Discover Alagoa: Waterfalls, River and Pico Santo Agostinho

Alagoa offers several distinct points of interest to help you plan your trip: Pico Santo Agostinho, with its stated elevation; two waterfalls, each with its own features; and Rio Aiuruoca, which serves as a landmark and is also part of an event. This allows you to plan your stay around nature watching, possible swimming, local history or a time-specific event. If you are planning your stay around a particular focus, consider whether a high point, the waterfalls or the river connection to an event matters most to you. These different themes can help you match Alagoa to your travel interests.

Using Rio Aiuruoca for orientation

In the town, Rua Coronel Porfírio Mendes Pinto runs from Praça Manoel Mendes de Carvalho to the bridge over Rio Aiuruoca. The bridge is east of town, about 200 metres from the centre. The sequence of square, street and river crossing is useful for orientation: you can follow the route from Praça Manoel Mendes de Carvalho to the bridge. As local road layouts can change, check the route before your visit.

A named high point

Pico Santo Agostinho, also called Pico do Garrafão, is 2,539 metres above sea level. Pico do Garrafão is not another peak in the selection, but a second name for the same high point. In Alagoa, the summit can therefore be identified by either name; its elevation gives the mountain theme a specific geographical reference. Unlike the river and waterfalls, the focus here is on altitude.

Two waterfalls with different features

Cachoeira do Facão combines a natural feature with a specific historical connection. Its clear waterfalls form cascades suitable for swimming and enjoying nature. In the past, the waterfall was a source of electricity for the town. If you would like to consider local history as well as nature, this former function offers another point of interest.

At Cachoeira das Borboletas, several small waterfalls flow into clear pools. This waterfall is also suitable for swimming and enjoying nature. In direct comparison, the pools and small waterfalls are the defining features of Borboletas, while Facão also has cascades and its former role in supplying electricity. Both destinations are suitable for swimming and nature watching, but their different water features and the historical connection offer distinct criteria to help you choose. Conditions for visitors may vary; check locally before planning a stay at the waterfalls.

Rio Aiuruoca and the Descida Ecológica de Boia

Rio Aiuruoca is part of the route of the Descida Ecológica de Boia. The event takes place at the end of the year as part of the celebrations marking Alagoa’s town anniversary. This gives the river an additional time-related aspect alongside its use as a geographical landmark at the bridge. If you are planning your trip around the event, check the exact dates in advance. If the event is decisive for your trip, its date provides a separate planning point; the bridge also helps you locate the river.

Discover more destinations: Bueno Brandão, Sapucaí-Mirim, Mariana, Rio Casca, Boa Esperança, Serro, Sebastião Abreu, Matias Barbosa

For the broader travel overview: Minas Gerais.