Niterói and the Museum of Tomorrow are the first places that come to mind when someone mentions museums in Brazil, but how about Inhotim? This outdoor museum is one of the largest attractions of its kind in the entire world and it offers a perfect balance between art and nature.
Inhotim is the brainchild of the former mining businessman Bernardo Paz, who transformed his 5,000-acre property into one of the largest outdoor art centers in Latin America. This museum initially only housed his personal art collection before he decided to open it to the public in 2006.
Inhotim is now home to around 500 works of art by Brazilian and international artists, with a wide range of different pavilions. The list of artists whose larger-than-life creations can be found here includes the likes of Hélio Oiticica, Yayoi Kusama, and Anish Kapoor.
Inhotim is also home to a botanical garden, which was officially opened in 2011 and houses around 5,000 different plant species.
Despite not being located in any of the major tourist hubs, with Belo Horizonte being the only major city in its proximity, Inhotim remains one of Brazil’s most popular museums and welcomes around 250,000 visitors a year.
Tickets are best bought in advance since the museum has a capacity of 5,000 visitors a day, and its doors are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.