Sao Paulo, Brazil — Things to Do
Sightseeing in Sao Paulo
On the surface, Sao Paulo can't begin to compete with the spectacular sights of Rio de Janeiro, but underneath the grey, concrete exterior beats the heart of a vibrant cultural and artistic metropolis. In a word, Sao Paulo's attractions are its people.
Sao Paulo is the cultural capital of Brazil, with a vibrant artistic community that takes the form of art galleries and museums scattered around the city. Clustered in neighborhoods like Jardins, Cerqueira César, and Bela Vista, you'll find both local and international talent at places like the Luisa Strina Gallery, Arte 57 Escritorio de Arte, Choque Cultural Gallery, and the Museu da Tatuagem (Museum of Tattooing).
Sao Paulo is the home of Brazil's famous combination of dance and martial art: capoeira. There are several capoeira schools for tourists wanting to give it a try, including the Salão De Festas or Academia Spah.
The city also has some notable green spaces, including the manicured Botanical Gardens, the Sao Paulo Zoo, and the miniature rainforest in the Parque Siqueira Campos. The Praça da República in the city center is surprisingly green as well, with lagoons, a fountain, and a bandstand.
One particularly beautiful area of Sao Paulo is the Parque do Ibirapuera, a major park near the center of the city with many points of interest, including a planetarium, Japanese pavilion, gymnasium, the Obelisk of Sao Paulo, and the Cicillo Matarazzo Pavilion, which houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and is the site of large events like the São Paulo Art Biennial and São Paulo Fashion Week. The park is home to many museums, including the Air Force Museum, Folklore Museum, and Modern Art Museum.
Sao Paulo is home to a number of other interesting museums, including those dedicated to immigrants, the African Diaspora, the Japanese community, revolutionary heroes, and Brazilian language and literature.
Sao Paulo has many interesting buildings for architecture enthusiasts, including whimsical Victorian mansions in Bela Vista, and modern skyscrapers like the curving Edifício Copan, the colorful Instituto Tomie Ohtake, the Victorian train station Estação da Luz, and the Baroque cathedral Igreja de São Francisco de Assis. The Italia and Banespa buildings offer panoramic views of Sao Paulo from their viewing decks.
Most attractions in Sao Paulo are easy to get to through a combination of walking and taking the metro. Pickpockets and muggings are common, but visitors are generally safe in well-populated areas during the day.
Shopping in Sao Paulo
Shopping in Sao Paulo is a big deal, as the city is the major luxury shopping destination for all of Brazil. You'll find designer labels and haute couture to rival the best boutiques of New York or London, small outdoor craft markets, and everything else in between.
Popular things to buy in Sao Paulo include religious antiques, soapstone carvings, leather goods and gemstone jewelry, offered by various shops throughout the city. You can also find local gemstones carved into shapes like toucans, jaguars, and other wild figures.
If your budget is bigger, though, you won't find a better place to look for Brazilian fashion than Sao Paulo. Neighbourhoods like Jardins, Rua Augusta or Alameda Lorena have many high-end fashion boutiques carrying designer Brazilian labels like Animale, Victor Dzenk, Ellus, and Totem.
Sao Paulo has a few worthwhile outdoor markets, including the Saturday market Feira do Bixiga, which has crafts, antiques, clothing and live music; and Feira Moderna, offering high-end local goods set in a flower garden with a relaxed cafe. The Museu de Arte hosts an antique fair every Sunday, and the predominantly Japanese neighborhood of Liberdade has its own Saturday market. Markets can be a great way to get bargains on Sao Paulo souvenirs, but there is petty theft, so always keep a close watch on your belongings.
There isn't a central shopping district in Sao Paulo, but stores tend to be clustered in groups: Rua 25 de Março has an abundance of market stalls, and Jardins is where you'll find a lot of high-end Brazilian fashion. But for those who would just as easily arrive in a helicopter as a taxi, Daslu is a posh department store catering to the every whim of its customer, from free espresso to a sushi bar, and all the designer labels you need to max out your credit card.
There are also a few shopping malls in Sao Paulo, including Patio Higienópolis, Morumbi, and Iguatemi. These tend toward upscale stores, with fine dining and expensive boutiques next to cinemas and food courts.
Shops in Sao Paulo accept credit cards with few exceptions. High-end stores won't bargain, but feel free to haggle at markets. Sales tax is 18 percent, and there is no tax refund scheme for departing tourists in Brazil.
Sao Paulo Nightlife
Sao Paulo's party scene is a late-night one: most Paulistas (locals) don't go out until midnight. In fact, there's a saying in the city: when the sun comes up, you hardly notice.
Sao Paulo's nightlife is a reflection of its cosmopolitan image. Its bars and clubs are spread out around the city, though you'll find clusters in neighborhoods like Vila Olímpia, whose dance clubs are popular with twentysomething Paulistas, and Vila Madalena, where you'll find restaurants and bars that appeal more to revelers in their thirties. Because bars and clubs in Sao Paulo are so spread out, it can be a good idea to stick to venues in one area, rather than running up large taxi bills getting caught in the city's late-night traffic jams. It is not advised to walk around at night in Sao Paulo.
Bars in Sao Paulo have their own system for payment. Instead of or in addition to the entry charge, there will be a drink minimum. You'll get a card that will record all your expenses for the night, and pay everything when you leave. Be careful not to lose this card, as the penalty is very expensive!
Live music in Sao Paulo is among the best in Brazil, with a wide variety of styles to suit every taste. The formal Teatro Municipal and the Sala São Paulo, where the Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra performs, have good programs of classical music, theater, and dance. The Teatro Italia hosts regular Brazilian contemporary dance performances. For a more relaxed evening, head to Bourbon Street, a popular jazz club founded by BB King himself. Vila Country hosts Brazilian Country music, and Armazem da Vila plays pagoda, which is a simpler form of samba.
If you feel like dancing, Sao Paulo has many options for that as well. Azucar has a reputation as the best Latin dance spot in the city, with meringue, salsa, and mambo playing all night long. Bar Favela is also popular, and includes pop and hip hop music along with Latin dance. Blen Blen Brasil is also popular, with a more relaxed and eclectic feel, mixing deejays and live bands. If you're unsure of your steps, you can go to the Buena Vista Club, which offers dance lessons in traditional Latin club styles like the gafieira and the zouk.
Sao Paulo also has a few popular gay clubs, including Lov.e in Vila Olímpia, and Bendito Fruto Bar or matrix in Vila Madalena.
Be aware of local terms: the words boate or boite, which in Rio mean nightclub, refer almost exclusively to sex clubs and strip bars in Sao Paulo.
Pick up a copy of the Friday Folha de São Paulo newspaper, which has a great concert and event guide. Veja magazine also has a good entertainment guide that comes out on Sundays, and the monthly Revista Cultural, a government publication, has up-to-date information on more formal events like theater, exhibitions, classical music and dance. All three publications have a separate section devoted to free events.
Attractions for Kids
Despite its reputation as a grey urban metropolis, there is a lot for kids to see and do in Sao Paulo. The city's wide array of museums and cultural centers offer children fun and educational experiences, while the various parks and gardens give them a chance to run around.
Sao Paulo's museums cover so many themes and areas of interest that there's bound to be one for everyone. Kids will love the Estrela House of Dreams, which showcases toys made at the Estrela factory going back to the 1930's. The Science Station in Lapa, housed in a formerly abandoned factory, has children's exhibits dedicated to astronomy, physics, meteorology, math, geology, geography, and more.
The Sao Paulo Zoo is a great place to start, giving kids the opportunity to interact with a variety of animals, both local and international. Many animals, including the lions, giraffes, bears and elephants, were rescued from a circus, while the zoo is focused on conservation of indigenous animals like marmosets, macaws, and neotropical cats. The nearby Safari Zoo experience is a bit wilder, with animals roaming free while visitors drive themselves through in their cars.
There are a lot of other great parks in Sao Paulo as well, including the Ibirapuera Park, which has great family attractions like a planetarium, gymnasium, and Air Force Museum. The Parque Siqueira Campos has a miniature rainforest, and the Praça da República is a great place for family picnics.
Children's attractions in Sao Paulo also include several amusement parks great for families. The Playcenter in Barra Funda has Brazil's biggest roller coaster, along with other rides and games. It's conveniently located within walking distance from the metro. The city center is also where you'll find children's attractions dedicated to South American pop culture figures like television personality Xuxa and comic book character Mônica.
Less central is Hopi Hari, a large amusement park about 45 miles (72km) north of Sao Paulo. The park has several themed areas focusing on European and local culture, and rides including roller coasters, a haunted house, and a Ferris wheel.
For hot days, families can head to Wet'n Wild, about 50 minutes from Sao Paulo. The popular water park offers water slides, wave pools, a lazy river, and 'Bubble Up' attraction as ways to beat the Brazilian heat.
Cold days are also taken care of if you head 34 miles (54km) out of town to Ski Mountain Park, which offers skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing, a skating rink, and more. There's also horseback riding, mountain biking, and a playground for the summertime, giving older kids and teens something to do in Sao Paulo all year long.
Taxis to theme parks outside of town can be expensive, but most have dedicated buses that leave from various points around the city every morning.
