This guide is for you if you are in Belo Horizonte and want to see Aleijadinho's work without the long drive to Ouro Preto. It covers what to decide before you book: the time of year, how the day is split between Congonhas and Sabará, what to wear on the cobbles, and which festivals make the towns busier or more interesting.
When to go
The sanctuary at Congonhas can be visited all year. What changes is how full it is. The town's great religious festival, the Jubileu do Senhor Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, takes place in September and brings pilgrims to the town. The Romarias, a pavilion tied to the basilica, was built in the early twentieth century to shelter the poorer pilgrims who came for it. If you travel in September, expect the town to be busy and the sanctuary to be a place of worship first.
Holy Week, Corpus Christi and Christmas are the other times when Congonhas is at its most active. At Corpus Christi the streets near the sanctuary are laid with carpets. Come then if you want to see the churches in use, and allow for more people around the sanctuary.
Sabará has its own calendar. Its jabuticaba festival is held in November.
The churches in both towns keep short hours, and they change. We check them for your date when you book.
How the day is split
Congonhas lies about 80 kilometres south of Belo Horizonte, and Sabará about 25 kilometres to the east. The two are on opposite sides of the city, so the day goes south first and crosses back through Belo Horizonte at midday.
You are collected at 07:00 and reach the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos at about 08:30. You have the morning there, about two hours, before the drive across to Sabará. Lunch is in Sabará from about 12:30. In the early afternoon you see the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Ó and then the Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição. You leave at about 15:00 and are back at your hotel at around 16:00.
The car is yours all day, so you can change the balance. If the prophets hold you longer, stay, and take a shorter lunch. Tell your driver in the morning.
What you are looking at
Congonhas
The sanctuary was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. The church was completed in 1772 and stands on a raised platform, reached by a divided staircase. Twelve soapstone prophets by Aleijadinho line the parapets of that staircase. They were carved between 1800 and 1805.
Below the church, along the ramped approach, the chapels of the Passion hold 66 figures carved in wood and painted. Leave time to walk down through them as well as up to the prophets.
If you have a few minutes to spare, the Beco dos Canudos near the sanctuary has shops selling handicrafts in soapstone, wood and ceramics. The town also has a museum on the history of the sanctuary and Aleijadinho's work.
Sabará
Sabará grew up in the late seventeenth century, and its historic centre has been protected as national heritage since 1938. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Ó is small, with a single tower, and its paintings and panels show a Chinese influence. The Matriz de Nossa Senhora da Conceição is the town's main church. Restoration has brought back the gilded woodwork inside.
The town has more than these two. Aleijadinho worked on the choir, the pulpit and the soapstone of the façade at the Igreja do Carmo, and the Museu do Ouro occupies the old house where colonial gold was melted and taxed. If either matters to you, tell your driver and the afternoon can be rearranged.
On your own, or with a driver
Both towns can be reached by public transport from Belo Horizonte. Regular buses run to Congonhas, which is reached by road on the BR-040, and a city bus from the centre of Belo Horizonte goes to Sabará. Each makes a good day on its own.
Doing both in one day without a car is harder, because they are on opposite sides of the city and the churches keep short hours. A private driver links them, waits while you look, and gets you to the churches inside their hours. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to wear and bring
- Comfortable shoes with a good grip. The streets in both towns are cobbled, and the church at Congonhas is reached up a ramp and a staircase.
- Modest clothes, as a courtesy in churches that are still in use.
- Money or a card for the church entrances, lunch and any handicrafts. Entrances and lunch are not included.
- Sun cream and a hat. Much of the morning at Congonhas is spent outdoors among the statues.
- Water, for the walk between the chapels and the church.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits anyone drawn to baroque art and sculpture, and anyone who has already seen Ouro Preto and wants more of Aleijadinho. It also suits travellers who want the colonial towns on a shorter day: you are back in the afternoon, rather than in the evening.
Think twice in these cases:
- You want Ouro Preto. It does not fit on the same day. Our Ouro Preto and Mariana day covers it.
- Walking on slopes and cobbles is hard for someone in your group. Tell us when you book. The order of the day can be changed.
- More than 16 of you. Two vehicles travel together on one booking. Message us with your numbers.
To compare this with our other days out of the city, see our guide to day trips from Belo Horizonte.
Questions people ask
Who was Aleijadinho?
Antônio Francisco Lisboa, the sculptor and architect of colonial Minas Gerais. Your driver will tell you his story on the road south.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you are refunded in full. The details are on our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Choose your date with September and the festivals in mind, pack shoes for the cobbles, and tell us if the Igreja do Carmo or the Museu do Ouro should be part of the afternoon. Then book the Congonhas and Sabará private day trip from Belo Horizonte and choose the size of your group.
