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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Mariana
Give Mariana one full day plus one night, paired with Ouro Preto 35 min away; skip it as a standalone base unless you want a quieter, cheaper colonial town.
Mariana is Brazil's first planned mining town, founded in 1696 and briefly the capital of Minas Gerais. Its colonial core is compact and walkable, with a cathedral, a sacred-art museum and a music museum that together fill a day. Most travellers see it as a half-day or one-night add-on to Ouro Preto, 35 minutes by local bus, rather than a destination in its own right.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Apr–Sep (dry, cooler)
- Avoid
- Dec–Mar (heavy rain); Carnival and Semana Santa crowds
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$150–250 excl. bed · Mid R$250–450 excl. bed · High R$450+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | R$5–10 |
| Per-kilo mineiro lunch | R$12–20 |
| Beer, bar | R$8–15 |
| Local bus Mariana–Ouro Preto | R$5–10 (check) |
| Museum entry | R$5–15 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$40–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CNF · Belo Horizonte–Confins (Tancredo Neves International)
- Nearest airport; about 2 h by road to Mariana via Belo Horizonte. Check current bus and transfer options.
Typical fares
- Local bus Mariana → Ouro Preto
- about R$5–10, about 35 min (check)
- Taxi in town
- R$15–30 (check)
- Bus Belo Horizonte → Mariana
- about R$40–60, about 2 h (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The historic centre is small enough to walk end to end in 20–30 minutes. Local buses run between Mariana and Ouro Preto roughly every 30 minutes, about 35 minutes. Long-distance buses arrive at a station on the outskirts, so plan a taxi or local bus into the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Catedral da Sé and its 1701 German organ
- Museu Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacra
- Museu da Música in the old Bishop's Palace
- Colonial gold-rush streets
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ouro Preto | Local bus from the centre, about every 30 min | About 35 min |
| Congonhas | Bus via Ouro Preto or Belo Horizonte | 1.5–2 h |
| Caraça Natural Reserve | Road via Santa Bárbara; car or organised tour | About 1.5–2 h |
| Belo Horizonte | Long-distance bus | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Centro (around Praça Tancredo Neves and Praça Gomes Freire)
- Most pousadas and hotels sit within a short walk of these squares; best for a one-night stop with bags.
- Passagem de Mariana
- Lower district toward the old gold mines; quieter, a few km from the centre.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Com licença / Desculpekong lee-SEN-sah / des-KUL-pee |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kong kar-TOW |
| Where is the toilet? | Onde fica o banheiro?ON-jee FEE-kah oo bah-NYAY-roo |
| I don't understand | Não entendonowng en-TEN-doo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Church and museum hours are limited and change; confirm before you travel.
- Some churches charge a small entry fee (around R$1–2) and close at midday.
- Rainy season (Dec–Mar) brings heavy downpours and slippery cobblestones.
- The long-distance bus station is outside the centre; arrange your onward transfer in advance.
Mariana is a small, low-crime colonial town; the real risks are uneven cobblestones, steep streets after rain and pickpocketing at busy festival times. Standard big-city precautions apply at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Mariana yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Catedral da Sé and its 1701 German organ
- Museu Arquidiocesano de Arte Sacra
- Museu da Música in the old Bishop's Palace
- Colonial gold-rush streets
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Mariana, revision 5288350 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5288350
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Mariana
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
Most embassies and consulates are in Brasília, Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo; check your country's representation before travelling.
Small town; carry some cash for churches, small eateries and the local bus.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/mariana). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.