A trip to Monte Sião
A good two-hour drive from São Paulo, Monte Sião is mostly known for its porcelain and knitwear. Despite not being a major tourist destination, it’s well worth visiting if you want a quiet weekend in the mountains. Our pousada offered a gorgeous view overlooking the hills and a small lake for those who enjoy fishing.
Monte Sião’s porcelain is well known and appreciated all over Brazil. The factory doesn’t offer guide tours, but we were allowed to take a look around and see different parts of their production process. The factory store sells many beautiful pieces at an affordable price and we couldn’t resist buying a few. Okay, many.
The town’s knitwear comes in all shapes and colours and is proudly used to dress up the town’s attractions, from pots to city buses. A custom-made dog suit? No problem.
Staying an extra day allowed us to make a trip to ‘Fazenda 7 Senhoras’ coffee farm in Socorro, with an excellent guided tour, offered also in English. We got to see the various stages of coffee production with detailed explanations about the growing and processing of coffee beans. We also got to taste some.
While our guide shared some background on the invention of the Melita filter, she prepared three versions of the same blend, one with the Melita filter, one with a French press and one with an Aeropress. I didn’t expect the difference in flavor to be that noticeable. For me, the French press coffee was the tastiest. For Thomas, the Aeropress was the most difficult to open.
Since Monte Sião is located in the state of Minas Gerais, the local cuisine leans towards heavier meat and cheese dishes, the state’s specialty. Finding good places to eat isn’t difficult and there are quite a few vegetarian and vegan options; too. We grabbed a bite at Pizzaria do Roberto and a then newly-opened hipster restaurant, Grãos do Monte, where you can also buy local products.
All in all, Monte Sião is a great place for a day or weekend trip, especially if you’re in need of a nice sweater, cheese or some beautiful hand-painted porcelain.
