Estrada Real - Conceição do Mato Dentro

I made it to Conceição do Mato Dentro, a small city with about 20,000 people. Modern buildings lined the main street that ran through the centre of the city. About halfway down the main road, I found a quirky path that zigzagged up the hill to another street. Curious about what was at the top, I hiked up and came across another path, much wider that led to Bom Jesus de Matozinhos Sanctuary.

The sanctuary was built in the 1930s replacing an earlier dilapidated version. Whilst the building seemed somewhat stark, its cream brick façade with burgundy grouting gave it a unique look that was a little unusual for a church design. Gorgeous stained-glass windows ran along the church's length. Located high up on a hill, the sanctuary offered great views of the city and mountains.

Meandering through the streets I visited the various churches and chapels with their white facades and blue trimmings. One of them had a bandstand at the front and a marketplace behind where I could indulge in fresh produce, a touch of sweets and local crafts.

After an amble around a wooden townhouse that served as a jailhouse and town hall, I headed into nature to visit the numerous waterfalls surrounding the outskirts of the city. The most famous one nearby is Minas Gerais’ tallest waterfall, Tabuleiro Waterfall. At the top are more waterfalls and lakes whilst at the bottom is a 59ft (18m) deep pool surrounded by large blocks of stone.

About 27mi (45km) southwest of Conceição do Mato Dentro is the Juquinha sculpture. It’s quite big, measuring 9ft (3m) in height. Made of cement by a plastic artist, the large sculpture pays tribute to a local hiker who was renowned for picking flowers and offering them to passing tourists, sometimes in exchange for objects of interest. He was a simple mountain man who easily befriended travellers, becoming an increasingly popular and beloved figure. After he passed away in 1983, the statue was erected in Serra do Cipó National Park and today is considered a symbol and protector of the Serra.

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