Avenida São João, place of the banks in the center of São Paulo

Although not situated at the coast we want to introduce São Paulo to you as many people start their visit in Brazil here.

The City of São Paulo, also called Sampa,  ist one of the largest cities in the world, the largest in the southern hemisphere and the capitol of the State of São Paulo (the most populous state of Brazil), with its nearly 20 million inhabitants.

Only 70 kms from the harbor of Santos and the first Portuguese settlement São Vicente (1532), Sampa is situated in the Brazilian highland on 760 m (2.500 ft), founded 1554 by jesuit missionaries at the river Tietê. This river, although close to the coast ends in the river Paraná in the east of Brazil. In 1711 São Paulo became city, it´s growth caused by coffee, exported via Santos.

Rodovia Immigrantes

Today São Paulo is linked to Santos by two highways, the “imigrantes” and the “anchieta“. Still there is a train going to Santos, today only used for cargo, the main transport is made on the two highways.

To know more about São Paulo´s history, the climate etc., have a look at wikipedia

São Paulo is not only a big place of finance and commerce, but also of culture, art and entertainment.

We will only introduce a few places as it is not possible to show each being worthwile a visit. Also, because we have our focus on the coast of Brazil. But beside some common tourist places we want to show some very special ones, which are rarely offered by other sites or tour agencies. If you are interested in tours, please follow the link “guided tours” on the top of this page. More photos of the places you find at the end of this page as well as some links to more information.

São  Paulo in Google maps

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central bus station, Rodoviaria Tietê in São Paulo

You arrive in São Paulo by plane, by bus or by car.  The arrivals by plane will be at one of the three airports, the international airport in Guarulhos or the national airport Congonhas. From both you can reach the center of the city by bus or taxi. The links help you to get more information about the airports. Of course you have the possibility to rent a car, too.  The third airport is in Campinas, about 50 mls/80 kms from São Paulo, Viracopos international airport. It is linked by bus to São Paulo and in a few years, when the high speed train from Campinas to Rio de Janeiro will be finished, also be reachable by train.

metro in São Paulo

Buses from outside of São Paulo arrive at the Rodoviaria Tietê, where you have connections to the Metro (subway), and of course by bus to all other destinations in Brazil, also to the coast. The metro is safe (security) and helps you to reach your destination very fast.

If you click on the map on the right you will have a larger view of the the metro system. More information about it on the page of wikipedia…. How to get to the places of interest … on the metro site of the state.

The center of of  São Paulo – history, culture and shopping

Praça da Sé

The center of  São Paulo offers tourists several places to visit. Take a walk from the Praça da República (Republic Place) along the Rua Barão de Itapetininga. At the end you see on your left the restaurated Teatro Muncipal (muncipal theatre) and on the right the Shopping Center “Light”. Below the bridge behind the Shopping Center there is the Parque Anhangabaú, which formerly was an avenue, today the cars take a tunnel beneath the park. On the other side of the bridge the lord mayor has his office, the big banks have their buildings in the Avenida São João closeby.

Walking straight on through the streets of the center of São Paulo with its partly very nice shops you arrive at the Praça da Sé (Square of Sé) with the cathedral Sé at one end of the square and a mark in the center of it, which is said to be the absolute center of São Paulo.

Rua 25 de Março

Going along the Rua Boa Vista you finally are in front of the more than 400 years old Benedictine Monastery São Bento. From here it also is only a minute to the Rua 25 de Março (Street 25th of March) where you should have a look at the many shops, generally selling fakes of big makes. Also interesting is to watch, how fast the stands on the street disappear, when the police arrives. You should be careful, there are many pickpockets doing their job.

From São Bento you walk on and cross the bridge Viaduto Santa Ifigênia. Then turn left in Rua Dom José de Barros until you arrive at the square Largo do Paissandu where there is a church.

Brahma Chopp

At this square there also is a shopping center, specialized on things that many young people like, alo many tatoo shops. Now walk along the Avenida São João until you are at the corner of Avenida Ipiranga (two blocks). On the other side of the avenue is a famous bar, called Brahma Chopp, where you can enjoy a nice beer. (Chopp is draft beer).

From here, only one block far, walking the Avenida Ipiranga to the left, you arrive at  the Praça da República again where we started our walk.

Another place worthwile a visit is the mercado muncipal (the city market hall). There you can get an imagination of all the fruits and vegetables of Brazil. Also there are some good restaurants in the first floor of the market hall, from where you can relax a bit, having good food, a drink andwatching business in the market hall.

Praça da Luz area

Estação da Luz

The next area to visit is the region around the square Praça da Luz, which you can reach by metro. Arrival is at the train station Estação da Luz. This was built in the late 19th century, the current building finished in 1901. The station was assembled in Glasgow (Scotland), then disassembled and sent to São Paulo where it was reassembled. In the main entrance hall there is a piano player nowadays, making you feel decades back. If you want to read more about the station, have a look at wikipedia. In the train station there also is the Museum of the Portuguese Language which opened in 2006 and should be interesting for those who want to know a bit more about the Brazilian Portuguese, which is different from the Portuguese in Portugal (more in wikipedia).

Parque da Luz

Leaving the main entrance of the Estação da Luz and crossing the street you enter the Parque da Luz, also called Jardim da Luz (Garden). In 1798 was the opening of a Botanical garden, in 1825 it was changed to a Public Garden, the first one in São Paulo. Later a part was taken away to construct the Estação da Luz as well as a college and the Liceum of  Art and Artcraft. Since then the park has 113.400 sq. meters. Passing some bad times as in the 1970s as a place of drugs and prostitution, the government began a revitalization of the quarter in the 1990s, a renovation of the park and also of the pinacoteca, also increasing security by present police. Today it is a safe and beautiful place, with some sculptures in the park. The Pinacoteca, the former Liceum of Arts and Artcraft offers also international exhibitions. For example, in 2010 there was the largest exhibition of Andy Warhol ever made which took place in its branch Estação Pinacoteca nearby (in Wikipedia – the program, but only in portuguese)

Avenues, shopping and culture

MASP, Avenida Paulista

A bit further away from the center, but reachable by metro, too,  is the Avenida Paulista. It is one of the most important avenues in São Paulo, with many headquarters of the financial and cultural sector. Also there are many possibilities for shopping or dining. The Avenida Paulista is mainly flanked by skyscrapers, but still a few mansions of coffee barons exist (as in the Avenida Brasil, too). Only worth visiting today is Casa das Rosas. This mansion is located at the beginning of the Avenida Paulista and has turned into a cultural center. A big highlight on the Avenida is the MASP (Museum of Art in São Paulo), with a a small native forest park on the other side of the avenue. A link to the program of the MASP in portuguese | more about MASP in wikipedia).

Parada Gay, Aveninda Paulista

The São Paulo Gay Pride Parade in May/June, considered the largest in the world, and the São Silvestre Marathon on New Year’s Eve take place on this avenue yearly. Celebrations of local soccer teams and world cup championships as well as political demonstrations also have the Paulista as a stage. (from wikipedia, more about the Avenida Paulista in wikipedia).

Another Avenue is the Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, these days planned to be reachable by metro (yellow line). It is in direct competition with the Avenida Paulista, as here too is a big financial and commercial area. The Shopping Iguatemi is one of the best shopping centers of the city, with some restaurants and especially exclusive shops with french or italian fashion as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci and others, also Tiffany is here (site of Shopping Iguatemi). The Museum Casa Brasileira in the avenue is showing decorative and historic art.

A street for shopping is the Rua Oscar Freire. It is listed as the 8th luxurious street in the world, and after 5th Avenue in New York the second luxuriuos in the Americas.

Parks, monuments and squares

Parque Villa Lobos

São Paulo has 144 parks, offering everything in attractions that you can imagine. One, the Jardim da Luz is already described above. Parque do Ibirapuera is the most frequented one, which can be compared with Central Park in New York and is an area for walking, relaxing and a convention center. The park has several buildings, mainly designed by Oscar Niemeyer, the world famous architect (more in wikipedia).

Well frequented, too, is Parque Villa-Lobos, where you can rent a bike to take a ride in the park. Also some public events take place here, as for example concerts. A beautiful exhibition of orchids can be visited, too. End of 2011 the famous circus Cirque Soleil had its shows here.

Parque Trianon is at the Avenida Paulista, just across the avenue in front of the MASP. Opened in 1892 it remains a small reserve of the Mata Atlântica (atlantic rainforest).

Parque da Independência

Parque da Independência (Independence Park) is the area where Emperor Dom Pedro I declared Brazil´s independency of Portugal in 1822. In the park there is the monument Museu do Ipiranga (also: Museu Paulista). This monument is a building showing a lot about the declaration of independence as paintings, but also has a large exhibition how life in São Paulo was at that time.
more about the parks in English…

Praça Benedito Calixto

The square Praça Benedito Calixto in the area of Pinheiros is a marvellous place to spend a part of your Saturday in São Paulo. From 8 am to 7 pm there is a fair, actually a flee market with assorted crafts, artworks and antiques which takes place since 1987 and is a meeting point of the intelectuals of the city. There is a food area too, where many people spend a part of their time, having one of the typical Brazilian snacks, a drink and listen to the music of Chorinho na Praça between 2:30 and 6:30 pm. Around the square there are a few restaurants and bars, which are well frequented by many Brazilians and many people stay in front, having a drink and talking with their friends.

Bars and nightlife

bar in Rua Joaquim Távora, Vila Mariana

A city as São Paulo offers a nightlife as you wish: culture as theatre or cinemas, as well as bars, restaurants and discos. One possibility are the shopping centers which close at about 10 pm and have teir special athmosphere. Better you go to the quarters and walk (or drive) along the streets until you find an interesting place. The best ones to go out in the evening and get an imagination of nightlife is Vila Madalena, but also Vila Mariana has a street with one bar or restaurant following the other on both sides of the street Rua Joaquim Távora, close to the metro station Ana Rosa.

Nature and indigenous people

indigenous village Krukutu

Still in the muncipal area of  São Paulo you can make some tours in pure nature, walking in the Mata Atlântica (atlantic rainforest) with its unique flora, fauna and waterfalls as well. This area, Parelheiros, is located in the far south of the city, closer to the coast as to the center of the city, at the southern end of the water reservoir Represa Billings. You can only get there by car and having an English speaking  guide with you is suggested. Also there are two villages of indigenous people, one with about 950, the other with about 350 inhabitants, both are from the Guarani tribe. These may be visited by contacting the authorities before going there. The indigenous are interested in showing some of their culture and selling artcraft to tourists. And the children love to show the visitors how they jump into the water of the water reservoir. Still there are only few tourists visiting the villages as they don´t have many support in making propaganda. If you go there, you should also take along something to drink and eat, as not available there. The indigenous don´t have a restaurant or snack bar, they have to transport all their needs by public bus.

Outside of the city of São Paulo

Embu das Artes

Embu das Artes

The history begins in 1554 with a settlement of jesuits and has today 250 thousand inhabitants, situated in the metropolitan region of  São Paulo. Formerly only called Embu the city added “das Artes” (of arts) as it developed to be a well-known touristic place for arts. The historic center with it´s old houses is well preserved, most of them are galleries for art, handcraft, furniture and some restaurants. Each weekend tourists from the region go there to spend the day, to make some shopping in this nice athmosphere.

In a small street there is a museum of indigenous culture.

Paranapiacaba

Paranapiacaba is a small city in the mountains, actually a little more than a train station. Here you have a marvellous view to the coast and Santos, and you can make walks in the rainforest, too.

The trains from Santos to São Paulo and further pass here a steep part (10.7%). There is also a train station constructed by British, opened 01/01/1902.
Each July there takes place a festival of music, people come from all over the country to stay a few days. As there aren´t enough pousadas, inhabitants also offer to stay in their houses.

Paranapiacaba in Google Maps

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Link about Paranapiacaba: World Monuments Fund

Going to the coast of São Paulo or to Rio de Janeiro

You can leave for the coast using one of the two highways “imigrantes” or “anchieta” to arrive in Santos or Guarujá. From there you can head further south as well as driving on the road Rio – Santos further north. If your destination is north of Guarujá there is also the possibility to approach the coast by leaving São Paulo in direction of Rio de Janeiro (highway Ayrton Senna) and passing Mogi das Cruzes. On your way from the mountains there is a parking lot, from where you have a terrific view to the coast as well as to a waterfall.

Rio de Janeiro is about 400 kms from São Paulo. We have a suggestion to make the his tour here… .

Going to the inner of the State of São Paulo

On our site Brazil Ecotourism we have some suggestions of what to do in the inner of the state. Have a look…

Brochures of São Paulo Turismo

Ṣo Paulo Outlook РGlobal Metropolis: information about the city as a PDF-file

Football Museum: as a PDF-file

Markets in São Paulo: as a PDF-file

Maps of São Paulo: as a PDF-file

Ṣo Paulo РStay another day:
Sights, shopping, culture, nightlife, outdoor recreation, activities for children as a PDF-File

101 restaurants – Flavors from around the world in one city:
a map of São Paulo´s restaurant scene as a link

Destination São Paulo: a pocket guide as a PDF-file

Photos

São Paulo

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São Paulo center

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Ṣo Paulo РLuz area

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Ṣo Paulo РParalheiros

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Embu das Artes

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Not developed as the northern coast of the state, because the Paulistanos prefer to go to the north, the southern part of the state offers many unique places to visit.

PETAR (Parque Estadual Turístico Alta Ribeira) is a national park with famous caves and a wonderful nature. Not highly developed there are only pousadas to stay, but you will be in direct contact with nature.

The island Ilha Compida and the city of Iguape at the coast are also some rather unknown but very exciting places for tourism with its unique nature and history.

Santos is the largest city at the coast of São Paulo, famous for its harbor, but also has lots of historic places and of course a beach.

the South of the state of São Paulo in Google maps

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Santos

Santos, only 70 kms from São Paulo, it is the most important harbor and largest in Southern America.

The city is one of the oldest in Brazil, it was founded in in 1546 by Portuguese and today it has more than 400,000 habitants, the metroplitan area has nearly 1.5 million. The city of Santos is on the island São Vicente and divides the area together with the city of São Vicente. Before the urbanization there were mangroves and Mata Atlântica (atlantic rain forest) reaching to the beaches. Today there is only vegetation left on the islands and outside the city (see photos).

From Santos passenger ships leave daily for trips along the Brazilian coast, but also to Argentina and Fireland.

Not only a city of trade, Santos has a lot to offer to tourists: beaches, the historic center with its tram, the coffee museum, the aquarium, the Cathedral de Santos, the botanic garden, the Monte Serrat with a terrific view of Santos and much more. Unfortunately the ocean is not very clean here as in every large city at a coast. But still many people go swimming, surfing or diving, make a tour by a schooner.

At the beach there are many buildings, mainly with apartments of Brazilians from the interior that spend their vacations or holidays at the coast.

There are many small cities with beaches nearby, so Santos is a good place to start discovering the coast, it is the city offering most of history and culture.

São Vicente

São Vicente was the first permanent settlement in the Americas. 1532 the first proper village was established by Martim Afonso de Sousa (the first Royal Governor of Brazil) and the first democratic city council of the Americas was elected. It is called the Mother Cell of Brazil. São Vicente was an important place of trade with slaves, today it lives of tourism.

Since 1914 there exists a bridge to the mainland, leading to the city Praia Grande (“big beach�).

The font Biquinha de Anchieta was one of the main fonts of drinking water for the inhabitants for centuries. Still today people go there for water. Beside it there is a sculpture of the jesuit priest Anchieta who drank its water and christianized the indios.

Santos in Google Maps

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Paranapiacaba

Paranapiacaba is a small city in the mountains, actually a little more than a train station.

The trains from Santos to São Paulo and further pass here a steep part (10.7%). There is also a train station constructed by British, opened 01/01/1902.
Each July there takes place a festival of music, people come from all over the country to stay a few days. As there aren´t enough pousadas, inhabitants also offer to stay in their houses.

Paranapiacaba in Google Maps

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Link about Paranapiacaba

World Monuments Fund

Guarujá

The next city north of Santos at the coast is Guarujá, which you can reach by a ferry. It is situated at the northern coast of São Paulo. Guarujá on our site…

Hotels

We can arrange everything, the search and booking for a hotel as well as the transfer to and from the region or to other places in Brazil.

Photos

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PETAR, Ilha Comprida and Iguape

PETAR (Parque Estadual Turístico Alta Ribeira)

In the south of the state São Paulo was founded a national park in the year 1958, which is nowadays part of UNESCO – world heritage. It is the largest area of Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlântica), with many waterfalls, also Quilombos (settlements of slaves that flew) and about 300 caves, of which twelve can be visited. Some of them have rivers, and the cave Casa de Pedra has the largest entry with a height of 215m. It can be visited, but not entered.

An unique flora and fauna expects the visitor in this region: bromelias, orchidees, fruits, monkees, many other animals and birds. You have the possibility to see everything by foot (as the caves and waterfalls), but also sportive activities await you: swimming in the natural swimming pools under waterfalls, boia-cross (on a river on floating tires), descending waterfalls and tours by bike.

You may not enter the park alone, you do need a guide (called monitor) that accompanies up to eight persons. A booking in time is better as also the daily number of visitors in the caves is limited

The region has cheap and rather simple guest houses, being in the nature. As not highly developed for tourism yet it is better to make a reservation in advance, especially at long weekends or during vacations.

Optimal is a stay of three to four days. You need shoes for walking (tennis shoes for example), trousers and torches would be good, too.

The main attractions are at the road Iporanga – Apiai. Close to PETAR, in the city Apiai are the rests of an old gold mill, which is museum nowadays.

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Ilha Compida, Iguape and Cananeia

Also interesting is a tour to Ilha Comprida (Long Islandl) at the south coast of the state of São Paulo, which is about three hours of driving away from PETAR and also Sao Paulo. And, different as at the north coast of São Paulo there are only simple but comfortable guest houses available.

There you have the possibility to watch tucuxi (dolphins), which live in the ocean as well as in rivers.

Iguape is one of the oldest cities of Brazil, it was in the beginning because of the contract of Tordesilhas spanish. Finding gold in the region the city grew very fast, in the 17th century here was produced the first Brazilian money. After the gold rush the city survived by planting a very good rice, which was exported to Europe. It is said that each week ten ships with rice left for Europe. When shortening the way to the sea port by a channel, the river Ribeira left a lot of sand in the harbor, which meant the end of the importance of Iguape. Today, Iguape with its basilica and historic center is a place to relax, life is passing slow there.

Cananeia is the city most South in the State of ṢoPaulo and only has 13 thousand inhabitants. Cananeia is the oldest portuguese settlement of Brazil, the first settlers arrived in 1502 Рbefore the foundation of the officially oldest city in Brazil, Ṣo Vicente. There are not many tourists here, in summer 2010 only 30 thousand visitors came tovisit the UN nature heritage. From Cananeia you can make tours by boat to the Ilha Cardoso and make tours in the rain forest. In the area there are many tucuxi-dolfins, the only ones that live in rivers as well as in the ocean.

in Google Maps

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Hotels

Especially in this region we offer a package with an English speaking guide and a car as it is not very easy without some knowledge of portuguese. We can arrange everything, the search and booking of a hotel as well as the transfer to and from the region or to other places in Brazil.

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Pousada Fazenda Caacupé, PETAR

Gamboa Eco Refugio, PETAR

Pousada da Diva, PETAR

Photos

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