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Some 144km northwest of Goiania, the attractive historic town of GOIAS VELHO - originally known as Vila Boa, and now often just called Goias - is no longer the vital centre it once was. Goiania has taken over as the state's commercial and political fulcrum and, in many ways, Pirenopolis has more old-world charm. Nevertheless, Goias Velho is still on the tourist circuit for Brazilians and foreign visitors alike, and has useful bus connections north towards the Ilha do Bananal. Founded in 1726 as a gold-mining settlement by the bandeirantes, it remained the state capital until 1937. There is still a strong sense of the colonial past here, impregnating the cobbled streets and the many well-preserved eighteenth- and nineteenth-century buildings, and a preservation order was placed on the town in 1950. Stone houses and the occasional metallic clopping of mule hooves combine to produce an almost timeless atmosphere that's enhanced annually during the colourful torchlit Easter Fogareu procession. Famous for its doces caseiros (homemade fruit compotes) and local crafts, mainly ceramics and soapstone carvings, Goias Velho also possesses a few particularly outstanding churches and houses. The Palacio Conde dos Arcos , built in 1755, on the Praca Dr Tasso de Camargo, has some fine period furniture and an attractive Portuguese-style garden (Tues-Sat 8am-5pm, Sun 8am-noon). The Museu das Bandeiras situated on the Praca Brasil Ramos Caiado covers the story of the gold rush (Tues-Sat 8am-noon & 1-5pm, Sun 8am-noon), and there is a Museu de Arte Sacra in the Igreja da Boa Morte on Praca Dr Tasso de Camargo (Tues-Fri noon-5pm, Sat & Sun 9am-1pm). If you need to cool off in the afternoon after a day walking the old city streets, there's a natural swimming pool out by the Cachoeira Grande waterfalls on the beautiful Rio Vermelho, just 7km east of town (access at km138 on the BR-070).
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