The mine cart
A ride down the rails.
Rodrigo.Argenton — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Thiago Melo from Brasília, Brasil — CC BY 2.0 · Paulo JC Nogueira — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Túllio F — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Thiago Melo from Brasília, Brasil — CC BY 2.0
The Passagem mine is one of the largest old gold mines open to visitors in the world, in the village of Passagem between Ouro Preto and the town of Mariana, its tunnels running some 30 kilometres. Its seams were found in 1729, and gold was first dug by enslaved labour with simple tools; British companies took over from the second half of the 19th century and brought in machinery, and in all some 35 tonnes of gold were extracted before work stopped in 1954. The visit begins with a ride down in an old mine cart on an inclined track, about 315 metres to a depth of some 120 metres, and then a guided walk through tunnels and chambers cut into the rock. Its best-known sight is an underground lake of startlingly clear water, formed when the pumps stopped, which draws expert cave divers from across Brazil. The tour takes about 40 minutes, and it is cool and damp inside. Payment at the ticket office is generally cash only, so bring the money with you.
A ride down the rails.
Crystal-clear water.
From the gold age.
Passagem de Mariana, between Ouro Preto and Mariana
Generally in cash at the ticket office; the ticket is R$290, half price for students, children and seniors, so bring the money.