Stone streets
Whitewashed houses.
wanderley santos vie… — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Sabrina Camargos Dornelas da Silva — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Josue Marinho — CC BY 3.0 · Túllio F — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Túllio F — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Túllio F — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sabrina Camargos Dornelas da Silva — CC BY-SA 4.0
Catas Altas is a small gold-rush town at the eastern foot of the Serra do Caraça, about 120 kilometres from Belo Horizonte. Rich gold deposits were found here in 1702, the settlement was founded in 1703 according to the best-known account, and the first baptism in its old main church was recorded in 1712. The village became a parish in 1718, when it was known as Catas Altas do Mato Dentro. When the gold ran out many residents left, and the old houses remained as witnesses to the mining era, while the town's economy now rests on iron mining and tourism. The historic centre has whitewashed houses with coloured window frames and quiet stone streets looking up at the towering mountain wall behind, and it is a natural stop on the way to the Caraça reserve. It is free to walk around and an hour or two is enough.
Whitewashed houses.
Mountain backdrop.
Since 1702.
Town centre at the foot of the Serra do Caraça, Minas Gerais
Yes, it is the nearest town to the Caraça reserve entrance.