Poços de Caldas is a municipality in the south of Minas Gerais state, Brazil, in the microregion of the same name.

The region had been inhabited by the Cataguases Indians, who were expelled from their lands by the Bandeiras Unidas Paulistas during their quest for gold.

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, having an area of 547 km2 (85 km2 urban and 459 km2 rural) in the municipality.

[4] 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), whose connections are made with good highways, and due to its integration into the routes of the hydro-mineral spas of Serra Negra, Águas de Lindóia, Socorro, Monte Alegre do Sul, Águas da Prata, Caldas (Pocinhos do Rio Verde), Cambuquira, Lambari, Caxambu and São Lourenço.

Due to its wealth in hydro-mineral resources, Poços de Caldas is also known for the quality of the soap that it produces.

[citation needed] The founders of the factories were descendants of the artistic glassmakers who lived on the Island of Murano, near Venice, in Italy.

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.