Sao Paulo is the fourth largest city in the world and the largest outside of Asia. Yet, it does not always get recognized as a major tourist destination in Brazil. (We understand that it’s hard to compare a city to the uniqueness of Rio de Janeiro.) However, after visiting this city, the Sao Paulo culture can definitely stand on its own. The city’s attributes make Sao Paulo a worthy destination.
Sao Paulo is the economic center of Brazil. It attracts people from all over the country and world for its opportunities. The coffee industry from the 1880s attracted international immigration and brought wealth to the city. Today, Avenida Paulista, the business district, is just the start of the tall buildings that occupy this city. Because of its immense population, it has skyscrapers for as far as the eye can see when you get to the top of one of its towers.
Seeing the Old City
Free Walking Tours
As we do with most cities we visit, we started our adventure in Sao Paulo with a free walking tour through the city center. We had no expectations because we truly did not know very much about the city. The city center was full of buildings with character, including the Theatro Municipal, the main theater in Sao Paulo. The building was built to bring larger operas to the city when it became more of an economic epicenter.
Or the Edificio Copan, one of the largest apartment buildings in the world. It has over 1,100 apartments ranging from studios to 3 bedroom units. Oscar Niemeyer designed the building to accommodate families of a variety of socio-economic statuses. The building included 70 retail/business locations to support the immense number of residents, creating its own mini-neighborhood. The building is so large that it has its own zip code.
Or the buildings on Rua Quinze de Novembro, some of which used to be bank buildings. And you can determine this by the old fashioned safety deposit slot that was used exclusively for Sao Paulo elite when they needed to deposit money after business hours.
Finally, the tour ended at Mosteiro de Sao Bento, which is still operating as a monastery and a church. In Europe, the monks at monasteries brewed beer and baked bread (some of the oldest beers come from these monasteries!) This monastery is no different. At the shop at the entrance of the church, you can buy the bread and beer produced by the monks.
This tour was a great introduction to the city of Sao Paulo. The company has a few other tours that can take you through some other interesting and popular neighborhoods. These include Vila Madalena, Ibirapuera Park, and Paulista Avenue. You can learn more at their website here.
Views from the city center
While walking through the city center, our guide pointed out some different buildings with rooftop viewpoints to see the city. Her recommendation was to go up Farol Santander, a former bank building that has been transformed into a cultural center. The top floor has a 360 view, and we were in awe of the high-rises stretching in every direction.
Other floors in the building have some museum elements and even a skate park. (You can rent skateboards if you want to use it!) Finally, the basement has a cocktail bar that has been built into the vault of the bank. You can walk through vault doors and see the former safety deposit boxes integrated into the design of the bar.
The Murals of Sao Paulo
Even though Sao Paulo is full of skyscrapers, it is far from a concrete jungle. Everywhere you look, you can find murals that celebrate the culture of the area. There are two areas in the city that are examples of this artistic celebration. You cannot leave Sao Paulo without seeing these.
Beco do Batman (Batman Alley)
Batman Alley is located in the Vila Madalena neighborhood. It’s a pedestrian street that is known for its murals covering every inch of every building. It is often lined with art vendors and you can find some musical street performances on the weekends. We found that the street was relatively quiet and empty during the week (great for taking photos). However, it was much busier on the weekends (great for ambiance).
Minhocao Highway
Minhocao Highway is an elevated thoroughfare through the center of Sao Paulo. In the evenings and on weekends, it is closed to cars and opens up for pedestrians to try to revive the urban landscape. It is between Roosevelt Square (Praça Roosevelt), and L. Padre Péricles, where the highway changes to Av. Francisco Matarazzo. I recommend going on weekends during the daytime when people are around and avoiding the evenings for safety reasons.
As we walked down the highway, we were impressed by the scale of the buildings around us. Most importantly, we were in awe with the giant artwork painted on the facade of many of the buildings. The artwork highlights the populations that have been oppressed in the region. It felt powerful that the city decided to elevate this experience for the community and feature the story of these communities.
Appreciating the Different Cultures in Sao Paulo
As mentioned above, Sao Paulo has many different cultures, since being a center for coffee plantations. Between the African populations that were forced into slavery in the country to the other immigrants that came to support the economic incline of the city, the Sao Paulo culture is a true mix.
Museu Afro Brasil
The Museu Afro Brasil is located within Parque do Ibirapuera, the main park of Sao Paulo. It is a vitally important and powerful museum that tells the story of the African influence in Brazil. It includes the harsh reality of slavery and explains the Black experience in the country today. Most of the museum is in Portuguese, making it a little challenging for those who don’t speak the language. However, if you have data, you can use Google Translate’s camera tool to translate the signs throughout the museum.
The information is overwhelming and dense. Every sign has so much insight and value. I found it important to connect the culture of today to the historical Black culture, from food, religion, music, clothing, etc.
The most powerful room of the whole museum was the one about slavery. I won’t give it away but it made my spine shiver as it places the horror that Black populations faced when coming to Brazil front and center.
Finally, the museum celebrates Black-Brazilian artists today and the exhibitions are worth visiting. You can start to connect the things you learned to the art presented to you.
Liberdade
This neighborhood has a truly dark history when it comes to slavery but today, it is the location of Sao Paulo’s Japantown. Sao Paulo has the biggest Japanese population outside of Japan.
We started at Praca da Liberdade with a small market. While walking down Rua Galvão Bueno, we found markets, stores, and street vendors with Japanese goods. We used this opportunity to eat some delicious sushi (one of our favorite foods). If you don’t like sushi, there are also Izakaya and Ramen restaurants as well.
This town is just one example of the international food culture that you can find within Sao Paulo. There are so many cultures that you can explore within the city, although the Japanese food was a true highlight for us. You can read more about what we ate here.
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We are Kevin and Melina, two avid travelers who have decided to take our hobby of traveling into our new lifestyle.
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