Sao Paulo
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How do you put the third largest city in the world in a nutshell? In the case of São Paulo, with two words: food and business. São Paulo is, first of all, a major business mecca. Just about everything that comes into or goes out of Brazil, goes through São Paulo–and a huge portion of Brazil’s own product base is manufactured, in whole or in part, in São Paulo. Communications, automobiles, coffee, textiles…São Paulo stands in strong contrast to the third-world images that most foreigners have of Brazil. Most foreigners (even Brazilians from other parts) are stunned by the efficiency and velocity of the São Paulo scene.
If you find yourself in this grand city, there’s an 85% chance that you’re here on some kind of business. Just keep in mind that the pleasure of doing business in São Paulo comes from all those incredible business lunches and dinners you’ll be enjoying. The city’s central area alone has over 1400 restaurants featuring over 40 different types of foods. But if you’re in São Paulo to take in some sites, you won’t be disappointed. The city offers some charming neighborhoods (including several ethnic centers); museums focusing on Latin American art and culture; performance halls with internationally-known music groups, dance and theater groups; street fairs; shopping centers; and many parks and open spaces.
São Paulo, while enormous in geographic scale, is easily accessible by metro. The system, recognized as one of the best in the world, is cheap, fast, clean, and safe and can take you as far as you’ll want to go (or should go) in any direction. The basic divisions of the city are known simply as Centro, Zona Norte, Zona Sul, Zona Oeste and Zona Leste and the metro forms a big cross, taking you in each of these four directions.
Centro: Most probably where you’ll spend the majority of your time, the center of São Paulo is a collection of neighborhoods, each with its own character. The old Centro Historico has most of the city’s old buildings and churches, including the Teatro Municipal and Catedral da Sé. The area is in a constant state of upgrade, having suffered a heavy decline over the past fifty years or so, but you can walk around during the day without worry (nighttime is another story) and visit most of the area’s offerings on foot. The Liberdade neighborhood is known as the Japanese district and is a haven for sushi lovers and anyone interested in Japanese culture. Bela Vista is the Italian district and, of course, a nucleus of great Italian food (although good Italian restaurants are spread throughout the city). At night, the area at Av. 13 de Maio in Bela Vista becomes one of the city’s night spots. Finally, the Jardins area along Avenida Paulista is the city’s upscale, high-rise district with a rich concentration of shops, restaurants and cafés. Here, you’ll find the best selection of hotels. This area is also known simply as Paulista.
Zona Norte
The north part of the city is primarily a business district and often loaded with visitors from afar, due to its various convention centers and conference halls. It has several excellent hotels, designed for business travelers (comfort, technology and access) and which are well worth considering as alternatives to the hotels in the Center or Paulista (Jardins) areas, and you get great discounts on weekends. The strip of restaurants and clubs on Av. Luis Dumont Villares brings a crowd from all over the city.
Zona Sul
Home to the Congonhas airport (principal location for domestic flights), the South Zone offers some of the largest and most impressive hotels in the region, golf courses, and great restaurants and night spots. Other highlights include the zoo and botanical gardens, the Boating Club, Formula One track in the Interlagos area and two concert halls: Credicard Hall and Tom Brazil, which feature a variety of shows all week long. This area begins at the Parque Ibirapuera and is home to three great neighborhoods for food and nightlife: Moema, Itaím Bibi and Brooklin.
Zona Oeste
The farther west you go in São Paulo, the more you run into the city’s bohemian, side. This is probably due to the concentration of universities in the area. You’ll also find a couple of interesting, alternative neighborhoods with great bars and restaurants, specifically Pinheiros and in the Vila Madalena neighborhoods (the latter being one of the best spots in the city for nightlife, with a slightly hippie style to it). Far out on the west side is the Butantã Institute for snake cures (open for viewing).
Zona Leste
The East Side is the city’s international portal, thanks to the Guarulhos International airport. As a result of its presence, many new hotels have sprung up here offering competitive alternatives to the North and South Zone hotels. The Brás neighborhood, which is just one stop east of the Centro, is a major garment district with some of the best shopping in the city (although you have to look for the good shops).
The Beauty Within
The city is temperate most of the year with winter months (June-August) getting fairly cold, averaging around 19*C. The city can get pretty muggy during the summer (November-January) due to the smog and humidity. São Paulo has a reputation for being one of the world’s ugliest cities. What with its polluted rivers, offensively poor air quality and excess of highrise buildings, it can seem like the ugly cousin of Los Angeles or Hong Kong. But the city’s beauty does not reside in it’s natural endowments, nor in any special architectural charm. Rather, the beauty of São Paulo, for those who are open to seeing it, lies in its unique and special rhythms. Rhythms that can be heard in the people’s conversations, in the daily business activities, in the nights out for dinner and drinks, and in the mornings riding the metro. São Paulo is not really a city to see, it’s a city to be in. This is no more apparent than in the city’s inhabitants themselves. Paulistas are extremely satisfied being in São Paulo. They are friendly, polite, generally sophisticated and unparalleled at attending to the needs of others.
Sao Paulo
São Paulo is not really a tourist city, so it’s relatively easy to see it’s principal attractions in a couple of days. Such a visit would focus on the city center and Paulista areas, with a walking tour of each. Afterward, you’ll have just enough time for a hop into Brás to do some shopping and head to Vila Madalena or Itaím Bibi for a night out.
If you’re in town for a week or so, you might spend two days exploring the Centro Historico, allowing you to really take your time in the museums and churches. You can actually take the little tours offered in the majority of these places. Then, you’ll probably want to get to know the Jardins area and its many eating and shopping establishments. It’s a great place to hang out, people watch and drink coffee. You’ll have enough time to spend a day in the Zona Sul–starting or ending with a walk around the Parque Ibirapuera. Your nights can be spent sampling the various dining and nightlife hot spots: Jardins, Itaim, Moema, Vila Madalena and Bexiga being the most frequented of them all. A final shopping excursion in the Brás neighborhood and you’re ready to head for the beaches.
If you’re in town on business, then you’re leisure time will probably be focused on dinner activities. Lucky you! You’ll be spending most of your nights in the Jardins area, Pinheiros, and Itaim. These are the dining hubs, although there are great restaurants all over the city, including some great choices in the North region and, of course, Japanese food in Liberdade.
Sao Paulo, blog, sp-todo
São Paulo is so big and spread out that it intimidates a lot of travelers, but two days are really about all you need to take in all the main points. You’ll be taking the metro a bit, but that’s pretty much what everybody does in Sampa (as the locals call it). In this quick walking tour, you’ll see the historical center and many of the fabulous monuments and buildings from the coffee boom days of the late 1800s. Of course, there’s a lot more to the world’s third largest city, including your nights out and shopping in the Bras and Jardins areas. You can take in many of the city’s architectural and cultural sites by walking around the old downtown area. This walking tour takes you to the Theatro Municipal, the Catedral da Sé, the Banespa building and the Mercado Municipal.
Click here to take the walking tour of Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo, sp-lodging
In São Paulo, hotels in the Accor network offer a variety of price and comfort options and always good service and management. They have economical options, business hotels, flats and luxury options. Wherever you stay in São Paulo, there’s bound to be an Accor hotel nearby.
See: accorhotels.com
Formula 1
The Formula 1 hotels are very economical. They operate on a philosophy of simple and streamlined services, from management and reservations to the interior design and furnishings. Reservations are handled by Internet or in person only and, given their cost-benefit equation, are always booked up. You should plan your stay at least two months in advance and more if possible. One price covers up to three people in the rooms and there are no phones or fancy features—just comfortable beds and good showers. Breakfast is offered for an extra price. There is a Formula 1 located right outside the Paraiso metro station.
Rua Vergueiro 1571
Paraiso - Sao Paulo
11-5085-5699
11-5085-5694
The Mercure Nortel
This hotel is located in the North Zone of the city, where the Anhembi Convention and Carnival center is located. This is also where the Expo Norte Convention Center can be found. The Nortel is a business-oriented hotel, due to its location in the convention area of the city, and, as such, offers exceptional weekend specials that even residents of the city take advantage of. The hotel has a terrific breakfast (included) and a bar that is packed during happy hours. The rooms are large and comfortable and some have kitchens and balconies. The hotel offers a beauty salon, gym, sauna, 24-hour service and transportation to the convention centers nearby.
Avenida Luis Dumont Vilares
Santana - Sao Paulo
11-6972-8111
The Mercure Jardins
This luxury-style hotel is located directly in the city’s high-end shopping and dining district. But the hotel is reasonably priced for its location. They offer self-service laundry, breakfast 24-hour room service. The restaurant at the bottom of the hotel is excellent, but the options in this neighborhood will probably overshadow it.
Rua Pamplona 1315
Jardins – Sao Paulo
11-5878-5500
11-3884-9226
Rio, Sao Paulo, beaches, excursions
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The Road from São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro
The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil’s most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the trip is perfect for many visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, some excellent beaches and tropical islands (including some that are touristy and full of beautiful people and others that are remote and deserted), and also a touch of the interior. You can rent a car and take the trip at your own pace, visiting the highlights that you set for yourself. In this article, I’ll try to answer some of the most common questions about this trip. I’ll add more as they come in, so this will be a work-in-progress.
The road between São Paulo and Rio is a popular road trip for tourists and Brazilians alike. It’s about 450 kilometers of coastline and takes you past some of the most beautiful beaches and beach towns in the country. The water gets greener and warmer the closer you get to Rio, but the beaches near São Paulo are not to be missed either — for their water sports, beautiful people and great boardwalks.
The road itself is in good shape, but it can get a bit windy along the mountain passes around the São Sebastião area, so take it slowly and carefully and enjoy the time.
While you’re in Sao Paulo, you can take the Walking Tour of Downtown Sao Paulo. Also, I’ve listed some good hotels in the Sao Paulo area in my article on The Accor Hotels. I always suggest starting in São Paulo and driving to Rio. This way, your trip will keep building and building to the end, saving the most spectacular for last. There are so many things to see and do between these great cities, that you may want to make the trip twice to get it all in. You wouldn’t be the first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a lot of violence in this region?
Outside of Rio, there is nothing excessive and even inside Rio, the problems are mostly located in the Copacabana Beach area. Of course, you should always be aware and careful. Keep a minimum amount of cash on you and no significant valuables. Split up your cash and when you drive, leave as much in the trunk as possible (your bags, valuables, and credit cards).
What are THE best places for snorkeling?
I’d say that the top snorkeling on this trip would be around Ilha Grande and Angra dos Reis. It’s hard to say which of these is best, but I can say that Ilha Grande requires a bit more time and commitment. If you have the time, it’s totally worth it. If you choose Angra, then be sure to take a boat out to the islands AWAY from the mainland — so you get away from the Angra pollution. That said, there are some wonderful dives there.
The next best place would be the north coast around Ubatuba. There are some wonderful waters there and you can charter boats out for great snorkeling.
How are the roads in this area?
The BR freeways (called rodovias) are much faster and in better condition than the small roads. Also, this is a mountainous region and the roads can be difficult at times. I suggest sticking to the main estradas that will offer the smoothest ride. However, the roads in general in this area are well maintained and generally problem free. You have to get used to maneuvering in two-lanes of traffic is all.
How do Ilha Grande, Paraty, and Buzios compare?
These are all different from one another and Buzios is completely different than just about any other place on the coast. It’s a great place for adults and offers a lot of shopping, modern facilities, great hotels and lots of beaches — both crowded and secluded. You also have some economical options for hotels, so it’s not only for the spenders. A lot of Brazil’s TV stars can be seen at Buzios.
Paraty is an excellent place for tourists and provides a bit of the historical side of Brazil along with beaches and great restaurants. It’s a small town, but the best beaches are outside of town to the north or south. Don’t miss the waterfalls in Paraty, as well as the boat trips.
Ilha Grande is the most remote of the three. There are very few cars on this huge island and only one major town — called Abraao (Abraham). The town, hotels, and eating establishments are all very quaint and you can walk around town with no problem to take it all in. There are beaches all around the island and you can hike or take boats out to them. Some of these are among the prettiest in Brazil and offer great snorkeling, diving, and other fun activities. You really feel the island experience at Ilha Grande because of the lack of cars.
What is the best rental car service to use there?
Here’s a comment from one of my readers about that…”We used Unidas rent-a-car and they were great and about 50% cheaper than Hertz or Avis (12 day rental of a Chevy Meriva was $500, including insurance). It was practically new and they gave us an 800 number to call in case of problems. We booked them through Autoeurope.com.”
Is it worth going inland to Teresopolis?
Absolutely! Teresopolis has a lot to offer and is completely different than the coastal sights. The feature there is hiking and rafting and you should probably set this up ahead of time — like while you’re in Buzios or Rio — with one of the agencies that offer packages or trip planning. For most people 48 hours is enough, but if you’re really into hiking and rock climbing, you might want more.
