BENJAMIN GUIMARÃES STEAMBOAT

The BENJAMIN GUIMARÃES STEAMBOAT is the only original vessel of its kind in the world. Built in 1913 on the Mississippi River in the USA by James Rees & Co., it was brought to Brazil in the 1920s (Amazonas) and later to Pirapora. For decades, at the height of commercial navigation, the steamboat was extensively used for transporting cargo and passengers between northern Minas Gerais and northeastern Brazil. Revitalized in the 1980s, it now exclusively operates as a tourist attraction.

The steamboat has a total capacity of 180 passengers and 25 crew members. Its structure includes 44 meters in length and 8 meters in width, spread over three decks. Its maximum upstream speed is 9 km/h, while its maximum downstream speed reaches 18 km/h. Reforestation wood is the fuel that powers its boiler and paddlewheel system. The vessel is owned by the city of Pirapora and is officially recognized as a historical, cultural, and tourist heritage of Pirapora, Minas Gerais, and the São Francisco River Valley. The steamboat is managed by the Municipal Tourism Company – EMUTUR.