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A Trip Guide to Sao Paulo

TripBlog
TripBlog
Oct 25, 2019

Catalogue

  • 1. Parque do Ibirapuera (Ibirapuera Park)
  • 2. Teatro Municipal (City Theater)
  • 3. Museu de Arte Contemporanea (Contemporary Art Museum)
  • 4. Pinacoteca do Estado de Sao Paulo
  • 5. Paulista Avenue
  • 6. Mercado Municipal de Sao Paulo
  • 7. Vila Madalena: Go for Shopping
  • 8. Largo de Sao Francisco
  • Best Time to Visit
  • Show More

An architectural wonderland, a cultural cocoon, a gastronomic giant – these are some of the things that Sao Paulo can say about it that many other cities in the world can’t. Sampa, as the locals lovingly call home, the city is immersed in a diverse dichotomy of all things great about a city and all things great about nature all in one. Any tourist guide will tell you first that Sao Paula is a humongous city, which means planning your trip is extremely crucial so that you don’t miss out! The biggest commercial hub of Brazil, Sao Paulo as tourist-friendly as it gets. The city brings out the warmth that the Brazilian people hold and takes it to a global scale. Seated on the Pratininga plateau, Sao Paulo is surrounded by several rivers making it a fertile land that acts as a hotbed for more than just plants. The backbone of the country, in many ways, a visit to Sao Paulo, will only have you leaving with nostalgia and no other feeling but a general wonderment of when you might return.

The lungs of the city, Parque do Ibirapuera is as picturesque as it gets. One of the largest parks in the Latin region, this scenic location, is a conglomeration of flora, lakes, cultural spaces, and cycle paths. So free, that it almost feels like there’s nothing you can’t do here. A vision of landscape artist and architect Robert Burle Marx, the buildings it houses are the incredible works of Oscar Niemeyer. The park is a humongous property spanning 158 hectares and sees visits in the millions. The general greenscape follows English style with a modern draft. As a green paradise amid a concrete jungle, it is one of the most vibrant and photographed parks in the world. A leisure lagoon, the park is home to several museums, monuments, and spaces that uphold the culture of this gay city. Some of Sao Paulo’s most awaited concerts are hosted in this park’s music hall, also designed by Oscar. For a fine Sunday outing, Sao Paulo’s beloved park has everything you need, even if you want to sit by a park bench in solitude across a lake as you watch duck families go about their lives.

A Trip Guide to Sao Paulo

Another treat for the architecturally inclined, this theater was modeled after the Paris Opera. Designed by renowned architect Ramos de Azevedo, Sao Paulo’s theater is an exciting mixture of Art Nouveau and Italian renaissance themes. A major city attraction, the venue is revered as the nurturer of the Brazil arts scene in modern history. Icons of the Brazilian Modernist Movement like Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Tarsila do Amaral, Anita Malfatti, Heitor Villa-Lobos can point to this venue as the reason for their name and fame. Most noted as the cite for the Week of Modern Art, the Brazilian Modernismo is considerably set to have reached its heights when Theatro Municipal threw the spotlight onto the most celebrated artists of the period. The inspiration it served as the venue of the Week of Modern art in 1922 is upheld even today as it hosts several international artists from the performing arts genre. As an old building that was constructed in 1911, the place went through a complete overhaul and opened up to its original grandeur in 1991. Such an epochal piece, which holds in it the stories of heritage and culture, Sao Paulo’s Teatro municipal, is one that takes you back in time as you revel in the stillness of today’s ongoing. Now more than a hundred years old, the place has undergone several catalytic changes and has evolved with the ebbs and flows of the art scene in Brazil. The theater is almost well known for having the biggest lyric production in South America.

Sao Paulo’s contemporary art scene is bright and thriving. A conglomeration of old and new all in one, Museu de Arte Contemporanea showcases more than 8000 pieces of work from a wide range of schools. You can find everything here from Picasso to Di Cavalcanti. This museum is home to the largest collection of modern 20th-century art in all of Latin America. The place is unsurprisingly housed inside Parque Ibirapuera and even features an outdoor setting that displays 20 large works. Inaugurated in 1963, the museum started with the donations of the private collection of Brazilian industrialist and art collector Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho. The museum houses several important pieces by noted artists such as Amadeo Modigliani, Umberto Boccioni, Joan Miro, and Anita Malfatti.

The oldest museum in the city, Pinacoteca de Estado de Sao Palo, opened its doors in 1905 to harbor the incredible works of Brazilian artists. A collection of more than 10,000 works, the museum features drawings, paintings, and sculptures from the 19th century to the present date. The building itself, Liceu de Artes e Ofícios, is a piece of art itself. Ramos de Azevedo and Domiziano Rossi designed the 1900 building. Some of the most famous works on display here include Stella Alves de Lima, Vera Alves de Lima, Wind Storm, and Roman Slave. The place also acts as the venue for several international circuits including cultural events and bibliographic productions. A dynamic cultural institution, this museum also features a second location at Bom Retiro where temporary exhibits. It is also a collector important documents and works of Brazil’s history.

A Trip Guide to Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo’s activity center, Avenida Paulista, is a favorite among locals and tourists alike. A fun-day outing, people-watching while you enjoy a cup of hot Brazilian coffee on one of the many sidewalks as you realize that you are on vacay – there’s no better feeling than that. A shopping destination, a hotbed of galleries and theaters, home of several incredible parks that provide dense foliage – Sao Paulo’s Paulista Avenue is many things in one. The main avenue also acts as the host of several festivities and celebrations of the city, and if you’re at the place during one of these, you will inevitably find yourself here wading through the crowds. Lined with towering skyscrapers and home to the most eclectic collection of bars and restaurants, each offering incredible views of the city, Paulista Avenue is the place to be if you consider yourself a nocturnal creature. A postcard destination as one may call it, or for a more modern take, an Instagrammers dream, Paulista Avenue is a plethora of things that you can’t describe unless you are there. Put, it is the heart of the city.

A Trip Guide to Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo’s most incredible market, Mercado Municipal is a food haven, and a must-visit if you are into street food. Set in the downtown area, the place is a colorful mixture of stalls, restaurants, pubs, and bars set inside a multi-story warehouse! You can find everything here from exotic fruits to bakery products and spices. The most famous item here is the sandwich – a baguette filled with a wedge of mortadella. The best bread and the juiciest meat in one – Sao Paulo know what it's talking about when it comes to food. Located in Mercado neighborhood, the place is very close to the Tanduatei River. It is a noted meeting point among the locals and is fondly called “big market.” The place is built in an eclectic style noted for columns, vaults, and stained glass. The place recently underwent an invigoration renovation that added a new mezzanine with eight restaurants, new lighting, and flooring.

A tipster's paradise, Sao Paulo welcomes tribes from the world over. An open-air shopping mall, Vila Madalena is the place where you can find everything from organic food to house utilities. An upper-middle-class neighborhood, the place is also home to several galleries and studios where you can find the best of bohemian culture and art. It is also considered one of the best places in town for pub hopping. Ending your shopping spree with a slurp of cold chope is highly recommended here. The graffiti-covered alleyways, the bustling nightlife, and the best restaurants in town, Vila Madalena changes cover quite frequently, and each time you go, you’ll find something new and exciting here.

A street in the city center, Largo de Sao Francisco, is named after the mammoth complex it faces. The church of St. Francis dating back to 1644 is one of the oldest in the city and is a remnant of the Portugal period of Brazil’s history. The church seems quite unassuming from the outside, but the inside is bejeweled beauty in white and gold. A diamond in the rough as one may call it, the bowed roof with paintings of heaven, the metallic trim, and saintly statues provides an invigorating space for connection, prayer, and culture.

A Trip Guide to Sao Paulo

Sao Paulo has a humid subtropical climate, and the city experiences four distinct seasons. Arguably the best time to visit Sao Paulo is during the fall between March to May when the temperature is a comfortable 70 to 80 Fahrenheit with less haze and humidity. October and November, or the spring shoulder seasons are also a good time to visit the city. Summertime between December to February can get a little tricky, as the weather is hot and wet. If you are used to winter weather, though, June to September sees comfortable temperatures ranging from 71 to 75. Given that the variations aren’t extreme, there’s no necessity to fret should you be there at odd times. However, the months of December and January may see heavy rainfall, and prior precautions when it comes to packing are necessary.

However, there’s more to consider than just weather, when it comes to visiting Sao Paulo as several events are occurring around the year.

If you find yourself in the city during carnival, i.e. February (suppose you weren’t able to make it to Rio), the city hosts it at the Anhembi Sambadrome where you can catch umpteen samba performances from various schools. Each school represents a different theme that is showcased through their vibrant costumes, fluidic movements, and mesmerizing music. You can also watch the carros alegoricos displayed according to the theme fo the parade. Vai-vai is the oldest school and is the special champion of the city with a large fan base.

For the fashion aficionados, Sao Paulo Fashion Week is held in April. However, do beware that it is held semi-annually. A prominent fashion week that only falls behind New York, London, Paris, and Milan, Sao Paulo Fashion Week several iconic fashion houses displaying their biggest lines of the year.

A modern city that embraces individuality like no other, Sao Paulo declared same-sex marriages in 2012. Sao Paulo has a vibrant LGBT community and hosts the largest pride parade in the world. As of 2019, the city saw 3 to 5 million attendees on the streets on Avenida Paulista, where it is held each year. If you are ever in Sao Paulo in June, this is an unmissable event.

Mostra Internacional de Cinema de São Paulo or Sao Paulo International Film Festival is held each year in October. The 39-year history of the festival is well-noted and sees the presence of remarkable Brazilian filmmakers as guests. Notable international guests have included Christian Berger, Geraldine Chaplin, Alan Parker, and Quentin Tarantino.

The sports enthusiast, of course, would have to visit Sao Paulo during Formula 1 Grand Prix in November.

A Trip Guide to Sao Paulo

Whether you’re in the city for business or pleasure, Sao Paulo has something on offer for any metro enthusiast. Sao Paulo has seen cultural influences from the east, west, north, and south, making it a crucial cosmopolitan. The city has a thriving population of Asians and Americans, as well as ethnic pardo. To celebrate its accepting nature, Sao Paulo even houses a museum that pays homage to the service that the African immigrants did the city. An immense place for nightlife, a thriving destination for arts and buzzing metropolitan comm center – Sao Paulo is a revered city by locals and tourists alike. While you’re there, it also worth taking the one-hour drive to Paulista Coast to hit the tropical Brazilian beaches, a pina colada, great seafood, and fun in the sun are waiting to happen! An exquisite destination, Sao Paulo often gets missed on the Brazil tourism circuit, but there’s so much here in terms of art and culture that one should not think twice about getting a load of this city’s passion.

Contact Center of the year 2022
Contact Center of the year 2022
Google Material Design Awards 2019
Google Material Design Awards 2019