iguatama, Lavras Novas and Bom Sucesso.

For the broader travel overview: Minas Gerais.