São Lourenço: Thermal Baths, Culture and Steam Train

São Lourenço offers a range of reasons to visit: thermal facilities at Parque das Águas, cultural history and leisure activities. If you’re looking for a hotel, these themes can help you decide what to focus on during your stay. Historic buildings and regional culture sit alongside attractions such as the tourist train and Center Kart.

Thermal Facilities and Park Landscape

Parque das Águas covers 370,000 m²; gardens, avenues and groves of trees shape its landscape. The grounds are home to the Centro Hidroterápico, commonly known as the Balneário. Facilities include thermal baths, Scottish showers, saunas, massages and skin treatments. The same park thus offers both an extensive landscape and a range of treatments, each providing a different focus.

Also on the grounds is Ermida Bom Jesus do Monte, the first sanctuary in São Lourenço. Construction began on November 18, 1892, and was completed in 1903. The park landscape is therefore connected with the town’s religious history; the two dates mark the start and completion of construction.

Market, Crafts and Historic Buildings

Mercado Municipal de São Lourenço was established in 1936. As a traditional tourist destination, it represents regional crafts, gastronomy and culture. Caminho do Artesanato, a cultural center featuring crafts, courses, lectures and exhibitions, is located directly behind the market. The two places have different emphases: the market represents the connection between crafts, gastronomy and regional culture, while the cultural center complements these themes with courses, lectures and exhibitions.

Estação Ferroviária de São Lourenço also has a clearly dated history: it was built in 1884 and officially inaugurated in 1925. The station houses the headquarters of Trem das Águas, the Museu Dinâmico da Maria Fumaça and the local Art’Esperança craft fair.

Igreja Matriz de São Lourenço is known for its stained-glass windows, collection of religious images, architecture and paintings. São Lourenço thus offers a range of cultural themes: regional crafts and gastronomy at the market, railway history at the station, and religious art and architecture at the church.

Steam Train, Beer Tasting and Leisure Activities

Trem das Águas is a tourist train in São Lourenço pulled by a real steam locomotive. It is operated by ABPF’s Regional Sul de Minas. Together with the history of Estação Ferroviária, it provides a distinctive railway focus that differs from the cultural attractions around the market and crafts.

Cervejinha Mineira offers tours of its craft beer production process with tastings, as well as the “Viagem ao Mundo Cervejeiro” workshop. Beer production is the focus here; the tour with tasting and the named workshop are two specific offerings.

At Center Kart, the main attraction is the kart track, with modern, easy-to-drive karts. Children under 12 can ride mini buggies there in a safe area reserved exclusively for children. Other attractions include paintball, an indoor climbing wall, a high ropes course with a zip line at the end, bowling with five automated lanes, and a party hall. The leisure options therefore vary considerably, from karting and bowling to climbing and ropes activities, as well as paintball and a party hall. When planning your stay, you can compare these options with the park, cultural and railway attractions.

Discover more destinations: Betim, Inhaúma, Pedra Azul, Araguari, Montalvânia, Araxá, Paracatu, Estrela Dalva

For the broader travel overview: Minas Gerais.