MT - Day 2: Cuiabá - Historic Center and Riverbank of the Cuiabá River

Today, we explored the charming historic center of Cuiabá. The capital of MT has many old buildings, colonial-style houses, and cathedrals from the colonization era, with the oldest being the Church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário and São Benedito, built in 1730! There is also the Basilica of Senhor Bom Jesus, the city's patron saint, dating back to 1723, which was reconstructed in 1973.

Like many capitals in Brazil, the center of Cuiabá is quite degraded and it's not safe to wander around in certain areas. We walked for about 2 hours under a scorching sun (the hottest winter I've ever seen!!! 🥵) and then took an Uber to the riverbank. We drove past Vila Cuiabana, which is also abandoned and we couldn't visit.

Afterwards, we sat down for lunch at the Lacerda restaurant by the Cuiabá River. It was delightful to cool off there, where we found shade and cold beer. 😅

We rested in the afternoon in the air conditioning of the hotel, and in the evening we went to dinner at Mahalo Cozinha Criativa, one of the trendiest restaurants in the city, and I’ll tell you: it deserves all the fame it has! Beautiful and pleasant atmosphere, delicious dishes with local cuisine, and an extremely friendly and attentive staff. Without a doubt, it was worth the visit!