Home to 20 million proud paulistanos, São Paulo is a city bursting with life: culture, the arts and delicious food jostle for position with Brazil’s hottest nightlife. This sprawling metropolis and its penchant for unpredictable weather may seem daunting at first, but spend time exploring and you’ll unearth pockets of beauty and diverse, fun-loving locals who make hanging out in the city a traveller’s dream.
FOOD & DRINK
You could spend an entire visit to São Paulo hopping from one cult restaurant to the next. Tuck into traditional street eats such as the famous feijoada (rice and beans) or fill up on virado à Paulista, a kind of Brazilian comfort food. Start your day with coffee and bolos (cakes), eat sublime sushi for lunch, and try authentic Lebanese for dinner. End your day in a boteco sipping ice cold draught beer or classic caiprinhas to a samba beat.
ART & CULTURE
São Paulo has the richest art collection in Brazil, and a wealth of galleries and museums. Get lost in the Museum of Contemporary Art, home to over 8,000 pieces from the 20th century alone. Or take a street art tour of the city’s neighbourhoods and see vibrant – and some might say equally masterful works – firsthand. Independent cinema is wildly popular, as is live music: the locals dance to everything from samba and bossa nova to MPB (Brazilian Popular Music), and it may not take much encouragement to join in.
LANDMARKS
São Paulo’s skyline reflects its many contradictions. Take a trip up to S-shaped Copan’s rooftop for views over the city, or eat in one of the restaurants within Sesc Pompéia, an eighties factory designed by the legendary Bo Bardi. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for a chance to take in a concert amidst soaring columns and elevated walkways at the Sala São Paulo. Then get your Modernist fix at the Museu de Art de São Paulo, the largest suspended structure in Latin America.
If you’re visiting the Museum of Modern Art, make time to relax in Ibirapuera park – a peaceful green oasis that provides a welcome break from the city’s buzz.