Chapada dos Guimarães

Chapada dos Guimarães Review

After navigating the steep and winding MT 251 through breathtaking canyons to reach the top of the mesa, you discover the pretty town of Chapada dos Guimarães, which still retains some of its colonial charm. If you're going to Chapada dos Guimarães around the second fortnight of June, don't miss the Winter Festival, with art and music workshops and various concerts with local artists.

Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Santana do Sacramento. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora de Santana do Sacramento is a handsome colonial church (circa 1779) with some exceptional gold-plated interior flourishes. It's open daily 7-9. Praça D. Wunibaldo, Centro, 78195-000. No phone.

Mirante do Centro Geodésico. In 1972 satellite images proved that the continent's true center was not in Cuiabá, where a monument had been built, but at Mirante do Centro Geodésico on the mesa's edge. If the geodesic center doesn't hold spiritual meaning for you, come for the fantastic view—on a clear day you can see as far as the Pantanal. 8 km/5 mi southwest of town.