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Caminho da Fé receives national recognition, crosses dozens of municipalities, and strengthens religious tourism to the largest Marian sanctuary in Brazil
One of the main pilgrimage routes in the country received official recognition from the Federal Government in July 2026.
The Law No. 15,449/2026 transformed the Caminho da Fé into a nationally recognized tourist route between Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
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The inspiration came from the famous Camino de Santiago de Compostela, one of the most well-known religious routes in the world.
The recognition aims to stimulate religious, cultural, and rural tourism in the cities included in the route.
Law officially recognizes the Caminho da Fé as a tourist route
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva sanctioned Law No. 15,449 on June 30, 2026.
The publication in the Official Gazette of the Union occurred on July 1, 2026, the date on which the law came into effect.
The Chamber of Deputies reported that the measure allows for supporting the structuring, promotion, and dissemination of local tourist attractions.
The Caminho da Fé thus officially becomes part of policies aimed at the regionalization of Brazilian tourism.
Main route starts in Águas da Prata
The main route starts in Águas da Prata, in the interior of São Paulo, and follows through São Paulo and Minas Gerais municipalities.
The Minas Gerais part crosses Andradas, Borda da Mata, Brazópolis, Consolação, Estiva, Inconfidentes, Ouro Fino, Paraisópolis, and Tocos do Moji.
The route returns to São Paulo territory and passes through well-known cities of the Serra da Mantiqueira.
The route includes Campos do Jordão, Guaratinguetá, Pindamonhangaba, Potim, and São Bento do Sapucaí.
The final destination is Aparecida, where the main religious visitation point of the route is located.
Secondary branches expand options for pilgrims
The tourist route also has nine secondary branches distributed between Minas Gerais and São Paulo.
The São José – Centro Paulista – São Carlos Borromeu branch connects 19 municipalities in São Paulo.
The Dom Inácio João Dal Monte – Caconde, Franca, Leme, and Medalha Milagrosa paths are also part of the route.
The options also include Mococa, Padre Donizetti – Ribeirão Preto – Tambaú, and Rosa Mística – Santa Luzia.
The South of Minas – Caldas – Santa Rita de Cássia branch completes the list of recognized routes.
The different starting points allow each pilgrim to choose the route according to the time available and the desired distance.
Pilgrimage to Aparecida mobilizes thousands of pilgrims
The officialization occurs after a period of intense religious movement on the roads leading to the National Sanctuary.
The Federal Highway Police recorded about 39 thousand pilgrims on the Presidente Dutra Highway in October 2025.
The survey considered the period related to the Day of Our Lady of Aparecida, celebrated on October 12.
The same route had received approximately 36 thousand pilgrims during the religious period of 2024.
The numbers indicate a growth in the walk of the faithful towards the city of Aparecida.
National Sanctuary ends the Path of Faith
The National Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida represents the final destination of the different branches of the route.
The complex is considered the main hub of religious tourism in Brazil.
The structure includes the basilica, the viewpoint, the Room of Promises, the Chapel of Candles, and the Walkway of Faith.
The spaces receive tourists, pilgrims, and devotees from different Brazilian regions throughout the year.
Officialization may strengthen regional tourism
Federal recognition could expand the promotion of cities, accommodations, restaurants, landscapes, and cultural attractions along the path.
The increase in pilgrimage can also boost small businesses located along the routes.
The presence of mountainous areas, rural zones, and small communities reinforces the tourism potential of the entire region.
The route now brings together, therefore, faith, history, tourism, and regional economic development.
The recognition consolidates the Caminho da Fé as one of the main Brazilian pilgrimage routes to the Sanctuary of Aparecida.
Would you be willing to cross dozens of cities along the Caminho da Fé to reach the Sanctuary of Aparecida? Leave your opinion in the comments!
