Where is it? The municipality of Ouro Preto is in the interior of the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeast region of Brazil, and has about 74 thousand inhabitants (2020 census), distributed among its 12 rural districts and central downtown.
How to get there? To get to Ouro Preto from Belo Horizonte, there are several options. If you’re departing from Confins Airport, the best option is to take a bus that drops you off inside the Belo Horizonte bus station. The company offering this service is “Conexão Aeroporto,” which provides hourly buses. Once you arrive at the Belo Horizonte bus station, head to the “Pássaro Verde” counter, the only company that operates buses to Ouro Preto, and purchase your ticket.
Climate: High-altitude tropical climate, characteristic of mountainous regions with rain during December and March. Cold winters and temperate summers.
Temperature (average): Minimum 6°C (43°F) in July. The temperature can reach as low as 2°C (36°F). Maximum: 30°C (82°F) in January.
Ouro Preto’s History: Ouro Preto comes from dark gold (or black gold, in a literal translation), covered with a layer of iron oxide, found in the city. The city 's first name was Vila Rica. Afterwards, it was Vila Rica de Albuquerque, because of Captain General Antônio de Albuquerque Coelho Carvalho, then governor of the captaincies of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. It was D. João V who had the Albuquerque removed from the name, and adopted the Vila Rica de Nossa Senhora do Pilar, to honor the city's patron saint.
