About Tiradentes

Nestled in the mountains of Minas Gerais, a state in Southeast Brazil, Tiradentes is a small historic city reachable from both São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro by car, bus, or plane. Disclaimer: Tiradentes is not a beach destination! The ocean is not nearby, but what Minas Gerais lacks in salt water it makes up for with abudant waterfalls, rolling hills, world-renowned gastronomy, and exquisite eighteenth century art and architecture. 

To be sure, Tiradentes is recognized as one of the most intact examples of Portuguese colonial architecture in the world, and the entire region is replete with spectacular museums, ornate Baroque churches, and a natural landsdcape that has inspired countless artists and writers – both Brazilian and international – over the centuries. The neighboring city of Ouro Preto was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 for its Baroque architecuture, and both Tiradentes and Ouro Preto once formed part of the ciclo do ouro – or gold cycle – that sent over 800 tons 
of the precious mineral to Portugal throughout the eighteenth century. 

A bit of history: Tiradentes was founded around 1702 by intrepid settlers arriving from the neighboring state of São Paulo. These bandeirantes, as they were called, discovered gold on the slopes of the Serra de São José and established an informal mining settlement originally known as Santo Antônio do Rio das Mortes, for the river that still runs through town today. The mining camp later took on the name Arraial Velho, distinguishing itself from Arraial Novo do Rio das Mortes which would become the present-day city of São João del-Rei, situated approximately 15km away. In 1718, Arraial Velho was formally elevated to the status of town and given the name Vila de São José in tribute to Prince Dom José of Portugal.
It was promoted to city status in 1860. 

Throughout the eighteenth century, Vila de São José subsisted on the gold mining industry and functioned as a critical center of production in Minas Gerais. By the late eighteenth century, Minas’ ciclo do ouro produced the majority of wealth for the Portuguese Empire. Ouro Preto, the administrative and cultural center of the colonial mining industry, became the most populous city in Latin America by the 1780s with a population far exceeding that of São Paulo (and also New York). In 1889, Brazil’s post-imperial government formally changed the name of Vila de São José to Tiradentes in homage to the revolutionary leader Joaquim José da Silva Xavier (coloquially known as Tiradentes, or “tooth-puller”), who led the (unsuccessful) Inconfidência Mineira separatist movement against the Portuguese crown in the late eighteenth century.

Since its “rediscovery” in the late 1960s, Tiradentes has become a world-class destination for lovers of history, art, architecture, and gastronomy. Tiradentes hosts an international film festival every January, as well as various arts and culinary festivals throughout the rest of the year. Pilar’s family has been part of the preservation of the city and its surrounding natural landscapes since the early 1970s, opening the first hotel in Tiradentes in 1971 and founding the Sociedade Amigos de Tiradentes (Society of the Friends of Tiradentes) in 1980 to aid in the restoration and cultural revitalization of the city, as well as the protection of the Serra de São José as a nationally-recognized nature preserve. 

When it came time to decide where we would celebrate our marriage alongside our closest friends and family, we could not think of a better location. 
Tiradentes was also the first place Peter and Pilar traveled to together, a short three months after meeting (things happened fast, and Pilar couldn’t wait to introduce Peter to her family’s hometown). We’re so excited to share the magic of Tiradentes with you all and to bring our community of loved ones into its long history – this town is an inextricable part of our story, and we cannot wait to celebrate our love here with you.

How to Arrive

Despite being tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Brazil’s largeset cities, it is luckily quite easy to arrive in Tiradentes from international points of departure. If you are traveling from Canada, the United States, or Europe, we recommend purchasing a flight to the capital of the state of Minas Gerais – Belo Horizonte – with a connection in São Paulo. From North America and Europe, we recommend you find a direct flight to São Paulo or a flight with one stop. These are generally overnight. Once in São Paulo, the flight to Belo Horizonte is a quick 1.5 hours. 

Once you arrive in Belo Horizonte, we will have shuttle buses organized to bring you to Tiradentes (about a three hour drive away) for the wedding weekend. Bus transfers will be available on Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21 only. Once we are closer to the date we will send 
out a questionnaire asking you to select which shuttle time works best for you; there will most likely be two options per day. There will be a small per person fee for the bus transfer.

If you prefer to arrive earlier or if none of the available times work for you, there are several other options for arrival in Tiradentes, including bus, rental car, or hired driver. If you opt for the latter, please let us know and we can connect you with drivers we trust! If you’re feeling truly adventurous, there is also the option to arrive by helicopter (which some people do!). If that’s something you’re into, 
let us know and we will send you that info ;-)

Options for Arrival from Canada, USA, or Europe:

Step 1. Purchase flights from your point of departure to: 
Belo Horizonte Tancredo Neves Int'l Airport (CNF)*

Step 2. Bus transfer to Tiradentes from Belo Horizonte Airport 
on 11/20 or 11/21 (organized by us)
or
organize your own transfer via 
one of the options mentioned above

Step 3. Arrival in Tiradentes :-)

*This will most likely involve a connection at 
São Paulo Guarulhos Int’l Airport (GRU)

For Arrivals from Brazil/Rest of South America:

Purchase flights from your point of departure to: 
Belo Horizonte Tancredo Neves Int'l Airport (CNF)
and participate in bus transfer.

or

Arrive in Tiradentes via your preferred method! 



Please Note: Our wedding celebrations are set to take place the weekend before American Thanksgiving; our hope is that you will be able to turn the trip into an extended experience in Brazil or in neighboring countries! We’re excited to share our favorite spots in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and more with you all under our Suggested Itineraries tab (coming soon). A week or ten days in Brazil is enough time to see some of the greatest hits. We truly cannot wait to share this beautiful country with you all and of course, we’re available to answer any and all questions.

Accommodations

We will have several different options of accommodations available to you with discounted pricing! 
All options will be in the historic center of Tiradentes and are walkable to/from each venue; 
several will be able to accommodate larger groups and/or families and will have private 
kitchens/ kitchenettes. 

Tiradentes is a town of charming rental homes, hotels, bed and breakfasts, and more to match every need 
and budget. We’ll be sure to help you find and book exactly what you’re looking for.

Please watch this space as we finalize details with our 
hospitality contacts in town :-)