Sao Paulo Travel Guide
Originally a mission station set up in 1554 by Jesuit priests on the banks of the Rio Tiete, the city of São Paulo is today a sprawling megalopolis, and the industrial and commercial powerhouse of Brazil.
The city grew wealthy on coffee cultivation in the mid-19th century thanks to the rich soil of the region, and the plantation owners took up residence in the bustling regional centre. Gradually, the coffee barons diversified their interests and invested some of their wealth in local industry, resulting in a demand for labour and a resultant surge in the city's immigrant population. Today, 12 million proud Paulistanos live in the congested, chaotic and cosmopolitan city centre and its sprawling surrounds.
Lacking in natural attractions, the city's leisure pursuits are mainly cultural and artistic, and there are some impressive public buildings to delight sightseers, as well as some top-notch museums, theatres, bars and some of the best shopping in Brazil. Neighbourhoods such as Bela Vista and Bixiga are highly photogenic, with ornate mansions and impressive skyscrapers.
São Paulo is a fast-paced urban jungle, which dwarfs New York City in size several times over. But a holiday in São Paulo is definitely not for those who come to South America for laid-back beaches and a carnival atmosphere. What it does offer, though, is brilliant shopping, eating and nightlife, and the opportunity to live it up among Brazil's wealthiest inhabitants.
Things to do in Sao Paulo
Beneath São Paulo's urban exterior exterior beats the heart of a vibrant cultural and artistic metropolis. The city's artistic community is large, with many art galleries and museums scattered throughout. Clustered in neighbourhoods like Jardins, Cerqueira César and Bela Vista, visitors will find both local and international talent at the likes of the Luisa Strina Gallery, Arte 57 Escritorio de Arte, Choque Cultural Gallery and the Museu da Tatuagem (Museum of Tattooing). São Paulo also boasts a number of interesting museums, including those dedicated to immigrants, the African Diaspora, the Japanese community, revolutionary heroes, and Brazilian language and literature.
Of course, São Paulo is the home of Brazil's famous and fascinating 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 is also blessed with plenty of green spaces, including the manicured Botanical Gardens, the São Paulo Zoo and the miniature rainforest in the Parque Siqueira Campos. The Praça da República in the city centre is surprisingly green as well, with lagoons, a fountain and a bandstand.
Architecture enthusiasts will marvel at São Paulo's collection of interesting buildings, including whimsical Victorian mansions in Bela Vista, and modern skyscrapers such as the curving Edifício Copan, the colourful 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 São Paulo from their viewing decks.
Most attractions in São 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. We'd advise that tourists just keep their wits about them and remain vigilant.
Ibirapuera Park
The Parque do Ibirapuera is a large park near the centre of Sao Paulo with many interesting features, including a planetarium, a Japanese pavilion, a gymnasium, the Obelisk of Sao Paulo (a symbol of the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932), and the Cicillo Matarazzo Pavilion, which houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and is typically the venue for large events like the São Paulo Art Biennial and São Paulo Fashion Week. The park is home to many other museums, including the Air Force Museum and Folklore Museum. It also has jogging and walking trails and a picturesque lake. Generally the park is a good spot to explore for those wanting a bit of holiday exercise or some fresh air in the heart of this sprawling city.
Football Museum
The Parque do Ibirapuera is a large and celebrated park near the centre of São Paulo, and is home to a planetarium, a Japanese pavilion, a gymnasium, the Obelisk of São Paulo (a symbol of the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932), and the Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion, which houses the Museum of Contemporary Art and is typically the venue for large events such as the São Paulo Art Biennial and São Paulo Fashion Week. The park also contains a number of other museums, while also boasting jogging and walking trails and a picturesque lake. Generally the park is a good spot to explore for those wanting a bit of holiday exercise or just some fresh air in the heart of this sprawling city.
Julio Prestes Cultural Center
This cultural centre and concert venue is located in what was once the Julio Prestes Train Station, an imposing and meticulously restored building. The highlight of the centre is the Sala São Paulo, a concert venue which seats nearly 1,500 people and is home to the renowned São Paulo State Symphonic Orchestra (OSESP). Specifically designed as a venue for symphonic and chamber music, the Sala has world-class acoustics and is the best place for classical music lovers to catch a concert in the city. Other events are also hosted at the cultural centre, including a vast variety of musical concerts, with pop and rock featuring alongside the traditional, classical offerings.
Shopping
Shopping in São Paulo is a big deal, as the city is Brazil's major luxury shopping destination. Visitors will find designer labels and haute couture to rival the best boutiques of New York or London, alongside small outdoor craft markets and everything in between.
If the travel budget allows, there's no better place to look for Brazilian fashion than São Paulo. Neighbourhoods such as Jardins, Rua Augusta or Alameda Lorena have many high-end fashion boutiques carrying local designer labels like Animale, Victor Dzenk, Ellus and Totem.
The city has a few worthwhile outdoor markets too, including the Saturday market Feira do Bixiga, which offers crafts, antiques, clothing and live music; and Feira Moderna, which is set in a flower garden with a relaxed cafe, and carries high-end local goods. The Museu de Arte hosts an antique fair every Sunday, and the predominantly Japanese neighbourhood of Liberdade has its own Saturday market.
There isn't a central shopping district in São Paulo, but stores tend to be clustered in groups: Rua 25 de Março has an abundance of market stalls, while Daslu is a posh department store catering to every whim, from free espresso and a sushi bar to designer labels.
There are also a few shopping malls in São Paulo, including Patio Higienópolis, Morumbi and Iguatemi. These tend toward upscale stores, with fine dining and expensive boutiques next to cinemas and food courts.
Popular souvenirs to buy in São Paulo include religious antiques, soapstone carvings, leather goods and gemstone jewellery carved into shapes like toucans, jaguars and other wild animals.
Shops in São Paulo accept credit cards with few exceptions. Sales tax is 18 percent, and there is no tax refund scheme for departing tourists in Brazil. High-end stores won't bargain but feel free to haggle at markets.
Nightlife
São 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 neighbourhoods such as Vila Olímpia, where the clubs are popular with twentysomethings, while Vila Madalena is dotted with restaurants and bars that might appeal more to discerning revellers in their thirties. Because bars and clubs are so dispersed, it may be a good idea to stick to venues in one area, rather than running up large taxi bills getting caught in São Paulo's late-night traffic jams. It's also not advised to walk around the city at night.
Bars in São 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 steep.
Live music in São Paulo is among the best in Brazil, with styles to suit every taste. The formal Teatro Municipal and the Sala São Paulo, where the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra performs, have good programmes of classical music, theatre and dance, with the former hosting regular Brazilian contemporary dance performances. For a more relaxed evening, head to Bourbon Street, a popular jazz club founded by BB King himself. Villa Country hosts Brazilian country music, while Armazém da Vila plays pagoda, which is a simpler form of samba.
If a night of dancing is preferred, São Paulo has many options for that too. Azucar has a reputation as the best Latin dance spot in the city, with meringue, salsa and mambo playing well into the wee hours. Bar Favela is also a popular option, and includes pop and hip hop music along with Latin dance. Blen Blen Brasil is another local favourite, with a more relaxed and eclectic feel, alternating between DJs 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 such as the gafieira and the zouk.
São Paulo also has a few popular gay clubs such as Hot Hot, Bubu Lounge Disco and The Week. Visitors should 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 São Paulo.
São Paulo's party scene is a late one, with most Paulistas (locals) not going out until midnight. In fact, there's a saying in the city: 'when the sun comes up, you hardly notice'.
For more detailed info on events, we recommend checking out the Folha de São Paulo website, while Veja magazine also has a good entertainment guide that comes out on Sundays.
Getting Around
In a huge city such as São Paulo, roads can be extremely congested, with peak traffic between the hours of 6am to 9am and 4pm to 8pm. Driving is not recommended in the city, as parking can be as much of a problem as the traffic. Fortunately, there are hundreds of buses covering the city, though these can be rather crowded and slow during peak hours, and also won't stop unless hailed from the sidewalk.
The subway system is usually the fastest option for getting around in São Paulo. The metro system consists of five colour-coded lines: Line 1 (Blue), Line 2 (Green), Line 3 (Red), Line 4 (Yellow) and Line 5 (Lilac), all of which operate from Sunday to Friday, from 4.40am to midnight, and on Saturdays until 1am.
We recommend tourists invest in a Bilhete Único, which is a smartcard that simplifies payment on São Paulo's buses, subways and trains. Visitors can buy these at underground stations and charge them at convenient locations such as newspaper stands.
Taxis are freely available and we'd advise tourists to make use of them after dark. White cabs can be found at stands near big venues and central areas. Radio taxis are more reputable and favoured by tourists, but are more expensive and must be ordered by phone. There's also the option of ride-sharing apps, such as Uber and Lyft.
São Paulo is large and spread out. You won't be able to walk everywhere, but the various neighbourhoods are easy to negotiate on foot and are usually safe by day.
Sao Paulo Climate and Weather
The climate of Sao Paulo is a humid subtropical one and may not be as congenial as other Brazilian cities, but it is warm and sunny enough by world standards. The weather remains mild to warm all year round, the lowest average temperatures of around 58°F (14°C) being experienced during July and the summer averages of around 73°F (23°C) being enjoyed during the hottest month of February. Summer is rainy season (October to March), and winter is dry season (April to September). Sao Paulo receives around 56 inches (142cm) of rain a year, mostly during the summer months.
Brazil travel info
Electricity
Brazil has a variety of electrical voltages, sometimes within the same city. The better hotels offer 220 volts, 60Hz. If not, transformers are available in electrical stores. Two-pin plugs with a grounding pin are standard.
Language
The spoken language in Brazil is Portuguese, however Spanish and English are also used in the cities.
Money
The Brazilian currency is the Real (BRL). The US Dollar is also welcome in most tourist establishments. In the main cities, foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks or cambios. There is an extensive network of ATMs in the country and most major international credit cards are accepted.
Tipping
Nearly all hotels add a service charge to the bill, usually 10 percent. Most restaurants also add 10 percent or more to the total of the bill, but must make it clear that they have done so; waiters appreciate another five percent if their service was good. Otherwise, a 10 to 15 percent tip is customary.
Brazilians don't normally tip taxi drivers, except if they handle bags, although they may round up the total. Hotel staff expect small tips, and most other service personnel such as barbers and petrol station attendants, are usually rewarded with a 10 to 15 percent tip. Parking attendants earn no wages and expect a tip of around two real.
Health
Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria are prevalent in Brazil, so insect repellent and protective clothing is essential if visitors will be travelling to the countryside. Malaria exists below 2,953 feet (900m) in most rural areas, and outbreaks of dengue fever occur frequently.
Visitors travelling from infected areas outside the country require a yellow fever certificate, and vaccination is recommended for those travelling to rural areas, as outbreaks have occurred in recent years.
Typhoid vaccinations are recommended if travellers intend to spend a lot of time outside of major cities. Milk in rural areas is not pasteurised, so it's best to avoid it. Hospitals in the major cities are fairly good, with cash and card payments both acceptable and travel insurance common.
Safety
In Brazil's metropolitan areas, crime is a fact of life. Rio, in particular, is regarded as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the world and, although violent crime is generally limited to the favelas, foreigners are advised to take precautions. Visitors should not attempt to visit these township areas, even on a guided tour. Violent crime is on the increase due to the establishment of drug and criminal gangs around Rio and São Paulo.
Muggings are frequent and visitors should dress down, conceal cameras and avoid wearing jewellery or expensive watches. Bank- and credit card fraud is common, including card cloning from ATMs, so tourists should keep sight of their card at all times and not use an ATM if they notice anything suspicious.
Thefts are common on public beaches and visitors should avoid taking valuables to the beach. The threat of personal attack is lower outside the main urban centres, but incidents do occur. Women should be aware that sexual assaults have been reported in coastal holiday destinations. Beware of unofficial taxis and those with blacked-out windows, and be particularly careful on public transport in Rio, Recife and Salvador.
Local customs
Brazil is a diverse cultural and ethnic melting pot, but most social customs will be familiar to visitors. As a result of three centuries of colonisation by the Portuguese, the Brazilian culture is actually recognisably European in many ways. Physical appearance is considered important by most Brazilians and care is taken to dress well but generally not too formally.
Doing business
Business practices vary quite substantially from city to city in Brazil: highly formal in São Paulo but more relaxed in Rio de Janeiro and other centres. Multinational companies have similar business etiquette to those in Europe or the US, while local businesses require a few more considerations, particularly preferring face-to-face meetings over phone calls or written communication.
Brazilians place a high value on personal relationships within business environments and will generally only conduct business through personal connections or with those whom they have already established a personal relationship. Nepotism is considered not only acceptable but actually desirable, because it is seen as ensuring trust and good relationships in business.
All meetings are preceded by handshakes and small talk, and visitors should avoid the temptation to rush things. Even after the meeting is over, it's considered rude to rush off. Entertaining is common, either at a restaurant or someone's home, again with the emphasis on building personal relationships. Punctuality is flexible, except when meeting at a restaurant, when tardiness is considered impolite, and a small gift or flowers for the host is common when invited to a home.
Business suits are expected, especially for first meetings. Portuguese is the dominant language, and although English is widely spoken in business, an interpreter might be required. Business cards, as well as written documents, should be printed in both English and Portuguese. Business hours are 8.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday.
Duty free
Travellers to Brazil can enter the country with 200 cigarettes or 25 cigars; 24 units of alcoholic beverages, with a maximum of 12 units per type of beverage; and goods to the value of USD 500, without incurring customs duty. Restricted items include fresh produce, meat and dairy products. Strict regulations apply to temporary import or export of firearms, antiquities, tropical plants, medication and business equipment.
Communications
The international access code for Brazil is +55. Hotels, cafes and restaurants offering free WiFi are widely available in tourist centred areas. As international roaming costs can be high, purchasing a local prepaid SIM card can be a cheaper option.
Passport & Visa
All visitors require passports that are valid for at least the period of intended stay in Brazil but we strongly recommend that passports be valid for six months after intended date of travel. Border control may well deny entry to holders of passports valid for the period of intended stay. Sufficient funds to cover their stay in Brazil, as well as a return or onward ticket and documentation required for further travel, are necessary for all travellers. Visa requirements vary from country to country.
Entry requirements
US passports must be valid at the time of entry. Tourists can stay in the country without a visa for up to 90 days.
A valid passport is required. UK passport holders do not require a visa for stays of up to 90 days.
Canadian passports must be valid for six months beyond the departure date. Tourists can stay in the country without a visa for up to 90 days.
Irish passports must be valid for six months beyond the departure date. Tourists can stay in the country without a visa for up to 90 days.
A valid passport is needed, but no visa is required by South African nationals for up to 90 days.
Irish nationals need a valid passport, but do not require a tourist or business visa for stays of up to 90 days.
New Zealanders need a valid passport, but no visa is required for a stay of up to 90 days.
Useful contacts
Brazilian Tourist Institute, Brasília: +61 429 7704 or presedencia@embratur.org.br
Emergencies: 190 (police), 192 (ambulance)Embassies / consulates in other countries
Brazilian Embassy, Washington DC, United States: +1 202 238 2700
Brazilian Embassy, London, United Kingdom: +44 (0)20 7747 4500
Brazilian Embassy, Ottawa, Canada: +1 613 237 1090.
Brazilian Embassy, Canberra, Australia: +61 (0)2 6273 2372.
Brazilian Embassy, Pretoria, South Africa: +27 (0)12 366 5200.
Brazilian Embassy, Dublin, Ireland: +353 (0)1 475 6000.
Brazilian Embassy, Wellington, New Zealand: +64 (0)4 473 3516.
Embassies / consulates in Brazil
United States Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3312 7000.
British Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3329 2300.
Canadian Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3424 5400.
Australian Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3226 3111.
South African Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3312 9500.
Irish Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3248 8800.
New Zealand Embassy, Brasilia: +55 (61) 3248 9900.