The eastern Brazilian city of Governador Valadares stands in the State of Minas Gerais, 37 miles north of Rio de Janeiro and 2 miles northeast of Belo Horizonte. It stands on the main highway between Salvador and Rio. The surrounding mountains are famed in Brazil for the mining of gemstones like amethyst, topaz and quartz. If you hire a car in Governador Valadares you'll be able to visit the historic mines in the Golconda area or the lush scenery of the Parque Estadual Rio Corrente. Coronel Altino Machado de Oliveira Airport is nine miles southwest of the city centre.
Refugees from the American Civil War settled in the Rio Doce valley and even today Governador Valadares is known as the 'American town'. There are many links between the city and the US today, meaning the standard of living is much higher than might expected for a sleepy rural city. If you hire a car here you'll soon see the glossy high-rise buildings and smart shopping malls that proximity to the US dollar creates.
The visitor highlights of this riverside city include the market, theatre and museum. The fountain at the centre of Serra Lima Square is the place to sit and watch the city go by, although the view from Mount Ibituruna overlooking Governador Valadares is pretty memorable too.
