What to Do in Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais

Passa Quatro is a peaceful town in southern Minas Gerais, with the quiet charm typical of the countryside, and tourism built around mountains, trails, and waterfalls for the more adventurous visitor.

The town is part of the Terras Altas da Mantiqueira circuit and the Caminho Velho stretch of the Estrada Real, which is why tourism here has been growing, bringing more restaurants and shops to town — it’s also recognized as a natural health resort thanks to its mineral water springs.

Passa Quatro belongs to the São Lourenço microregion, the first town across the border from Cruzeiro, São Paulo, close to Penedo, Rio de Janeiro, set within the mountains of the Serra da Mantiqueira. For anyone into trails, the closest Minas Gerais town is Itamonte, also fantastic for exploring the mountains.

We’ve been to the region several times, so here are our tips for both rural and in-town tourism. This is also where some of the region’s major trail races take place, like La Misión and the Serra Fina stage of the KTR.

Getting to Passa Quatro, MG

We’re calculating this from São Paulo, since that’s the route we always take, and we’ll break down the pros and cons of each route so you can pick what works best.

Driving from São Paulo to Passa Quatro:

• Dutra highway to the Cruzeiro exit, then SP-052 (Dr. Avelino Júnior) to Passa Quatro — https://goo.gl/maps/JcfZmeS4NzUsdukm8
• Ayrton Senna + Carvalho Pinto + Dutra — https://goo.gl/maps/geipiDQhcFkR9Aey5

Pros and cons:

• Dutra (244 km, 3h55m): fewer lanes, more trucks, fewer tolls.
• Ayrton Senna (252 km, 3h36m): more lanes, fewer trucks, more tolls — time and distance are roughly similar between the two.

Getting to Passa Quatro from São Paulo by bus:

This route is served by Viação Cometa (website) — check their site for departure times and fares.

What to Do in Passa Quatro, Minas Gerais

Trem da Serra da Mantiqueira

• Really fun.
• Price: R$71.50 per person.
• Full line runs 10 km.

Built in 1884, but fully restored, with all the infrastructure and accessibility needed to operate today.

Run by the Regional Sul de Minas branch of the Associação Brasileira de Preservação Ferroviária (ABPF). It departs from the central station in Passa Quatro, heading toward Coronel Fulgêncio, high up in the Serra da Mantiqueira.

On the way up the mountain, the train makes 2 stops: first at a shop selling regional products, then at a photo museum. Along the whole route, a local musician plays guitar and performs right in the train car, and the tour lasts about 2 hours.

Estação Coronel Fulgêncio

The second stop is at Estação Coronel Fulgêncio, km 25, at 1,085 m elevation, where passengers can view a photo exhibit covering miniseries filmed in the town, Mad Maria and JK, both from Rede Globo; photos of engines and railcars restored by ABPF; and photos from the 1932 Constitutionalist Revolution.

The tunnel stretches 997 m and holds historic significance from the 1932 Revolution, when São Paulo residents opposed to Getúlio Vargas’s government clashed with Minas Gerais residents who supported the president.

A little further ahead is the Túnel da Mantiqueira, which cuts through the mountain — this part of the tour is honestly a bit disappointing, since you can’t ride all the way through it, for preservation reasons.

It can be hard to see and photograph the scenery, since there tend to be a lot of people on the tour. The return trip has no stops, making it quicker, since it’s downhill and the train picks up speed.

Operating hours: weekends and holidays — Saturdays at 10 AM or 2:30 PM, Sundays at 10 AM; check with the station directly for holiday hours and pandemic-related changes.

Museu Brasil Nota 10

• The full visit takes about 35 minutes on average.
• Museum admission is free.

After we got off the train, we crossed the street to Museu Brasil Nota 10, home to several scale models spread across different rooms — the tour is guided by teenage students, who explain how each model was built and its portrayal of Brazilian history, covering Colonial Brazil, the Empire, and the Republic, along with accounts of the 1932 Revolution and the Farroupilha Revolution, among others.

Umbrella Street in Passa Quatro

Near downtown, there’s a street decorated with hanging umbrellas — unexpectedly worth a visit and a photo! We missed it on our first trip, only discovering the street when we came back for the La Misión race.

Cachaçaria Excelência

• Artisanal Minas Gerais cachaça, with several different quality tiers.
• Guided tour of the still.

To start, Cachaçaria Excelência (website and Instagram) is a great place to see how cachaça is made — right at the entrance, there’s a shop where you can sample different varieties, aged in different types of barrels. The tour itself is done individually, only if you’re interested.

Queijaria Santo Antônio

Joãozinho Laura owns this cheese shop in Passa Quatro (Instagram), refining recipes passed down through five generations of his family.

Set on a 19th-century farm, with old grain silos in the backyard converted into aging chambers, complete with temperature and humidity control.

The milk and production come entirely from their own herd, and the feed given to the cows is heirloom corn on the cob with grass — which, it turns out, is exactly why the cheese tastes so distinctive and flavorful.

Genuinely worth the visit to taste each cheese, since there’s something for every taste, from the creamiest and mildest to the sharpest and spiciest.

Igreja Matriz de Passa Quatro

The town is really charming, and honestly, a great place to spend an afternoon — the church sits right downtown, and it’s a genuinely pleasant spot.

The church is dedicated to São Sebastião, built in 1850, and was designated a landmark by the Passa Quatro municipal government to highlight its cultural significance.

Floresta Nacional de Passa Quatro

Known as FLONA, run by the Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação de Biodiversidade, this is a great way to connect with nature right near town, with 335 hectares of native forest. There’s space for a picnic too, plus lakes, a waterfall, and natural springs.

Cachoeira do Iporã is the main draw here, and we’ll cover more about it below, in our section on the region’s waterfalls.

Ingazeiro Passa Quatro

This is a tree from the legume family, notable for the way its branches spread between the road to Toca do Lobo and the banks of the Rio Quilombo, forming a canopy 30 meters across.

The area is now fenced off, and you’ll need to schedule a visit with the owner ahead of time, since the tree was being damaged by visitors.

Trails in Passa Quatro, MG

The town sits among several peaks of the Serra da Mantiqueira, so here are the trails we’ve hiked ourselves. We’ve included links to each trail below, where you can find the GPX tracks and a few extra tips.

Capim Amarelo

Known as the gateway to the Serra Fina, this peak’s summit sits at 2,570 meters above sea level, though for reasons we don’t fully understand, it doesn’t appear on lists of Brazil’s highest peaks.

Its name comes from the yellow color its summit takes on in autumn, thanks to the dry grass covering it.

It’s a 9 km round trip starting from Toca do Lobo, with 1,125 m of elevation gain — also a great training run and a great spot for photos.

Half Traverse of the Serra Fina

The goal here is reaching Pedra da Mina, Brazil’s 4th-highest peak at 2,798.39 meters, part of the Serra Fina traverse, made up of a chain of mountains with 12 peaks above 2,600 m elevation.

Most people take 3 days to complete this route along the ridge, camping along the way, but we did it in a single day, running. This route demands real physical preparation, proper gear, and technical skill, so we’d always recommend hiring a guide.

Campo do Muro and Pico da Casa de Pedra

These are lesser-known trails, but well worth it for the workout and the view. Pico da Casa de Pedra sits at 2,190 m elevation, a 4 km out-and-back trail, with views of Capim Amarelo, Itaguaré, Marins, and Marinzinho peaks.

Campo do Muro, meanwhile, is one of my favorite views in Passa Quatro, thanks to its 360-degree panorama — at 2,120 m elevation, a 5 km trail, with views north to Serra do Papagaio, east to the Serra Fina (Pedra da Mina, Pico dos Três Estados), and west to Marinzinho, Marins, and Itaguaré.

This one can also be done as an out-and-back, with a fairly technical descent.

Pico do Itaguaré (in Portuguese)

At 2,308 m elevation, sitting right on the border between Passa Quatro, MG, and Cruzeiro, SP. A 4-hour trek to the top, where the state line runs through a crevice in the mountain. The Vale do Paraíba stretches out on one side, and on the other, the town of Passa Quatro and its surroundings, forming sweeping valleys and an endless “sea of mountains” covered in forest and grassland. The best time for this hike is April through September. We’d recommend hiring a local guide for the crossing.

Waterfalls in Passa Quatro, MG

We’ve covered what to do in town and given trail tips, but the town also has plenty of waterfalls, so check out our tips in Waterfalls in Passa Quatro, MG (in Portuguese).

There’s also Cachoeira da Gomeira, poorly marked, a 600-meter walk, on the road leaving Passa Quatro toward the town of Cruzeiro, São Paulo.

Cachoeira do Quilombo has two drops and pools, reached via a steep, poorly marked trail, with great pools for swimming. Watch out for snakes in the pasture — we came across one near the waterfall.

Poço do Manacá sits right off the road, and you’ll need to cross the train tracks to reach the trail, which is hidden but easy to access.

Cachoeira Encruza, located at Rancho do Zé, is where the Rio Verde meets an arm of the Rio Paiolinho, forming a beautiful waterfall and a large lake with green-tinted water.

Cachoeira do Andorinhão is further out, but I think it’s the most beautiful waterfall in the whole region — the property has two other drops as well, though it’s on private land and charges admission.

Souvenir Shops in Passa Quatro

The town doesn’t have many souvenir shops, but here are a few we enjoyed visiting.

Minas de Minas was the first shop in the area to sell souvenirs from the town, and it’s genuinely cute to visit.

Empório Serra de Minas is an excellent spot to buy good wine, cachaça, or craft beer, whether to bring home or give as a gift — the owner is friendly and endlessly patient walking you through the products.

Empório Casa Colonial is a great place to buy artisanal cheese, spices, sausages, jams, and cookies, all made locally.

Where to Stay in Passa Quatro

Depending on the kind of trip you’re after, we’d recommend staying in different areas, since you can base yourself either downtown or out in the countryside for a real mountain immersion. The town has plenty of lodging options either way.

Hostel Inti Rayme

For the rural side and mountain excursions, we’d recommend Hostel Inti Rayme, also known as Casa de Pedra. Its owner, Charles, is also a guide. The property offers several types of accommodations, from private rooms to camping. It also has the best sunset views in the entire region. Even if you don’t stay there, it’s worth stopping by for an afternoon coffee.

Pousada Eco da Montanha

Located downtown, with really friendly owners, Pousada Eco da Montanha offers a generous breakfast spread and spacious rooms, making it a great place to stay, especially for trail races that start from the historic center.

Read tips on where to eat in Passa Quatro.