Itajá (GO): Lagoa Santa's mother town, 20 km away
The municipality Lagoa Santa was born from, and the nearest support base for refueling, shopping and catching a bus.
Updated on 2026-10-08
Itajá is the town closest to Lagoa Santa and the one most connected to it. Until 1997, Lagoa Santa was the district of Termas de Itajá, and the GO-302, which links the two towns over 20 km, is still the way almost everything arrives: the bus from Goiânia, fuel and slightly bigger shops. For anyone visiting the hot springs, getting to know Itajá means getting to know the gateway.
Town facts
| Item | Data |
|---|---|
| State | Goiás |
| Population | 4,380 inhabitants (2022 Census) |
| Area | 2,091 km² |
| Distance from Lagoa Santa | 20 km (GO-302) |
| Distance from Goiânia | ~360 to 408 km, depending on the route |
| Relationship with Lagoa Santa | Mother municipality: Lagoa Santa was the district of Termas de Itajá until its emancipation in 1997 |
| City hall | (64) 3648-7500 · itaja.go.gov.br |
Note the proportion: Itajá has just over 4,000 inhabitants in a territory of more than 2,000 km², which makes it a municipality of farms, pastures and crops, with a small town center. Lagoa Santa, with 463 km², was carved out of this area.
A shared history
The thermal lagoon was on land belonging to the municipality of Itajá when the first visitors began to arrive, back in the late 19th century. In 1988 the district of Termas de Itajá was created, recognizing the village that was growing around the lagoon and, from 1990, around the Hotel Thermas. Nine years later, Goiás State Law 13,134 of July 21, 1997 created the municipality of Lagoa Santa, installed on January 1, 2001. That is why the town's anniversary is July 21. The full story is on History of Lagoa Santa.
Today Itajá borders Lagoa Santa to the north, east and west; to the south, the Aporé River marks the border with Paranaíba (MS). It is common for families to have relatives in both towns, and for Lagoa Santa residents to work or study in Itajá.
What to see in Itajá
Itajá is not a tourist destination in itself, but it has what a small inland Goiás town offers: a central square with a church, street shops, snack bars and the late-afternoon bustle. The municipality is crossed by cerrado rivers and streams, and the countryside has cattle ranches and crops. People passing through on the way to Lagoa Santa usually stop to refuel, eat and buy whatever they forgot.
- Downtown and square: a quick stop for coffee, pão de queijo (cheese bread) and pamonha (corn tamale), when available.
- Shops: supermarket, pharmacy, fishing supplies and farm supplies; more variety than in Lagoa Santa.
- Bus station: arrival point for the lines from Goiânia and Rio Verde.
Why Itajá matters to visitors to Lagoa Santa
- Refueling. It is the last reliable gas station before Lagoa Santa for those coming from the north (Goiânia, Rio Verde, Caçu). Fill the tank.
- Arriving by bus. There is no direct line to Lagoa Santa. From Goiânia, there are buses to Itajá leaving in the late afternoon, around 5 p.m., Sunday to Friday (Goiânia Bus Station, (62) 3240-0000). From Rio Verde, Real Expresso (about R$ 78) and Expresso Itamarati (about R$ 80) operate, reference prices. The last 20 km are covered by taxi or local transport; the Lagoa Santa bus station answers on (64) 3648-1439.
- Shopping. If you forgot sunscreen, medicine or a fishhook, Itajá will usually have it.
- Public services. Some regional offices serve both towns from Itajá; confirm with the Lagoa Santa City Hall, (64) 3640-1303.
Hospital: for emergencies, Lagoa Santa has the HPS, (64) 3640-1267. For more complex care, the regional reference is Paranaíba (MS) or Quirinópolis (GO). See Useful phone numbers.
How to get from Lagoa Santa to Itajá
On the GO-302, 20 km, about 20 to 25 minutes by car. It is the same highway that passes in front of the Thermas complex (Km 19). No regular public transport; arrange a taxi or local transport through the bus station. At night, watch out for animals on the road. Travelers from Goiânia reach Itajá on the GO-178, coming from Itarumã; the full route is on From Goiânia.
Did Lagoa Santa once belong to Itajá?
Yes. Lagoa Santa was the district of Termas de Itajá, created in 1988, until it became a municipality under Goiás State Law 13,134 of July 21, 1997, installed on January 1, 2001.
Is there a bus from Itajá to Lagoa Santa?
There is no regular line. The 20 km are covered by taxi or local transport; ask at the Lagoa Santa bus station, (64) 3648-1439, or arrange it with your guesthouse.
Is it worth staying in Itajá?
Only if there is no room in Lagoa Santa. The hot springs and the river are in Lagoa Santa, and the guesthouses there let you walk to almost everything. See Where to stay.