Travelling information

The most convenient way to reach the city of Poços de Caldas is to arrive at International Airporto of Guarulhos (São Paulo) or Internacional Airport of Viracopos (Campinas – SP). The organizing Committee will provide transfer from these two Airports to Poços de Caldas, upon request at an additional cost. Please, send an email to reserva@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br.
Important remark: As we have a limited number of places for the transfer, please contact Ms. Elisabete by phone (+55 11 99750-8361) or by e-mail (reserva@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br) before purchasing your travel tickets.

Information about transfer

On arrival, a transfer service for speakers will be available from Guarulhos airport (10 a.m.) and Viracopos airport (10:30 a.m.) to the venue. For the other participants, please contact Ms. Elisabete Simabuco by the e-mail: reserva@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br or by phone (11) 99750 8361 or (12) 3663 2166 for information about Shuttle to and from Hotel Palace (Poços de Caldas).

Visa and currency

Visas: Participants should check with their local travel agents whether they will require a visa for traveling to Brazil. It is recommended to apply well in advance of the meeting.
Currency: The Brazilian currency is the Real. Major credit cards are widely accepted in Brazil. In both Guarulhos and Viracopos airports there are exchange houses of the main foreign currencies.
For further information, please send us an e-mail to reserva@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br

Letter of invitation

All participants requiring invitation letters should inform the 10th Brazilian Symposium on Medicinal Chemistry secretariat as early as possible.
Such invitations are only for the purpose of assisting participants to raise travel funds or to obtain visas. No financial commitment on the part of the organizers is implied. Please address your request to 10brazmedchem@gmail.com or reserva@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br
Cancellation policy
No refunds will be provided; however, you can indicate a substitute person at no additional cost.
Poços de Caldas

Historical and geografical aspects

Poços de Caldas was founded in 1872, in a region originally inhabited by the Cataguases Indians, who were expelled from their lands during the Brazilian historical period of exploration of gold mines. In 1874 it became a district, then in 1875 it was elevated to the category of city. It became famous after the discovery of the hot springs, and many important people began to visit the spa in search of cures provided by the water.
It lies on the boundary of the state of São Paulo at 1186 meters elevation and is the main socio-economic nucleus of its region. It is a small to medium size city, which its physical area is made up for the most part of a high plateau formed by mountains, fields and valleys with an area of approximately 750 km2. The average elevation is 1200 m (3937 ft), with Cristo Redentor, the highest point, at 1686 m (5531 ft). The topography is highly suggestive of a volcanic crater and, given that the region’s rocks are indeed igneous and there are hot springs, this gave rise to a common misconception that Poços de Caldas would be located inside the crater of a large extinct volcano. In reality, Poços de Caldas is inside a caldera that was formed by the collapse of a central portion of terrain amid elevated areas, and while the latter have volcanic origin, the process that formed the supposed “crater” had nothing to do with volcanic activity. Poços de Caldas occupies a highly strategic geographical location, due to its proximity to São Paulo (243 km), Belo Horizonte (460 km) and Rio de Janeiro (470 km), cities, three of the biggest brazilian cities ( all are state capital cities) whose connections are made with good highways and its is part of a complex of hydro-mineral spas of that include cities as Serra Negra, Águas de Lindóia, Socorro, Monte Alegre do Sul, Águas da Prata, Caldas, Cambuquira, Caxambu and São Lourenço. Poços de Caldas is also close to the most developed regions of the interior of the state of São Paulo, such as Ribeirão Preto (240 km), Campinas (160 Km, where is located the international airport of Viracopos) and São José dos Campos (315 km).
The climate is characterized by dry winters and mild summers. The winter is from April to September and has an average temperature of 15 °C and rainfall of 315 mm. The summer is from October to March and has an average temperature of 21 °C with rainfall of 1,430 mm. The annual rainfall is 1,745 mm. The average annual temperature is 17 °C with record low of -6 °C and record high of 31.7 °C.
Known mainly for its thermal baths, there are several resorts in the city. Due to its wealth in hydro-mineral resources, Poços de Caldas is also known for the quality of the soap that it produces. There are four factories in the city: Raízes, Antares, Sarandi and Terra Brasil. Poços is famous for its glass, which is known internationally, due to the Italian founders of the factories which were descendants of the artistic glassmakers from the Island of Murano. In the city there are four glass factories: Ca’D’oro, São Marcos, Veneza and Bonora.
Poços is also the home of one of the largest bauxite mines in the world, owned by Alcoa. This ore contains at least 45% alumina, which is extracted to make aluminum. The smelting operations at Poços de Caldas have an annual capacity of 90,000 tons/year of primary aluminum. The facility is the largest aluminum-powder production facility in Latin America, and the second largest in the world. The plant has a capacity of 14,000 tonnes/year of aluminum powder and meets the market demand for ferroalloys, refractories, pigments, metallurgy, chemicals, explosives and solid fuel for rockets. The facility began production of hydrated aluminas and hard-burned calcined aluminas in 1985.

Tourism

The city is very well taken care of, with several green areas, among parks, squares, gardens and São Domingos mountain, which has trails for walking. There is an aerial tram to get to the Statue of Christ the Redeemer (1,686 m). At the top of the mountain there is a great view of the nearby mountains. The sulphurous water is the main attraction and can be consumed in several fountains and at the Thermas Antônio Carlos. The city also offers options such as a theme park, museums, theaters, cafes, bars, restaurants, and other cultural events.

Gastronomy

The region is known throughout Brazil for its delicious food. In spite of a number of different options of restaurants with different tendencies in terms of traditional and international food (mainly Italian food), on of the main appeal is the regional cuisine called “cozinha mineira”. Basically, the prepared dishes take typical ingredients of the region, with influences from other states like Mato Grosso, Goias and Bahia, bringing together elements with the cuisine of the Midwest and Northeastern. Some Minas Gerais food that you need to try are:

CHEESE: Minas Gerais is the dairy-producing state of Brazil and is known for such cheeses as Queijo Minas, a soft, mild-flavoured fresh white cheese usually sold packaged in water; requeijão, a mildly salty, silky-textured, spreadable cheese sold in glass jars and eaten on bread; and Catupiry, a soft processed cheese sold in a distinctive round wooden box.
Caipira chicken: A chicken that has lived its life running around the yard, what we’d call a free-range chicken, is known in Brazil as a “frango caipira”, which means country-style chicken. This dish is a “Comida Caseira” or typical meal that you would eat in the countryside of Brazil.
Feijão tropeiro (cattleman’s beans): A traditional Brazilian dish from Minas Gerais, “Feijão Tropeiro” is made with beans, sausage, bacon, collard greens, eggs and manioc flour.
Canjiquinha: This is a dish typically from Minas Gerais. It is basically crushed corn and in the “mineira” version it is prepared with pork. The appearance is yellowish, creamy and with pieces of meat.
Quitandas: These cakes, biscuits and sweets are usually served as snacks in cafes, and the process that accompanies their preparation is something to experience.

Official agency

Campos do Jordão Eventos com Elisabete Simabuco?Fone: (11) 99750 8361 WhatsApp ou (12) 3663 2166?E-mail: reserva@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br ou bete@camposdojordaoeventos.com.br?Site: www.camposdojordaoeventos.com.br