Places to visit in Brazil

São Paulo

Sao Paulo, with its 17 million people, is the largest city in the south hemisphere.

São Paulo is the largest city of both South America and Brazil as well as the capital of Brazil's richest state, São Paulo Located in the southeastern part of the country on the Tiete River, about 55 km (35 mi) inland from SANTOS, Brazil's principal port, São Paulo is the country's leading manufacturing and financial center.

Founded by Jesuits in 1554, São Paulo served during the 17th and 18th centuries as a base for Portuguese settlement of the interior. In 1822 it was the city in which Emperor Pedro I proclaimed Brazil's independence from Portugal. In the 1880s, São Paulo state became a major coffee-growing region

A place absolutely full of exciting things to do everywhere. Music, arts, museums, culture, excellent restaurants, dance, opera and a lifestyle that can’t be matched anywhere else in the country. Also an industrial giant, commercial metropolis, where dozens of different languages are spoken, this immense cultural melting pot is always remembered in the country as the place where money is, a place where everything is available. Definitely a place for people who enjoy the best and refined things in life.

Panoramic Photo

The city has an reliable subway network and it’s easy to go almost everywhere.

Visit Se Cathedral, the downtown metropolitan Cathedral, built in neogothic style, with room for 8,000 worshippers and stained-glass windows which tell the story of Catholicism's role in the country. Then go to Italia Building. Its name honors all the settlers who came from that country to Brazil. The restaurant on the 42nd floor is excellent, but the real attraction is the incredible view. Also Nossa Senhora da Luz Church, built in 1774, is one of the city's most interesting remaining colonial buildings. It houses a sacred art museum with relics dating from the 17th century. Sao Paulo Modern Art Museum has an excellent collection of 2,000 works by Brazilian from early 20th century. The MASP Museum (Sao Paulo Art Museum) is the most important museum of Western art in Latin America. It has permanent collections of works by European painters and sculptors, including some by the old masters, and also some interesting works by Brazilian artists.

Take a time to visit Independencia Park and Casa do Grito, historic places in the country. The park contains the monument built to celebrate Brazil's declaration of independence from Portugal. The tomb of the first emperor, Dom Pedro I, lies underneath it. Sundays are the best option to visit Ibirapuera Park, the largest in town. It has pleasant lakes, trees and wide-open space. There you’ll also fine Modern Art, Folklore and Contemporary Art Museums, as well as a planetarium. Now, if you enjoy Theme Parks the place to go is Hopi Hari, the biggest one in Latin America, linked by regular buses leave from the Eldorado Shopping Center (3970 Reboucas Ave) or visit Playcenter, a modern theme park with 25 white-knuckle rides, including many roller coasters.

Sao Paulo prides itself on the quality and variety of its cuisine because eating out is a favorite in town. Head to Liberdade quarter for Japanese, Korean and other Asian cuisines. Bela Vista quarter is home to traditional Italian cantinas and first-rate pizza houses, and Jardim Paulista provides sophisticated dining courtesy of the city's best chefs. Vila Madalena, a burgeoning nightlife district with a bohemian atmosphere, caters to the young and trendy with more alternative tastes, and after you've eaten, you can stop at one of the many bars and clubs. If you love meat, you must experience a churrascaria, or barbecue house. Choose a rodizio style restaurant where for a fixed rate you can try everything from the hot and cold dishes buffet to as a large variety of delicious beef cuts, still on the spit, brought right to your table.

Obelisco – Ibirapuera Park

A newcomer to Sao Paulo attractions is Latin America Memorial, designed by acclaimed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. The neighboring pavilions house a permanent exhibition of handicrafts from all over Latin America and an extensive library of books, magazines, newspapers and videos. There's also a restaurant and free concerts on the weekends. A more traditional attraction is Museu do Ipiranga, built in 1895 in an European palace architectural style. It houses religious relics, weapons, furniture and jewelry, most from the 19th century. Visit also its lovely ornamental garden, which is a miniature replica of the Versailles gardens. There’s no better place in southern hemisphere to go shopping than Sao Paulo, and three great options for checking this are Shopping Ibirapuera, the biggest mall in Brazil, Shopping Iguatemi, with a large number of favorite shopping locations rated number one. It is located at famous Avenida Paulista (left), the very beating heart of downtown Sao Paulo. Also Shopping Jardim Sul, considered the Rodeo Drive of Sao Paulo, is the place to find anything from Louis Vuitton to Cartier and Versace.