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This week, Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism released a survey highlighting 11 historic cities featured on the Brazilian Tourism Map. The document guides public policies and steers the Discover Brazil by Air program, which focuses on expanding the national flight network. The initiative aims to strengthen the local creative economy by encouraging international and domestic travelers to explore the country’s rich museums and stunning architectural heritage sites.
The state of Minas Gerais is home to UNESCO-recognized destinations, such as Ouro Preto and its breathtaking Baroque architecture. Diamantina preserves the Diamond Museum and historic mansions built during the eighteenth century in the Jequitinhonha Valley. In São João del-Rei, tourists can step back in time aboard a traditional steam train that travels the scenic railway to the charming neighboring town of Tiradentes.
This federal itinerary aligns with travel agency catalogs that feature up to 30 colonial destinations across the country. In the state of Rio de Janeiro, the coastal city of Paraty—established in the seventeenth century—hosts the famous International Literary Festival and preserves unique Caiçara cultural traditions. In the countryside of São Paulo, the municipality of Bananal showcases the Solar dos Neves, an estate that beautifully represents the opulence of Brazil’s coffee boom era.
In the Northeast region, the historic center of São Luís, Maranhão, holds a vast and colorful collection of traditional Portuguese tiles. Just a short distance from the state capital, the town of Alcântara harbors fascinating ruins from the imperial period and organizes the vibrant Festa do Divino. Meanwhile, in the North of the country, Manaus welcomes travelers drawn to the neoclassical facades of its downtown area and the majestic structure of the Amazonas Theatre, proving that deep cultural roots can be found even in the heart of the Amazon.