 |
Sao Paulo |
|
|
|
|
|
|
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, with a city population of about 10.4 million and almost 23 million in its metropolitan region. It is the capital of the Southeastern state of São Paulo, and also a beehive of activity that offers a jovial nightlife and an intense cultural experience. São Paulo is one of the richest cities in the southern hemisphere, though the typical inequality between the classes typically observed in Brazil is blatant. Being home to millions of immigrants, it's one of the most diverse cities in the world.
São Paulo, or Sampa as it is also often called, is also probably one of the most underrated cities tourism-wise, often shaded by other places in the Brazilian sun & beach circuit such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. It is in fact a great city to explore, with its own idiosyncrasies, the exquisite way of living of its inhabitants, not to mention the world-class restaurants and diverse regional and international cuisine available to all tastes. If there is a major attraction to this city, it is the excellent quality of its restaurants and the variety of cultural activities on display.
More in
Sao Paulo >>
SEE DO EAT
Forecast currently unavailable.
|
|
|
 SEE
São Paulo is a huge city, so all individual listings should be moved to the appropriate district articles. Please help sort them out if you are familiar with this city.
|
|
DO
- Ibirapuera Park, [24]. With 1.5 million square meters, this is the most frequented leisure area in São Paulo. It has paths for walking and jogging, bikeways, woods, lakes, sport courts and areas for relaxation that attract city residents of all ages. It receives up to 150 thousand visitors on weekends. There are other important attractions at Ibirapuera, such as the Modern Art Museum, the Biennial Art Exhibition building, the Oca art exhibition pavilion and the Japanese pavilion. It also has frequent free music presentations by national and international artists. Ibirapuera was inaugurated in 1954, during the celebrations for the city’s fourth centennial. Oscar Niemeyer, renowned Brazilian architect, designed several of the buildings. Watch joggers, dog-walkers and all kinds of street vendors, and sit down on a patch of grass and listen to the birds singing. One of the few places in São Paulo where you can do just that. If you feel like it you can even enjoy a Caipirinha from one of the cardbord-box bars you will find close to the entrances. Also buy the sweet and tasty coconut/nougat-sweets that are sold by many vendors in the park. Nearest Metro is "Vila Mariana" and then a short taxi ride, a bus or a 20 minutes walk down the Rua Sena Madureira. You also can walk for around 20 minutes through Brigadeiro Luiz Antonio Avenue, from "Brigadeiro" Station (Green Line), in Paulista Avenue. You also can take a bus from the station, until the park.
- Horto Florestal is a nice park in zona norte.
- Parque da Luz, Av. Tiradentes [25] is small, but a nice little green spot if you happen to be in the neighborhood. This Victorian public garden was established in 1825, and is a refreshing green area in a bustling city, receiving between 2000 and 3000 visitors every weekend. Check out the bandstand, restored in 2006 - it was designed by Maximilan Emílio Helh (designer of the current Cathedral of Sé) and built in 1911. The easiest way to arrive in the park is getting the subway until "Luz" station (Blue Line). The park is in front of one exit of the station. You can also visit "Pinacoteca do Estado" e "Museu da Língua Portuguesa", all very close from "Luz" station.
- Parque Villa Lobos is located in the neighbourhood of Alto de Pinheiros, by the Marginal do Rio Pinheiros long motorway. It is possible to rent a biclycle there for R$2 an hour and ride around. There are also tennis courts free of charge, and Tai-Chi-Chuan classes in the mornings.
|
|
|
EAT
São Paulo has a superb diversity of restaurants, and the prices can be relatively low compared to European and American standards. When eating out, a tip of 10 percent on the value of the bill is usually included. Some restaurants don't include service charges (occasion when you may come across the message "Serviço não incluso" at the end of the bill), but unless the staff is upsettingly rude, do pay the standard 10 percent service fee as it is usually part of their wages.
It is not common to leave handbags on the floor; local superstition says your money can go away. The waiters may even offer an extra chair for you to leave your belongings whilst you have your meal. Many restaurants have a small hanger underneath the dining table, or a hook-and-loop velcro fastener on the chair rest for you to hang your bag.
If you don't know what to order in a Brazilian bar, look up for mandioca (Portuguese for manioc or cassava root) on the menu. Most likely they'll have it, deep-fried and sprinkled with salt (great alternative to chips!), or cooked and seasoned with melted butter. If you are up to a more conservative choice, french fries are spelled batata frita in Brazilian Portuguese.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|