Estrada Real by car: 7 days between Ouro Preto, Tiradentes and Diamantina (with map, stops and where NOT to eat)
The Estrada Real (the colonial Royal Road, originally used to transport gold and diamonds from Minas Gerais to coastal ports) stretches 1,700 km across three branches. This itinerary focuses on the Caminho dos Diamantes — the historic stretch linking Ouro Preto to Diamantina via Mariana, Tiradentes, Congonhas and Serro. Seven days by car, with where to sleep, where to eat, and a frank warning about the restaurants in front of every main church that show up in every guidebook and never deliver the value.
Curadoria Voyspark · May 13
Carnaval in Olinda vs. Diamantina vs. Ouro Preto: where the party is still locals, not tourists
Rio charges USD 360 a night in February. Salvador packs 2.5 million people into Barra-Ondina. Searches for "Carnaval beyond Rio and Salvador" have grown 80% over the last three seasons, and three cities have absorbed that flow: Olinda, Diamantina, and Ouro Preto. Each is a different Carnaval. Here's the real cross-section of price, intensity, crowd, and what each one delivers.
Curadoria Voyspark · May 09
2 articles · #diamantina