Milho Verde

About this place

Milho Verde is a small village of about 1,600 people in the municipality of Serro, in the Alto Jequitinhonha region of Minas Gerais, near the source of the Jequitinhonha River and a short way from Diamantina. It grew up in the early eighteenth century around mines for precious minerals and once held a checkpoint controlling entry to and exit from the «Diamond District». Stories about its name, «green maize», vary: one says it came from a Portuguese prospector, another that explorers reached a village where green maize was the only food on offer. Chica da Silva, a famous figure in the history of the Diamond District, was born in the area. With its traditional feel, simple houses and narrow streets covered in green grass for much of the year, set among rocky mountains and waterfalls, the village has become one of the best-loved postcard views of Minas Gerais, with wide vistas over valleys, ranges and the Pico do Itambé. It draws lovers of peace and nature and gets much busier on holidays.