São Paulo - The Ultimate Urban Experience

One of the largest cities on the planet (it’s significantly bigger than New York or Tokyo), São Paulo offers world-class dining and a vibrant nightlife. Take advantage of the currency’s devaluation and treat yourself to dinner at one of the city’s many elite restaurants—you’ll experience gourmet cuisine, fine wine, and five-star service in a sophisticated setting for a fraction of the price you’d pay in North America or Europe. Round out the evening with live music at a laid-back bar or a night of techno at a stylish club. Also, no matter what you do in the city, you’ll want to spend at least one day exploring downtown. Not only is this where many of the cultural highlights are located, but it’s the best place to wander the streets and experience the true vitality of the city.

Quick Tips:

Keep in mind that São Paulo has a high crime rate. You can avoid being pick-pocketed by using common sense—don’t wear flashy jewelry, keep valuables (such as your camera) out of sight, and hold onto your wallet! Armed robbery is not really within your control, but you can minimize the risk by avoiding taking the city buses and not walking on less busy streets at night. Although the odds of being the victim of robbery are actually quite small (a rough approximation would be a chance of 0.2% if you stay in São Paulo for a week), if you do find yourself in this situation, don’t attempt to resist or argue with the assailant—hand over everything you have.

A note on lodging: there are many great hotel options, and depending on your budget and interests, different locations offer different advantages. However, you’ll probably want to stick to the western, central and southern (but not too far south) sections of the city.

Best Way To Get Around:

One good way to get around is using the subway system, which is reliable and clean (and traffic-free!). However, the metro lines are not extensive enough to get you everywhere you want to go. The best way to get around the city is by taxi, and taxis are easy to find. Have the receptionist at your hotel call one for your, or board at one of the numerous "pontos" (pick-up points where taxis gather). Don’t rent a car. Driving in this city is already bad enough if you know your way around—trying to navigate the confusing streets and the crazy traffic simultaneously is sheer madness. The city bus system, although extensive, should probably be avoided by tourists, just to be safe.

The centro is São Paulo's historical core and is the best place to experience the full bustle of the city, as well as visit some of the city’s top attractions. I’ve taken several self-guided tours in the center and I’m always delighted by the diversity of sights and interesting characters I see. You can get from site to site on foot, but you’ll probably want to take the occasional subway. I suggest a route below, but you can plan your own itinerary using the tourist maps on the site www.vivaocentro.org.br. All the major points of interest are demarcated, and the most important of them have red checkmarks by their names. Get up early because you’ll have a full day!

Start off in the historically Japanese neighborhood of Liberdade. São Paulo is home to the largest population of Japanese outside of Japan, and surrounded by authentic Japanese markets and restaurants, you’ll know it’s true. Next head to Praça da Sé. Don’t miss the magnificent cathedral, nor the marker in the center of the plaza that defines the mid-point of the city. You’re likely to come across a wizened vendor of dried herbs to cure any ailments you might have, or maybe an Evangelist warning passerby’s about the fires of hell. Near Praça da Sé is Pátio do Colégio, where the city was founded in 1554 upon the inauguration of the Jesuit chapel and school. Visit the museum to learn more about the city’s foundation and 16th-century architecture. A few blocks away lies the city’s lifeblood of today—BOVESPA, the São Paulo stock exchange. The traditional financial district is still a mainstay of commerce, so on weekdays you’re sure to see plenty of business types bustling about. One of the highlights of the day will be a visit to the top of the nearby Banespa bank building for a magnificent view of the city. You’ll be blown away by how huge São Paulo is. The high-rises stretch in all directions, as far as you can see. Continue on across the Viaduto do Chá to the Teatro Municipal, the most important theater in São Paulo. The associated museum houses a permanent exhibit about the theater’s history. To get to the next location, you’ll probably want to take a subway. The Estação da Luz is the city’s original railway stop, and has been beautifully renovated. You’ll surely notice the majestic Pinacoteca do Estado building, home of the state’s (no so important) art collection. Make sure to spend some time in the nearby Museu de Arte Sacra (Musuem of Sacred Art), for it houses one of the most complete collections of Brazilian religious art from the 17th and 18th centuries.

At some point throughout the day, you’ll want to stop for lunch. A good option would be one of the "kilo" restaurants, where you select your food from a buffet and pay by the gram. A very affordable and popular option amongst workers in the business districts, this is an authentic Paulista lunch!

The Museu de Arte Sacra houses one of the most extensive and important collections of religious art in Brazil. The earliest piece dates back to the 16th century, though most of the collection is from the 17th and 18th centuries. The numerous saints, altars, reliquaries, silver, and jewels have been collected from around Brazil, and many of the pieces were originally brought from Europe. The collection is housed in São Paulo's only intact colonial building. In one room, the walls have been left exposed, revealing the building’s wood-and-mud structure. You’ll realize why the walls all had to be so thick! After you’ve seen the main collection, you’ll be directed to the Presépio exhibit, which houses Latin American and European nativity scenes of all shapes and colors. The definite highlight of the exhibit, and perhaps of the entire museum, is the huge nativity scene from Naples. The village montage, which contains hundreds of incredibly detailed and life-like human and animal figurines, depicts a medieval scene in Italy. You could easily spend hours studying the villagers. The scene is mounted near the entrance of the Presépio exhibit, to the left, before you go down the stairs (it’s a little hidden, so make sure not to miss it). Also, make sure to take a peek inside the museum’s adjoining chapel. Cloistered nuns still live on the grounds, so you might be able to hear them singing from behind the wooden screens up above. This chapel was built by a friar who, although not a saint, has a following of worshippers who leave slips of paper bearing prayers and requests at his gravestone (which is located near the front of the chapel). A visit to the Museu de Arte Sacra can easily be incorporated into a downtown-tour itinerary--it is next to the Tiradentes metro stop, and is within walking distance of the lovely Luz park, the Pinacoteca do Estado (the state gallery), and Estação da Luz (a beautifully renovated train station built by the British).

São Paulo is probably more famous for its international cuisine than for Brazilian cooking. The city is a melting pot of many immigrant cultures, the most significant of which are probably Italians, Japanese, Lebanese, Spanish, Germans and Koreans. You’ll find excellent restaurants of all these nationalities.

Tourists can take advantage of the currently favorable exchange rate and treat themselves to the best of the city’s gourmet dining-- without breaking the bank. The heaviest concentration of these restaurants can be found in the neighborhood of Itaim Bibi/Jardins. Restaurants only begin to fill up after 8:30, so you might want to beat the crowds and arrive early. Otherwise, it is likely you will have to wait a good, long while before being seated. Many of the most popular restaurants don’t take reservations during peak hours. Some of the renowned high-end restaurants include (and this is really only the very tip of the iceberg, so ask around for suggestions to suit your particular tastes): Fasano, Massimo’s, Cantaloup, DOM, Don Curro, Jun Sakamoto, and Parigi.

That said, you are, after all, in Brazil. . . So you might want to sample some authentically local flavors as well. Feijoada is a feast prepared with black beans and pork meat, and is served with rice, kale, manioc flour, and slices of fresh oranges (not to mention batida de limão, a drink made from potent sugar-cane liquor and lemon). Feijoada's heritage dates back to the days when slaves made meals out of the pig scraps they were given on slaughter days (Wednesdays and Saturdays, which are also the days that restaurants serve feijoada). A great place (although not the cheapest) to eat this dish is Casa da Fazenda, a restaurant that is located in a remodeled farmhouse. After or before the meal, walk around the beautifully maintained grounds, the site of what used to be a tea plantation. Be sure to visit the old slave quarters, where feijoadas were probably made years ago!

Meat-eaters will definitely want to visit a churrascaria, or grill house. I’ve been to most of the reputed churrascarias in São Paulo (and other cities in Brazil), and Fogo de Chão stands out as the best (although, again, not the cheapest... probably about R$45 per person). Kick off the meal with a visit to the sumptuous salad bar, but don’t fill yourself too much. You’ll need plenty of room in your stomach for the dizzying rounds of meats soon to be brought to your table by gaucho servers. Prime cuts include picanha and alcatra. Don’t be afraid to try the chicken hearts! Round out the meal with a dessert of papaya blended with vanilla ice cream. The digestive enzymes in the papaya will help alleviate your heavy stomach (or so they say).

If you want to be like a true Paulista, go out for pizza on Sunday night. Paulistas take pride in their Italian-style, thin-crust pizzas baked in brick ovens. For something uniquely Brazilian, try a catupiry (a soft cheese) pizza.

No gastronomical experience in São Paulo is complete without a cafezinho (little coffee, usually espresso). Order these after meals, or have your afternoon shot at a padaria (bakery) and sip your coffee while standing at the counter. If you are in the mood for a snack, try a delicious Brazilian salty treat: pão de queijo, empada, or coxinha.

Bom apetite!

Paulistas work hard, but they play hard, too. There are more nightspots in São Paulo than you could visit in a lifetime, so whether your scene is a laid-back bar or a trendy disco, there’s something out there for you. Live music of all sorts is abundant—jazz, rap (known as "música black"), pagode (samba-style music), underground trance, rock, etc.—so ask around.

Some guidelines to keep in mind when you explore the São Paulo nightscape:

Clubs don’t get started until pretty late (if you arrive before midnight, or even later in some cases, the place will be deserted), so if you’re headed out to the nightlife directly after dinner, you’ll probably want to hang out at a bar for an hour or two before hitting any clubs.

Bars and clubs go in and out of style extremely quickly, so if you’re looking for the latest trendy hotspot, you’ll have to ask a local in the know. The trendy-club-of-the-month will probably be crowded with Paulista socialites, will have a DJ who spins house or poppy dance music, and will have a bar area separate from the dance-floor (so it’s not impossible to have a conversation).

If you decide to face the crowds, you’ll realize that these clubs, although they often offer great ambience and dancing, primarily function as places for singles to hook up. The more undergroundish clubs (that usually spin heavier techno, drum, and bass) have less of a meat-market feel and are more permanent in their addresses. These are likely to start later (don’t show up too much before 2am), be smaller and cheaper, and attract a more alternative crowd. One of my personal favorites is Lov.e on Rua Pequetita in the neighborhood of Vila Olímpia (this neighborhood, by the way, is particularly known for its numerous nightspots).

Many clubs will change their theme or DJ each night of the week, so depending on what day it is, different places attract different crowds. Pretty much any club will be booming from Wednesday to Saturday. Other days of the week require a bit more research, or else you might end up going from club to club only to find that they are closed/empty.

At any club (and some bars), you will most likely be expected to pay a minimum consumption charge, which can be used towards buying drinks. The minimum consumption for men will almost always be significantly more expensive than for women. You will probably be given a card that servers use to keep track of how much you spend. Don’t lose this card—they’ll charge you the maximum consumption, which runs in the hundreds of Reais.

On a full night, you might have to stand in line outside the clubs. And, especially for the socialite clubs, how soon you get in is not necessarily a function of where you’re standing in line. Bouncers favor fashionably dressed people and groups with girls. (Have I mentioned that São Paulo can be extremely shallow and image-driven? It is, after all, the world-wide plastic-surgery capital.) Once you’re in the club, it is safe to leave purses/jackets at the "chapelaria," which may charge you a small fee for storing your belongings.

Finally, when you’re ready to leave, you’ll find that it is very easy to get a taxi outside the club.

The beaches along the northern coast of the state of São Paulo are popular among Paulistanos as weekend destinations and are, in my opinion, underrated by the international tourist industry (and I hope they stay that way!). The closest beaches are in Guarujá and the port city of Santos, but these beaches are overcrowded, overdeveloped and somewhat polluted. Keep heading northeast along the coast (the trip, by car, takes between two and four hours without traffic). The first of the nicer beach areas that you will reach is Riviera de São Lourenço, which offers the amenities of a small town in addition to their decent beaches. Personally, I prefer the beaches that lie beyond, starting after Boracéia. The scenic coastline, covering the municipal regions of São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba and Ubatuba, offers sandy beaches framed by mountains and tropical rainforest. Some have comfortable hotels, although at many of the beaches in this area, rustic "pousadas" are the norm. Some beaches even have campsites (but be aware that camping on the beach itself is usually prohibited). Beaches are most crowded between Christmas and New Year’s and during Carnaval; this is also when the nightlife is liveliest.

If you are near the beach of Maresias and enjoy dancing, the nightclub Sirena is worth checking out. Some of São Paulo’s best DJs spin there during the high season, and its open-air, rainforest setting is uniquely fantastic.

Spring and fall, or even weekdays during the summer, allow for a more relaxed experience, and some beaches remain virtually deserted even at the peak of summer. One of the greatest attractions of the northern Paulista coastline is its preserved stretch of Atlantic Rainforest. This forest used to extend up the entire coastline of Brazil, but has been decimated by the expansion of development and agriculture. Much of the remaining forest lies in the state of São Paulo. It is possible to hire a guide who will take you into the jungle on an "eco-tour," where you will learn more about the fauna and flora of this wild and dense rainforest. Also, ask around for trails that lead to mountain waterfalls—the trek through the jungle (ranging in length from five minutes to many hours) will be hot and humid, but the breathtaking beauty and the chance to swim in natural, clear pools in the middle of the rainforest are worth the sweat.

For another paradisiacal experience, hire a boat on a sunny day and go out to a nearby island, where you can snorkel or swim in the emerald-green waters.

Depending on when you go and on the beach you choose, nighttime activities vary in selection and crowdedness. Some beaches are downright deserted, although even these are located near beaches that will have at least a few bars and restaurants. The streets, bars and restaurants of the most popular of the beaches will be thronging with people from the city. Friday night traffic to the coast is often intolerable, as is the Sunday-night return. If you can, avoid these peak hours. The coast can be reached via inter-city buses run by private companies, and these are usually safe and reliable. You’ll want a bus that takes the Rio-Santos highway. When you board, tell the driver what your destination is, and he can let you know when you’ve arrived.

Nicknamed the "Switzerland of Brazil," the town of Campos do Jordão is a popular winter destination where Paulistas bundle up and sip hot chocolate by a roaring fire in their Swiss-style cottages. And in keeping with the wintry theme, the roofs are appropriately slanted should the town ever be hit by a blizzard (and of course it never is—although it can get quite cold). The idyllic mountain setting of majestic Paraná pines is as much of a draw as the myriad cultural events, including a renowned classical music festival, that entertain the crowds each winter.

In warmer seasons, the area attracts hikers, alpinists, and nature enthusiasts who use the town as a springboard for outdoor adventures. Activities include horseback-riding, rock-climbing, rappelling down cliffs inside waterfalls, fly-fishing, hang-gliding, and hiking along any of over 100 trails in the immediate surrounding area or within the Horto Florestal national park (if you venture into the park, hire a certified guide, for many of the trails are unmarked).

If you have a few days to kill and have seen enough of São Paulo, this side-trip is definitely worthwhile—especially if the weather isn’t warm enough for a trip to the beach.