São Lourenço: Thermal Baths, Steam Train and Culture

São Lourenço combines thermal attractions with railway history, handicrafts and a variety of leisure activities. At Parque das Águas, extensive green spaces meet the Centro Hidroterápico and the Ermida Bom Jesus do Monte. Other places to visit include the Mercado Municipal and the Estação Ferroviária, while Center Kart also offers active entertainment. For your trip, you can consider whether wellness, culture or shared activities should be the main focus.

Thermal Attractions and Green Spaces

Parque das Águas covers 370,000 m² and features gardens, avenues and groves of trees. The extensive grounds provide a setting for a stay that is equally suited to visitors interested in green spaces and thermal attractions. The grounds are also home to the Ermida Bom Jesus do Monte, São Lourenço’s first sanctuary. Construction began on November 18, 1892, and was completed in 1903.

The park’s Centro Hidroterápico, commonly known as the Balneário, offers thermal baths, Scottish showers, saunas, massages and skin treatments. The options range from baths and showers to treatments. When deciding what kind of trip you want, these offerings may be a reason to make thermal visits a central part of your stay in a holiday apartment in São Lourenço. The park combines them with a very different discovery: the history of the sanctuary on its grounds.

Railway History and Regional Culture

The Estação Ferroviária de São Lourenço was built in 1884 and officially inaugurated in 1925. Today, the station is home to the headquarters of Trem das Águas, the Museu Dinâmico da Maria Fumaça and the local handicrafts fair Art’Esperança. Here, railway heritage and handicrafts come together in one place. Trem das Águas is a tourist train in São Lourenço, operated by the ABPF’s Regional Sul de Minas and pulled by a real steam locomotive.

The Mercado Municipal de São Lourenço also offers insight into local character: founded in 1936, it represents regional handicrafts, gastronomy and culture as a traditional tourist destination. Behind the market is Caminho do Artesanato, a cultural center featuring handicrafts, courses, talks and exhibitions. If you are interested in crafts, you can include these two distinct cultural venues in your travel plans: the market as a traditional gathering place, and the cultural center with its program of events and exhibitions.

The Igreja Matriz de São Lourenço is known for its stained-glass windows, religious images, architecture and paintings. Religious art and design thus complement the railway and handicrafts themes. Together, they offer a range of cultural interests that you can use to guide your choice of holiday apartment in São Lourenço.

Active Experiences and Things to Do Together

Center Kart’s main attraction is a karting track with modern, easy-to-drive karts. Children under 12 can ride mini buggies in a safe area reserved exclusively for children. Center Kart also offers paintball, an indoor climbing wall, a high ropes course with a zip line at the end, and bowling with five automated lanes. There is also a function room. This range of options lets you consider different activities for your stay without requiring everyone in your group to choose the same thing.

For a different kind of outing, there is Trem das Águas: a ride on a real steam locomotive is quite different from the activities at Center Kart. When planning your trip, you can decide how to balance railway experiences, culture, thermal attractions and active entertainment. The city offers several clearly distinct themes, so your plans do not have to focus on just one kind of experience.

Discover More Destinations

If you would like to explore other places beyond São Lourenço, here are some more destinations: Volta Grande, Fazendinha, Santa Rita Do Sapucaí, José Sebastião Leite, Jaboticatubas, Caetanópolis, Ouro Preto and Pimenta.

For the main travel overview: Minas Gerais.