The Historic Centre of Goiás is the reason to come. Its scale is modest, but the streets around the Red River preserve the shape of an inland colonial mining town: low houses, thick walls, church squares, and civic buildings from the time when Vila Boa was the state capital.
Go slowly rather than trying to tick off every building. The town is at its best in the early morning and late afternoon, when the light softens and the whitewashed walls stop glaring back at you.