Central Lake
It was around the shores of the Central Lake that the first part of the population was set, motivated by the healing power of its waters advertised by Dr. Cialli in 1749. It's the main feature of Lagoa Santa, the Lake was appointed as Landscape and Cultural Heritage , in 2001, by the decree #234. Because of its beauty and historical importance, it is culturally recognized and captivates the citizens and tourists that visit the city. Actually, the Central Lake's shore iis a space dedicated for the recreation and entertainment of citizens and visitors, providing excelent space for cycling, walking and to practice sports around the 6.300 meters of its shore. There are some important points of interest around it, just like Iate Clube, which is another tourist site of the town, and a diversified cuisine within the many different bars and restaurants along its extension. The greatest attraction spot around the urban area of Lagoa Santa even offers a stunning sight of dawn.
Address: Getúlio Vargas Avenue, no number - Centro
GRUTA DA LAPINHA
Discovered in 1835 by Peter Lund, the grotto of Lapinha is located at Sumidouro State Park and is inserted in a protection area of APA-Carste of Lagoa Santa. Recently, the grotto was reformed to provide a better customer service and the appreciation and preservation of the heritage that was appointed in municipal and federal levels.
Adress:Rosário Street, no number - Lapinha District
Working days: From Tusday to Sunday
Working hours: From 9 a.m until 4 p.m
Contribution fee: R$ 15,00 (total-fare)
For more information, please call: (31) 3689-8592
Warning: Covered footwear is required.
DR. LUND'S GRAVEYARD
A monument dedicated to the father of paleontology in Brazil, Peter W Lund, the grave of Dr. Lund was built in a place chosen by himself to shelter his remains and from his helpers Peter Andreas Brandt, Wilhelm Behrens and Johann Rudolph Muller. Lund recorded his wish of being buried under the shade of a pequi fruit tree, a peaceful place where he used to read. The place still has that same pequi fruit tree, and in 1935, by initiative of the Academia Mineira de Letras, a monument to Peter Lund and Eugene Warming (a botanic that resided in Lagoa Santa studying the Cerrado area because of a paleontologial invitation) was built. Other highlights of the place are the statue of Lund, sculpted by the artist Antonio de Matos, and the sculture of the artist Jesper Neergaard, called "O Mensageiro" (The Mesenger).
Adress: Caiçara Street, no number - Brant.
Working days: From Monday to Friday
Working hours: From 8 a.m to 2 p.m
Free visits
For more information, please call: (31)3688-1390
SUMIDOURO STATE PARK
The Sumidouro State Park was created in January 03, 1980, throught the State Decree nº 20.375, it was altered by the Decrees nº 20.598 of June 4,1980, nº 44.935 of November 3, 2008 and defined by Law 19.998 of December 29, 2011. It has a total area of 2.004 hectares and it's situated in the cities of Lagoa Santa and Pedro Leopoldo at the northern region of Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte. It is defined as a Integral Protection Unit and it has the main objective of promoting cultural and environmental preservation, allowing activities of research, conservation, environmental education and tourism.
The unit received this name because of its lake, that has a drain point of water of the basin that is common in limestone terrains. It is a natural opening for a gallery network, throught which a course of water enters the underground called Sumidouro, a term that is related to the indigenous word "Anhanhonhacanhuva" that means: stagnant water that disappears in the ground's hole.
Natural Heritage
The park has its shape marked by the presence of carbonate rocks, watersprings, sinkholes and caves with lots of speleothems and a cave fauna that has many colonies of bats.It has a tropical and moist weather, sunny and stable, with rainy summers and dry winters. Its flora is really diversificated, including some species of cerrado, rainforest, rupestrian vegetation, both bushy and herbaceous, and typical plants from caatinga. Some species of flora are well adapted to the seasonality, that has seasons of floods and ebb-tides.
A History to tell
The park is associated to pioneer researches, made on the first half of the XIX Century by the danish naturalist Peter Wilheim Lund, that discovered the Man of Lagoa Santa, the first inhabitants of Brazil, and the extinct megafauna. A place of great historical importance, because of its findings found by the researcher, evidences of the coexistence of the man with the extinct fauna, a fact that helped for the evolucionist toughts throught citations of Charles Darwin in the book "On the Origin of Specied by Means of Natural Selection" about evolution from a common ancestor throught natural selection to develop.
Infrastructure
The park has two entrance buildings, a parking lot, a researcher housing facility, a research center, a café/snack house and an Ecoshop.
Between the attractions of Sumidouro State Park, the highlights are:
• Gruta da Lapinha
Elected as one of the 7 wonders of Estrada Real, Gruta da Lapinha is located inside Sumidouro State Park in an APA-Carste Environmental Protection Area of Lagoa Santa, in a massive limestone formed around 600 million years ago by the remains of sea bottom that covered all the region of the Rio das Velhas basin. The bauty of its great halls made from the dissolution of the carbonate rock is adorned by beautiful speleothems of various forms. With an extension of 622 meters and a depth of 40 meters, the grotto has enlightenment from LED technology, that helps decreasing the internal temperature so that it doesn't cause a huge interference in the local microclimate, and it also increases the beauty of its interior.
Peter Lund Museum
The Peter Lund Museum was opened in September 21, 2012 and it has:
- An exhibition area with more than 80 fossils that came from the Natural Museum of Copenhagen;
- A space dedicated to educate about the cultural and historical importance of the karst of Lagoa Santa;
- A multipurpose room
Two halls with explanations about the Plans of Management of the Park and Speleology;
- Café/Snack room and Ecoshop.
Lapinha Tour
The Lapinha tour is a interpretative track that adds to the experience of visiting the cave. The guest exits Gruta da Lapinha, goes around the borders of the limestone massif, going through regions where you can admire the properties of the karst relief of the area, the common flora of the cerrado biome, and has the opportunity of going through the massif in Gruta da Macumba, a cave with no lights, but that shows many elements related to the geological formation process of the region and the great climatic variations of the planet.
Lenght of the course: from 40 to 60 minutes.
Difficulty level: medium-easy having to go down stairs and going up small hills.
Climbing
Realized in Lapinha's massifs, the attraction offers three climbing options that have from 550 to 750 meters of distance from the Tourism Reception. In order to practice the sport it's necessary that the guest already know how to climb, to be experienced and to have his own gear.
Warning: The climbings take place from Tuesday to Sunday. The enter time is from 9 a.m until 1 p.m and the time limit for the climbers to leave the area is at 4 p.m.
• Casa Fernão Dias
Open to visit, the Casa Fernão Dias is a Cultural Heritage assigned by IEPHA - State Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage. The space also has an outbuilding, where the management support areas work and the visit to Sumidouro's Track. While visiting it, the guest will learn about the history of the bandeirante Fernão Dias, that for some years settled in the region with his troop searching for gold and gems.
Location: Praça Fernão Dias, 10 Distrito de Quinta do Sumidouro - Pedro Leopoldo.
Trilha do Sumidouro (Sumidouro's track)
Trilha do Sumidouro starts at Casa Fernão Dias, and goes through the historical spot "Cruz do Pai Mané". The guests are led to the observation deck of Lagoa do Sumidouro, where it's possible to see all of the region. Afterwardsm the guests are taken to the paredão (a huge wall) of Lapa do Sumidouro, with cave paintings dated of millions of years ago. The return is made through the shores of Lagoa do Sumidouro returning to Casa Fernão Dias.
Lenght ot the course: 1 hour and half.
Difficulty level: medium.
Trilha Travessia (Crossing Track)
Trilha da Travessia has its starting point in Gruta da Lapinha. During the route, the guest will have an overview of the area and of many spots that will be presented during the lenght of the course, just like Cruzeiro Histórico, Vinhático and Mirante do Sumidouro. In the large walls of Lapa do Sumidouro, cave paintings show a bit of the history of the men that lived there millions of years ago in the region. The track even takes the guest to Lagoa do Sumidouro.
Lenght ot the course: 3 hours and half.
Difficulty level: medium, with a long track in an Cerrado area with flatlands. These tracks have cliffs.
Prices:
Gruta (grotto/cave): R$ 15,00 (also being allowed to visit Peter Lund's Museum)
Peter Lund's Museum: R$: 10,00
Circuito Lapinha (Lapinha tour): R$: 10,00
Trilha Sumidouro (Sumidouro's Track): R$: 10,00
Escalada/Climbing: R$: 10,00
Trilha da Travessia: R$: 20,00
Tour through the Museum, Gruta da Lapinha and 1 track: R$: 20,00
Visiting
- Group visitations must be previously scheduled;
- It's mandatory to be accompanied by a guide to visit the cave and the Park's tracks.
- Any kind of footwear that doesn't cover your entire feet should be avoided.
- It's banned the acess to the cave: without a helmet, without being escorted by a registered guide and bringing food, water is an exception.
- To visit the cave, groups of a maximum number of 20 are allowed with a waiting time of 20 to 30 minutes between them, the last departure is at 4 p.m. The last leave for the tracks it at 3 p.m. Guests are able to stay in the area until 5 p.m.
- For security reasons we do not advise parents to bring children under the age of 5 to the cave.
- Half-price is offered for people between 6 and 12 years old, over 60 yo and if the guest shows his ID and a Student ID card.
Working hours
The park is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9 a.m to 4 p.m with staying until 5 p.m.
Locations of the Management Offices
Administration/Museum/Gruta da Lapinha: Road Campinho Lapinha, km 6 – Lagoa Santa/MG
Phone number: (31) 3689-8592/3661-8671
Casa Fernão Dias: Fernão Dias Street, 10, Quinta do Sumidouro – Pedro Leopoldo/MG
ZIP Code: 33.600-000.
Phone number: (31) 3661-8122
Email: Este endereço de email está sendo protegido de spambots. Você precisa do JavaScript ativado para vê-lo.
Blog: pesumidouro.blogspot.com.br.
How to get there
When going out of Belo Horizonte, follow by MG 10 to the direction of Lagoa Santa, in the way to Serra do Cipó, turn left to Gruta da Lapinha around 7 km after you enter Lagoa Santa and 5 more kilometers until Gruta da Lapinha's front gate or 10 more km until Sumidouro's front gate - Casa Fernão Dias.
Distance from Belo Horizonte: 50 km.
Museu Arqueológico Lapinha - Lapinha's Archaeological Museum (Castelinho)
Lapinha's Archaeological Museum is famous for its architeture in the shape of an European Castle and was found in 1972 by the hungarian Archaeologist Mihály Bányai. With a permanent exposition, the Museum has a collection of 6.000 pieces, being 4.000 of these from the regional Collection. The Archaeological Museum has as its main theme the Pre-historical Archaeology; human fossils, complete skeletons of the Man of Lagoa Santa (the people of Luzia), 400 pre-historical tools, pre-historical indigenous ceramics; Sapucaí and Tupi-guarani coffins. Regional complementary collections: Paleontology and mineralogy. This museum is private and it's integrated to the Pedro Leopoldo's territory museum. It's actually in Land Regularization Program;
Location: Gruta da Lapinha, Lagoa Santa/MG
Working hours: From Tuesday to Friday from 9:30 a.m until 5 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays: 9:30 a.m to 5:30 p.m.
Visitation fee: R$ 3,00
For more information, call: (31) 9158-7211 / 9588-2721.
Warning: The guest has the option of visiting just Lapinha's Archaeology Museum. Just notify this in the gate that leads to the ticket points of sale.
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LAPINHA
Lapinha's district is distinguished by both its natural beauty, just like the caves and walls, and its cultural and artistic diversity, main reference for the popular parties of the region. Gruta da Lapinha, which was discovered by Peter Lund in the XIX Century is the main gate of Parque Estadual do Sumidouro, and it also integrates the Rota das Grutas de Lund (Lund's cave tour/track). The culture, by itself, proves that it's alive through the cultural manifestations just like the Congado, the Candombe, Folia de Reis, the religious Parties (Nossa Senhora do Rosário e Divino) and the candies and artesanal food.
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CAALE
The Archaeology Center Annette Laming Emperaire was created in 1983 by the local City Hall, its main objective was to publish the pre-history of the archaeological region of Lagoa Santa, through permanent and traveling expositions. The name of the french researcher Annette Laming Emperaire was chosen because of the importance of her work in the region of Lagoa Santa, which was mainly recognized for finding the human fossil considered the oldest in America known as "Luzia". The reconstitution of the skull of "Luzia", done more than twenty years afer its finding, got worldwide fame for the revolution it made in the theories of the ocupation of the american continent. The museum also has an assorted collection, composed mainly of material donated by the Museu de História Natural of UFMG, besides other donations. It has fossils, cave painting panels, ethnographic photographies, lithic artifacts and others, offering institutional support and technical reserve to projects of archaeological research.
The expositions are changed periodically, and they reach different kinds of audience. Furthermore, the museum also offers lectures for students that visit the center and develops projects towards the patrimonial education. In the place, events are also realized just like the Homenagem ao Dr. Lund (Tribute to Dr. Lund) and Semana do Museu (Museum's week) that both happen in may, the Primavera de Museus (Spring of Museums) in September, and the birthday of CAALE in october.
Location: Acadêmico Nilo Figueiredo street, 62 – Centro.
Working days: from Monday to Friday
Working hours: from 12 a.m to 6 p.m
Free visit
For more information, call: (31) 3681-8755
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Museu Arqueológico da Lapinha (Lapinha's Archaeological Museum)
One of the best options for a tourist trip full of history, the Museum was founded in 1972 and organized by the autodidact archaeologist Mihály Bányai. The space offers to the guests important knowledge about the paleontology and archaeology. The pioneer of the musem, that lived in the region of Lagoa Santa since 1963, worried with the devastation of sites and archaeological findings, started the coletion of artifacts, that later gave birth to the museum. Walking through its halls, the guest is invited to dive in a real trip through time, with samples of animals threatened with extinction and human fossils of more than 10 thousand years, just like the well-known Man of Lagoa Santa. The guests of the musem have access to archaeological relics and diverse remains of ancient populations that lived in the city of Lagoa Santa. There are more than 2600 pieces, like animal bones, fossils, skulls and other human bones, besides a series of objects of the pre-historical men.
Location: Parque Estadual do Sumidouro
Working days: From Tuesday to Sunday
Working hours: From 9 a.m to 5 p.m
Entry fee: R$ 3,00
For more information, call: (31) 9588-2721 / 9158-7211
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EXPLORATÓRIO (INTERACTIVE MUSEUM) LEONARDO DA VINCI
Inspired by the most famous science interactive museums in the world and with more than 14 years of operations, the Interactive Museum represents a new way of getting knowledge: it's not just an exhibition of pieces or a collection of old objects. The collection has around 200 experiments related to optics, mechanics, eletricity, magnetism, astronomy, rotation and fluid mechanics, acoustic, waves, robotic and modern physics. The differential of the Interactive Museum is the concept of a class-museum, not just the fun element. Unique in the region of Lagoa Santa, the Interactive Museum became a reference in the learning of the sciences, and it's already part of the curriculum of the most respectable education institution.
The students get the opportunity to observe, touch, to infer, well, to interact with the many different equipments, stimulating the curiosity and the passion for science and demonstrating its importance and applicability in our daily routine.
Location: Cascalho Street, 600 - Lapinha (Near Nilsa Vieira School)
Working days: From Monday to Saturday, if previously scheduled at least a week before the visit.
Visits for groups of at least 25 and maximum of 60 people.
Age: For people older than 6 years
Entry: R$20,00 per person
Phone number for Information and scheduling: (31) 9970-1591
The museum has a traveling proposal of presenting its collection in other cities.
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Praça Dr. Lund (Dr. Lund's Square)
One of the main references in town, many importante places are located in its surroundings, just like Municipal School Dr. Lund (built in the place where he used to live) and the Main Church of Nossa Senhora da Saúde, built in 1819. The importance of the work realized by Lund made important guests to go through it in the XIX Century, as the Emperor D. Pedro II, and important scientists like Richard Burton, Saint Hillaire and Eugene Warming.
Location: Praça Dr. Lund - Centro
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MORRO DO CRUZEIRO
One of the tallest points of the city, it's composed by a leisure space with a playground, an open-air health club and an amphitheatre, besides a belvedere with a nice view, from where you can see the central lake, the mountains around the region and a part of Belo Horizonte.The cross that exists in the square is the reason of the region's name, which is one of the oldest of the city. It's also in this square that Nossa Senhora da Conceição's chapel is located, it was built at the end of the XIX century and was appointed as an heritage by the city since 2001.
Location: Praça (Square) Dona Efigênia de Freitas – Morro do Cruzeiro.
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IATE CLUBE (YACHT CLUB)
Also known as "Iate Clube", the Joá Nautical Club was built in the 50's, when it was frequented by the high society of Belo Horizonte. The original architeture is distinguished by the sinuosity of its structure, the Italian mosaic tiles cladding and indoor carrara marble flooring. In the 70's of the XX century, it was also a restaurant, in which many "dancing hours" were realized, attracting a diversified public. In 2011, the construction was reformed, getting a painting in the external area, landscaping of the surroundigs and a nocturnal lighting project. In this same year, it was the hosting place, in the external area, of the Third Festival of Regional Culture - Memories and Identities, the Birthday of the City and the New Year's Eve.
Location: Getulio Vargas Avenue near Carlos Orleans Guimarães Avenue, no number - Várzea
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NOSSA SENHORA DA SAÚDE MAIN CHURCH
The Main Church of Lagoa Santa was built in the year of 1819, and is considered the central point of the city. The Main Church is a milestone in Lagoa Santa's history, as it represents the worries of the pioneering of Minas Gerais in publishing the Catholic religion in the regions of the mines of Minas Gerais. With its very modern structure of reinforced concrete, one of the most beatiful sacred works of the country, the Sanctuary of the Patroness annually receives thousands of followers that come in search of miracles and to heal their physical and spiritual illnesses Furthermore, the Church is a symbol of the religiosity of the city, that is already known for the healing blessings of the Central Lake's water. The religious celebrations of the Patroness - with novenas (religious celebrations), tents, games, an amusement park, shows and auctions - are realized between the 06 and 15 of august, annually.
Location: Praça Doutor Lund, 160 - Centro
Working days: Everyday
Working hours: Monday: from 7:30 a.m until 5:30 p.m
From Tuesday to Friday: 7:30 a.m until the end of the mass at 7 p.m.
Saturday: From 8 a.m until the end of the mass at 7 p.m.
Sunday: From 6:30 a.m until the end of the mass at 10 a.m, re-opening at 5:30 p.m for the mass of 7 p.m.
For more information, call: (31) 3681-1510
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Rosario's Church
Built in the beginning of the XIX century, the Small Church of Rosário is a chapel of great architetural beauty that still has typical characteristics of the XVIII century. The chapel was built during the brazilian Empire period, originally by slaves helped by the landlords of the region that had the interest of separating the spaces of worship between white and black people. On the ceiling of the Church there is the painting of a dark ball that has the face of the half moon and an eight-pointed star. These two symbols represent both the construction of the chapel in the nocturn period and its use at the same time, since the daytime was exclusively destined to the tasks of forced work, so, the only time that was left was the night, after the mandatory worktime. Thus, it represents a great symbolism to the awareness of the slavery logic in Minas Gerais. In the 70's the Chapel Nossa Senhora do Rosário received many objects that came from Igreja Nossa Senhora da Saúde, just like the tabernacle, that came from the Main Church.
The chapel is also the stage of traditional parties of the city, just like Festa do Divino, that is realized in May and June, the celebrations of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, that happens in may and june, and the celebrations of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, protector of the black people and slaves, in October. It was assigned as a public heritage through the decree nº 234/2001, the Church is also one of the most important historical spots of the city of Lagoa Santa.
Location: Rosário street near Marechal Deodoro da Fonseca. St.
Working days: currently under repairs
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Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Situated in a large square where a cross is loczated with the martyrdoms, the Small Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição represents an important cultural milestone of the period. Joining the contructive proximity with the neoclassical principles and a traditional blueprint of Minas Gerais' primitive chapels, it's composed by nave, chancel and a vestry on the left. The nave has a small space reserved to the choir, that can be reached by wood stairs. The nave and part of the vestry are cladded in hydraulic tiles, and its presbitery is made of wood. It has an churchyard demarcated by walls of masonry, and a simple altar with popular paintings of flowers and angels.
Location: Praça (square) Efigênia de Freitas Guimarães, No number- Morro do Cruzeiro
Working days: currently under repairs