Exciting cultural sites, one-of-a-kind museums and peaceful urban parks are all part of the sprawling cityscape of Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo. Glass high-rises make up the city skyline, which is one of Brazil’s most impressive. While the city is well known for business, it also has a burgeoning art scene, colonial-period historic sites and an exciting nightlife.
Start your visit in the centre of São Paulo around Ibirapuera Park. Locals visit the park in crowds on warm weekends. Walk around the lake, borrow books from an outdoor library and visit museums and galleries. Spend an hour out of the sun learning about the São Paulo night sky at the Planetário Professor Aristóteles Orsini. Watch an outdoor concert at Ibirapuera Auditorium or see a Picasso painting among the works at the Museum of Modern Art.
Use the city’s convenient metro system to get between attractions. Learn about São Paulo’s primary language at the Portuguese Language Museum. Nearby, see works in many different art forms at the Bank of Brazil Cultural Centre.
Go to Paulista Avenue, the city’s main thoroughfare. Local restaurants line the main strip and surrounding streets, where you can sample regional foods. Try pastel, a stuffed pastry. Shop, browse museums such as the Museum of Art and join business people in bars at the end of the workday.
Look for heritage structures throughout the city. The São Bento Monastery sells bread made by monks. The long arcade before the São Paulo Cathedral makes for excellent photo opportunities.
It’s helpful to learn some basic Portuguese before you visit, although you’ll find that English and Spanish are common at the city’s main attractions. São Paulo holds a criminal threat rating of “critical” according to the U.S. State Department, so it’s important to be vigilant about your personal safety. Stay with crowds and pay attention to your belongings while on the streets.
Guarulhos International Airport lies about 28 kilometres (17.3 miles) northeast of the city centre. From here, take a cab into the city. Get around on foot near the main thoroughfares such as Paulista Avenue to enjoy the lively atmosphere of Brazil’s biggest city.
Travel guide produced with the assistance of the São Paulo Convention & Visitors Bureau, SPTuris and Flavia Liz Personal Guide - Sao Paulo specialist
