Experience in Belo Horizonte, Brazil by Luciano

What is it like to live in Belo Horizonte? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I'm biased to talk about Belo Horizonte (BH) because I just love it. So keep it in mind. (And sorry if my english isn't so good.)
Belo Horizonte is very beautiful city, it's bounded by Serra do Curral, a small mountain of 1350m that can be seen everywhere in the city, justifying the city's name (beautiful horizon), yeah it has a really beautiful landscape.
By the rest, it's a good city. You can find almost anything you want just going to right places. Have lots of things to, places to know, and if you get bored by the big city (or even if you don't) you can go and discover the small cities of Minas Gerais - they may be fabulous.

What is the student lifestyle like in Belo Horizonte?

I study in UFMG, the biggest and better university of the state, and it is just great. The city are full of young people cause, as a state capital, Belo Horizonte attracts students from every each of the state and even from the nearby states, so it's very easy to find company for whatever you want to do.

How much does it cost to live in Belo Horizonte?

Cause I don't pay rent, usually eat in the university's restaurant and use bike to go anywhere I have a very low cost of life and always have cash left for travel and to go out. But you may don't have the luck that I have and, still, you will be able to do the same things because the city's cost of live is not so expensive and if you know the right places it can be even less expensive. I would say that R$1200 (~400 dollars) is enough for a student to live in BH - paying rent, bus, eating in restaurants and going out.

Is it difficult to find accommodation in Belo Horizonte? Is there any advice you can give?

I live in my family's house, so I never had to find a accommodation in BH, but saying by my friends who came from different city's, I'd say that it's not so hard. All of my classmates live just beside the campus. Here we have a kind of accommodation called "rebública" which is a (big) house where students from different live together, sometimes like a family.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

FOOD! That's the better thing about Minas Gerais. Not that the rest isn't so good but the food here is really awesome. Here food is part of the culture and every meal is plentiful. It's just impossible to come to BH and don't eat a pão de queijo, a kind of bread made with cheese that even who don't like cheese will like, this is the most famous snack of Minas cuisine. And there is lots of the others traditional foods like cheeses and candies that you can appreciate. And if you want to try something new go to Mercado Central, all kinds of Brazilian food and ingredients can be found there.

What places would you recommend visiting in Belo Horizonte?

As I already said, Mercado Central is a must go when talking about food and local culture. One others good places to go is the museum Palácio das Artes on the Afonso Pena avenue(the main avenue). Beside is the Municipal Park, a big green area inside the city's downtown where you can relax, or bring the kids for a ride. Near downtown is the Praça da Liberdade, one of the most beautiful and cosy square in the city. Beside the square are the Museum of Mineralogy, the cultural center Banco do Brasil, the Palácio da Liberdade and some others interesting buildings. There is another good museun, the Natural History Museum and the UFMG Botanic Gardens, which worth a visit.
Far from downtown, but at just 20min by MOVE is the architectonic complex of the Lagoa da Pampulha. I personally recommend to rent a bike for a few hours and ride from the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi until the Art Museum of Pampulha, passing though the stadium Mineirão and arena Mineirinho, the Casa de Baile, and the dam where you can see the airport runway and if you get luck you can see a plane landing/taking off. If you like to go longer, you can go to the ecological park and to the zoo, both close to the lagoa. And if you really like to ride a bike(like me) you make a circuit, riding all the 18km around the lagoon(be aware that the lagoa has two faces, one is beautiful and a perfumed(yes, it is) and the other are stinking and with ordinary gardens, seeming a little like overlooked(nothing is so good). And by the end, when you have already went in all the places, go to the Mirrante Mangabeiras. It is a gazebo over the Serra do Curral where you can see the whole city, most of the landmarks like Mineirão, Pampulha, Downtown and Mercado Central can be seen up there and with a good pair of binoculars, or a just a good eye, you can see until the administrative city, the state Government House, which is a complex of huge and incredible builds designed by Oscar Niemeyer that you must notice in the way between the airport(CNF) and the city center.

Is it good to eat out in Belo Horizonte? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

Belo Horizonte is famous as the Capital of the Bars, basically you can find a bar everywhere, so it's pointless to try to define a best place with this variety of (good) places. My hint is to go to the main street of your neighbourhood and try some of the bar/restaurant there, probably you will find more than one that is really good and if it isn't good enogh for you go to Savassi, the place with the biggest index of bar per square meter in the world.

Is the nightlife good in Belo Horizonte? Where is good to go?

About the nightlife I'm the worst person to talk, I just can't remember the last time I went into a nightclub but I can tell which are most famous/best houses of the city, which are: Chalezinho, the pubs Major Lock, Jack Rock Bar, Circus Rock Bar(yes, we like rock) and the Alambique Cachaçaria(where who don't like rock can enjoy some country music)

What advice would you give future students headed to Belo Horizonte?

Enjoy the city!