Most of the places you will go to in Brazil are set up as tourist attractions making them more accessible, like the beach resorts in and around Rio, the waterfalls at Foz do Iguazu etc… However Sao Paulo’s primary function is a city for people to live in, and due do it's size and reputation, it can be a bit intimidating for a traveller. However if you are prepared to give it a go, you will experience a city full of energy and life, with great bars, restaurants, shops, and everything else you’d expect from a vast cosmopolitan metropolis. If you need a change from the relaxing Brazilian beaches, it is the perfect place to go.
Best Areas
If it’s shopping you’re after, there are many shopping salls, including; Shopping Iguatemi and Shopping Murumbi, as well as many designer boutiques along streets like Rua Oscar Freire. They do have all the familiar US and European designer brands, but you’ll find better bargains and some original designs amongst the Brazilian brands. Things imported from Europe can actually be quiet expensive as they are aimed at the wealthy end of Brazil's gaping rich / poor divide. So in a restaurant for example, you might be better off avoiding the European Wines, French cheese etc. Brazil is probably most famous for it’s beef and you’ll find many Churrasco Style Restaurants, and for a steak to rival anything else I have had in the whole of South America, try the restaurant Baby Beef on Faria Lima. Sao Paulo is Brazil's most cosmopolitan city and, therefore, offers a variety of excellent restaurants. There is a large Italian contingent in the City so good pizza and pasta is easy to come by. With the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, Sao Paulo also has some fantastic sushi restaurants. You won’t have to look to far for great bars and clubs, with an abundance of them throughout the city centre. The one on the 33rd floor of Edificio Italia offers great views across the city, as does the modern and sophisticated terrace bar at Hotel Unique.
Safety
A point on safety, as many people have preconceptions of Sao Paulo being a dangerous place. If you stay to the main central areas, (most of which I have mentioned in this article) and take basic precautions, you are very unlikely to encounter any trouble. Having lived is these areas for some time, I personally believe that these parts of Sao Paulo are no more dangerous than any major city in Europe or the US and they are also very well covered with security measures, like security staff and CCTV.
There is also a strong art scene, with a number of great museums and galleries. The Art Bienial is one of the better known events, and this happens every 2 years. It is held in the Ciccillo Matarazzo pavilion, located in the Parque do Ibirapuera, and gives Brazil exposure to contemporary art, as well as attracting a number of international guests. The city also hosts other big events, including the Brazilian Grand Prix, and Sao Paulo fashion week is increasingly important in the fashion calendar.
Brazil is country dominated by beach culture, with the majority of the population living near the coast, making the most of the fantastic beaches. What Sao Paulo offers is a different side of Brazil, more hustle and bustle, more sophistication and culture, without losing any of the vibrancy and colour that makes Brazil such a great country to visit. I predict that come 2007, you will see more travel and lifestyle magazines feature Sao Paulo, and as a result the number of non-business visitors will increase. It’s a fantastic city and place to visit on your travels, but it is definitely a city first, and tourist attraction second.
Natasha Lanone - 8th September 2006
Best Areas
If it’s shopping you’re after, there are many shopping salls, including; Shopping Iguatemi and Shopping Murumbi, as well as many designer boutiques along streets like Rua Oscar Freire. They do have all the familiar US and European designer brands, but you’ll find better bargains and some original designs amongst the Brazilian brands. Things imported from Europe can actually be quiet expensive as they are aimed at the wealthy end of Brazil's gaping rich / poor divide. So in a restaurant for example, you might be better off avoiding the European Wines, French cheese etc. Brazil is probably most famous for it’s beef and you’ll find many Churrasco Style Restaurants, and for a steak to rival anything else I have had in the whole of South America, try the restaurant Baby Beef on Faria Lima. Sao Paulo is Brazil's most cosmopolitan city and, therefore, offers a variety of excellent restaurants. There is a large Italian contingent in the City so good pizza and pasta is easy to come by. With the largest Japanese community outside of Japan, Sao Paulo also has some fantastic sushi restaurants. You won’t have to look to far for great bars and clubs, with an abundance of them throughout the city centre. The one on the 33rd floor of Edificio Italia offers great views across the city, as does the modern and sophisticated terrace bar at Hotel Unique.
Safety
A point on safety, as many people have preconceptions of Sao Paulo being a dangerous place. If you stay to the main central areas, (most of which I have mentioned in this article) and take basic precautions, you are very unlikely to encounter any trouble. Having lived is these areas for some time, I personally believe that these parts of Sao Paulo are no more dangerous than any major city in Europe or the US and they are also very well covered with security measures, like security staff and CCTV.
There is also a strong art scene, with a number of great museums and galleries. The Art Bienial is one of the better known events, and this happens every 2 years. It is held in the Ciccillo Matarazzo pavilion, located in the Parque do Ibirapuera, and gives Brazil exposure to contemporary art, as well as attracting a number of international guests. The city also hosts other big events, including the Brazilian Grand Prix, and Sao Paulo fashion week is increasingly important in the fashion calendar.
Brazil is country dominated by beach culture, with the majority of the population living near the coast, making the most of the fantastic beaches. What Sao Paulo offers is a different side of Brazil, more hustle and bustle, more sophistication and culture, without losing any of the vibrancy and colour that makes Brazil such a great country to visit. I predict that come 2007, you will see more travel and lifestyle magazines feature Sao Paulo, and as a result the number of non-business visitors will increase. It’s a fantastic city and place to visit on your travels, but it is definitely a city first, and tourist attraction second.
Natasha Lanone - 8th September 2006
Sao Paulo | City Guide
Sao Paulo city, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, is the Southern Hemisphere’s answer to New York City. Like New York it is the largest financial centre in it’s hemisphere, the largest city in the country, and a huge multi-cultural metropolis that is a magnet for art, culture, shopping, restaurants and has a vibrant nightlife. So why do so few tourists and travellers visiting Brazil take the trouble to pay a proper visit, and why should they?
If you're planning a trip to Brazil, I’m sure you have got Rio and many of Brazil’s fantastic beaches in your travel plans, and rightly so. You may have even looked into trips into the Amazon or Pantanal to see Brazil’s natural beauty. However if you are like many of Brazil’s visitors you may not be visiting Sao Paulo, unless you are going there on business.
If you're planning a trip to Brazil, I’m sure you have got Rio and many of Brazil’s fantastic beaches in your travel plans, and rightly so. You may have even looked into trips into the Amazon or Pantanal to see Brazil’s natural beauty. However if you are like many of Brazil’s visitors you may not be visiting Sao Paulo, unless you are going there on business.
Just a word of warning, when I refer to the centre of Sao Paulo I'm not talking about an area called Centro. This is the old centre, and is now very run down in parts and has little to offer. The new area that is considered the centre for business and commerce is between Avenida Paulista and Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, and includes areas with good bars and restaurants such as Vila Madalena, Pinheiros, Bixiga, Jardins, Itaim Bibi. Whilst Sao Paulo is a huge urban area, most of the main central areas you will go to are fairly close together, and all have good bars and restaurants. Also, due to the differential between the rich and the poor, most of the areas beyond the centre are poorer parts with many shantytowns and industrial sites. Whilst some favelas in Rio are possible to visit with a guide, I have never heard of this in Sao Paulo, and therefore probably best avoided.
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