Sabará

Sabará is a mere 25 kilometers from Belo Horizonte and is home to many historical structures, including eight baroque churches, two of which are among the most celebrated in the region. The churches were built during various stages of the region’s mining activity. Shortly after the initial explorations for gold and minerals in the late 1600s, three key settlements grew to become the first official villages of the gold trade in 1711. These three villages were Mariana, Ouro Preto, and Sabará. Toward the latter phase of the mining era, Sabará had become the most productive and most populated of the three (this wave moving away from Ouro Preto, which dominated the early phases). By the end of the 1700s and in the early 1800s, Sabará housed almost 20 percent of Brazil’s 2.85 million inhabitants and its activity greatly increased the urbanization of the region, including networks of roads to other states and through the new state capital, Belo Horizonte. Today, Sabará is a miniature version of Ouro Preto, sitting on the banks of the brown waters of the polluted and diminishing Rio das Valhas, once a majestic waterway of the gold trade.

Besides its historic architecture (more than just the churches), Sabará offers a taste of the culture of Minas Gerais, with its various festivals, arts and crafts, and, of course, regional foods. Your trip to Sabará will show you a poorer side of Minas Gerais through the bus windows.

Among the most impressive baroque structures to visit in Sabará is the Igreja Nossa Senhora do Ó (9 a.m.–5 p.m. Mon.–Sat., closed for lunch), built in the growth phase of the region’s mining activities, in 1717. Crested with gold leaf, adorned with rich and colorful paintings, and strong in European and oriental influences, the church of Ó is a small jewel among Minas’s historical churches and has a place among Brazil’s most important historical structures. The Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Largo Nossa Sra. do Ó, no phone, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Tues.–Sat. and 1–6 p.m. Sun.), in contrast, is from the final stages of the mining era, built in 1773 and containing important sculpture works of Aleijadinho. If you have the time and stamina to see more baroque buildings, you’ll find many other attractions noted in the city’s brochure available weekdays at the Secretary of Tourism (Rua Dom Pedro-II 223 near Praça Santa Rita, tel. 31/3672-7690, www.sabara.mg.gov.br). The city is planning to put up a tourist information booth one of these days. When it does, information will be available on weekends, too. But everything in town is easy to find if you ask around.

After touring the churches, you might take a little walk around the town, viewing the shops, restaurants, and activities offered. Some places of note include the Restaurante 314 Sabarabuçu (Rua Dom Pedro II 279, tel. 31/3671-2313, 11 a.m.–midnight Wed.–Mon., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on Tue.), offering Comida Mineira with barbecue, pizza, and a full bar. The self-service price is R$12.90 or R$18.50 on weekends. Also, Cê Qui Sabe (Rua Mestre Caetano 56, tel. 31/3671-2906, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Tue.–Sun., 11 a.m.–4 p.m. on Mon.) is another self-service offering just off the Praça Santa Rita. The price is R$12.90 per kilo. Finally, if you have some extra time, try Jotapê (Rua José Vaz Pedrosa 367, in the Pompéu district, tel. 31/3671-2445, 8 p.m. until sunrise on Fri., 11 a.m.–8 p.m. on Sat. and Sun.) on the outskirts of town (you’ll need to take a taxi). They offer Comida Mineira, self-service (of course), and homemade cachaça, along with live music on weekends.

If you miss the last bus or otherwise decide to stay the night in town, you can stay at the Pousada Solar dos Sepúlveda (Rua da Intendência 371, tel. 31/3671-2708, R$85 double), which is in the center of town.

Sabará has several festivals during the year. The most notable include the Festival of Ora Pro Nobis, a super-high-protein leafy food from which many dishes are made. The city celebrates this traditional food in May. The Festival of Jabuticaba, in November, is something to catch if possible. This unique and tasty fruit becomes the basis of liqueurs, cakes, pies, jellies, jams, ice cream, and much more. Every year on July 17 is the city’s birthday festival, which includes live music in the praça and lots of activity in town. Finally, the Festival de Artesanato in August is replete with handcrafts, paintings, and other artworks. The city gets crowded and exciting. For exact dates and other details, see the city’s tourism site at www.sabara.mg.gov.br.

To get to Sabará from Belo Horizonte, take the Viação Cisne from the rodoviaria for around R$5. The municipal bus 1059 is R$2 and leaves from Avenida do Contorno at the corner of Rua Caetes every 15 minutes, starting at 5:45 a.m. You can also get to Sabará from Caeté for R$2.10 and enter town near the Church of Ó; just tell the driver you want to get off at the church. Otherwise, ask for the stop near the center of town. See details in the Caeté section. The last 1059 leaves Sabará at 10:30 p.m.