Discover Belo Horizonte

Belo Horizonte offers a range of reasons to visit: architectural history around the Conjunto Moderno da Pampulha, green open spaces, places for sports and culture, and a diverse food culture. If you’re considering which vacation rental suits your stay, you can start by choosing the experiences you want to focus on. This way, you can get to know the city through a variety of themes, from a former casino to the regional specialties on offer at Mercado Central.

Architectural history in Pampulha

The Conjunto Moderno da Pampulha in Belo Horizonte was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2016. The Conjunto Arquitetônico da Pampulha includes the former casino, which is now the Museu de Arte da Pampulha. Oscar Niemeyer designed the building in the early 1940s as a public casino; it was later converted into an art museum. Several chapters in its history of use are therefore represented side by side: the original design as a casino and its later conversion into a museum. For visitors interested in architecture and culture, Pampulha offers a concrete reason to consider these changes together. The ensemble’s inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List is an additional point of reference for anyone wishing to combine their trip with a look at Belo Horizonte’s architectural heritage.

Green open spaces and activities

Parque Municipal Américo Renné Giannetti opened on September 26, 1897, and is considered Belo Horizonte’s oldest environmental heritage site. Its historic significance distinguishes it as a place to visit from the active offerings at Parque das Mangabeiras - Maurício Campos. There, visitors can enjoy natural areas, sports courts, skate facilities and playgrounds, as well as cultural activities. This gives families a clear choice: those looking for space to move and play will find facilities for this, while those who prefer cultural experiences can also include these activities in their travel plans. The different types of offerings can be considered a focus for a stay in Belo Horizonte in their own right, without equating them with Pampulha’s architectural history.

Nature and Mirante do Mangabeiras

Mirante do Mangabeiras encompasses an environmental conservation area of approximately 35,000 m², a telescope for observing the Earth, and two wooden decks measuring approximately 125 m² each. These approximate area figures indicate the size of the conservation area and the two decks; the features themselves offer a distinctive reason to include nature and Earth observation in your trip. If you’re interested in these topics, you can consider Mirante as a separate stop on your itinerary. Together with the parks mentioned above, it shows that nature experiences in Belo Horizonte take different forms: from natural areas and play or sports facilities to a conservation area with a telescope and wooden decks. This range can help you decide which interests to prioritize during your stay.

Food culture at Mercado Central

Mercado Central is one of the key places to discover Belo Horizonte’s food culture. It offers products, ingredients, kitchen utensils and dishes characteristic of different regions of Minas Gerais. The visitor guide divides the offerings into five themed routes: sweets, food, cheese, drinks, and ingredients and pots. It covers 31 shops in total.

When choosing a vacation rental in Belo Horizonte, you can start by asking which of these sides of the city you’d like your trip to focus on: architecture and the Museu de Arte da Pampulha, green spaces and activities, nature at Mirante do Mangabeiras, or regional food culture at Mercado Central. These interests can help you decide whether Belo Horizonte is the right destination; the specific experiences come from the different themes the city has to offer.

More destinations

More destinations: Araxá, Antunes, Cambuquira, Delfinópolis, Araponga, Felicidade, Boa Esperança, Monte Verde.

For the main travel overview: Minas Gerais.