It is more a citadel than a city. Beyond the urban sprawl that surrounds Brasilia, about an hour down the road, you arrive in Pirenópolis, Goiás. It looks just like one of the historical cities of Minas Gerais before modern tourism. The place is fascinating.
It is clean beyond compare and full of quaint and good restaurants. Live music is played nightly - at just the right volume, There’s more: trees and flowers, spotless and well-kept homes, unique handicrafts (notably silverwork and weavings), and reasonably priced inns to meet every taste. All that plus the famous “empadão goiano,” a special chicken pie that is worth trying.
Just outside of town are two nature reserves. Popular with folks from Brasilia, they sport well-marked trails, trees identified by scientific and popular name, flowers, birds, and clean and well-tended waterfalls.
You won’t find a single scrap of paper along the trail. No cigarette butts. No plastic rubbish. Nor will you see government billboards – simply because both parks are private nature reserves. They charge entrance fees of R$5 and R$9 respectively. A detail: one is owned by a native of Minas Gerais, from Alfenas.
The resemblance to the historical cities of Minas Gerais is confined to the colonial downtown, where the cathedral was destroyed by fire last year. But it is already being rebuilt, with unusual skill and care. Known for its religious festivals, Pirenópolis exudes charm, order and cleanliness second to none.
I ask myself: what does Pirenópolis really have in common with the historical cities of Minas Gerais? Not much. Except maybe with Tiradentes, where the Parsons family began to get things organized and performed miracles. Yet those accomplishments are more often than not systematically attacked by people who hide personal interest behind political or entrepreneurial masks.
Pirenópolis is an example of a tourism destination that had no frontier-style businessmen. People were able to organize collectively, with the idea of making money, of course, but without laying the place to waste. Using tourism and culture, the locals have built a source of revenue that is eco-friendly, responsible, and that doesn’t need public assistance.
The two nature reserves are really impressive. It is hard to find anything comparable in Minas Gerais. In Minas, if the government doesn’t do it, people mope around and accomplish little. Yet the tourism industry wants to learn from international experiences, and the small business association Sebrae has sponsored an innumerable number of foreign exchange programs.
With much pomp, circumstance and cash, the Estrada Real (King’s Road) project was launched recently in Minas Gerais. It has been in development for several years. The project is excellent as a concept and really should be implemented because of its historical roots and its future as an engine for ecotourism and economic development.
Projects of this nature work when they’re carried out with a dose of realism, with continuity and without real estate speculation as a recurring theme. What are needed are a minimum of government intervention and a maximum amount of community participation.
To learn how that can be done, visit Pirenópolis. Its attractiveness is the result of an initiative without million-dollar expectations, but that benefits everyone. You can learn a lot from experiences abroad, but with a bit of humility, you can also learn a lot right in your own backyard. Right in Pirenópolis.
Pirenópolis Links
Pirenópolis.tur.br - a privately-run site about tourism in Pirenópolis in Portuguese.
Estrada Real - the official site.
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