Gruta da Lapinha

Belo Horizonte


About 50km north of Belo Horizonte, this cave's highlight is the Véu de Noiva, a crystal formation in the shape of a bride’s veil. With your own vehicle, the cave is an hour's drive north of Belo Horizonte. Alternatively, catch an Atual (www.ciaatual.com.br) bus to Lagoa Santa (50 minutes), then continue to the cave on local bus 306 (35 minutes).


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Belo Horizonte attractions

1. Museu de Arte da Pampulha

19.98 MILES

This art museum, with its cute garden designed by landscape architect Roberto Burle Marx, originally served as a casino and shows the obvious modernist…

2. Casa do Baile

20.15 MILES

This former dance hall on Pampulha's lakeshore, designed by Oscar Niemeyer with grounds by landscape architect Burle Marx, now holds all types of…

3. Igreja de São Francisco de Assis

20.44 MILES

On the banks of Pampulha's artificial lake, Niemayer's striking modernist church, with interior tiles and paintings by Portinari, is an architectural…

4. Mineirão & Museu Brasileiro do Futebol

20.97 MILES

An obligatory stop for football fans, Belo Horizonte's legendary 65,000-seat stadium was completely renovated for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, incorporating a…

5. Gruta Rei do Mato

21.51 MILES

This is the most interesting of the caves surrounding Belo Horizonte. Near Sete Lagoas, 70km north of Belo, it has prehistoric paintings and petroglyphs…

6. Museu de Artes e Ofícios

24.52 MILES

Housed in Belo’s historic train station, this museum displays a wide-ranging collection of objects used in the daily lives of mineiros past and present…

7. Matriz de NS de Conceição

24.56 MILES

The triple-naved Matriz de NS de Conceição, finished in 1720, is a fascinating blend of Asian arts and Portuguese baroque, with gold leaf, red Chinese…

8. Igreja NS do Rosário dos Pretos

24.56 MILES

The half-built Igreja de NS do Rosário dos Pretos – started and financed by slaves but never finished – now stands as a memorial to the abolition of…