Maps
Route
Sao Paulo - Belo Horizonte - Sete Lagoas - Curvelo - Gouvea - Diamantina - Olhos d'Agua - Montes Claros - Janauba - Porterinha - Mato Verde - Monte Azul - Espinosa - Pindai - Guanambi - Brumado - Sussuarana - Barra da Estiva - Mucuge - Andarai - Palmeiras - Guine - back to Porterinha following same route - Salinas - Rubelita - Salinas - Montes Claros to Diamantina - Serro - Guanhaes - Virginopolis - Acucena - Ipatinga - BR-116 (Rio - Bahia) to Manhuacu - back to Sao Paulo
Roads
Fernao Dias (Sao Paulo to Belo Horizonte) is reasonable. The part in the state of Sao Paulo is bad, in Minas before Belo Horizonte it gets better. Small paved roads in Minas seem to be on average very good. Bahia is much worse. The stretch between Espinosa and Guanambi is full of potholes, many of which are dangerous. Between Guanambi and the Chapada the asphalt is fine. The dirt road between Diamantina and Serro is good and beautiful. The dirt road between Porterinha and Salinas is bad, ugly and about twice longer than appears on the map (about 170 km).
Places to stay
In Andarai (BA): Pousada Sincora. Fantastic. Av. Paraguacu, (75) 335 2210, Ana Maria & Helder Madeira, winners@bestway.com.br
In Sao Goncalo do Rio das Pedras (MG, on the dirt road between Diamantina and Serro): Pousada Refugio dos 5 Amigos. Seems very nice. Phones (38) 3531-2510, (038) 9971-0114. Owner - Anna-Maria Kuhne.
In Caetite (BA): Hotel Porto do Sol, Rua Jose de Oliveira, Phone (77) 454-1339
Other
The whole trip was 5230 km (and took 430 liters of fuel).
Stones - see Comercio de Cristais, in Diamantina, on BR367, Phone (38)531-2267
