Especially for those who love the hustle and bustle of a big city, vibrant nightlife, museums, and cultural experiences, this mega city has lots to offer. Locals, known as Paulistas, often refer to São Paulo as the city of rain and pollution. In fact, 44% of residents have experienced health issues related to pollution. But don’t let this fact discourage you from a visit. In this blog I will lay down some facts about the city that will help you to decide why you should go, what you should bring on your trip and when to go.
Short history
The city of São Paulo is the largest city of Brazil (and in the top 10 largest cities on the planet) and is situated in the state of São Paulo. The city has about 18 million people living in it. The city was founded by Jesuit missionaries on January 25, 1554, the anniversary of the conversion of Saint Paul, where it got its name from. For almost 300 years the town stayed very small. Only after the mid 1800’s the city started to become bigger and bigger and it became Brazil’s most important in terms of industry and finance. It started with the boom of coffee export and the many immigrants that were needed for the exportation of coffee. Immigrants came from Germany, Italy and later on from Japan and the Middle East ( mostly from Lebanon and Syria). Millions made their home in São Paulo and now you can still see the reminiscences of that. The neighborhood of Liberdade is a great example of that. The Japanese community is still very evident.
Why visit São Paulo?
With so many amazing destinations like Foz do Iguacu, Rio de Janeiro, Pantanal or the Amazon rainforest the question arises if São Paulo is worth the visit. It’s a bit complicated but overall I would say ‘Yes, it’s worth it’.
The city is huge and already that’s a site to see. On average, a Paulista spends 2 hours and 45 minutes commuting from home to work. And you will also need some time to travel from site to site. While you are traveling around you will get a feel of this big city, vibrant and full of cultural experiences. The city has a lot of big artworks throughout the city and there are some parks where you can relax. Speaking of cultural experiences, there are many museums you can visit, like MASP (museum of modern art) Pinacoteca do Estado (Art museum), the museum of Japanese immigration or the museum in park Ibirapuera. Nightlife in São Paulo is one of the best in the world.
When should you go?
São Paulo doesn’t have a high or low season for tourists but from September to December or March to May you have the mildest weather without too much rain plus there are some nice events going on in the city.
If you like to experience Carnaval in São Paulo be aware that it will be crazy busy! And this is also true for New Year’s Eve. Carnaval in São Paulo is different from Rio de Janeiro or Salvador but they have lots of festivities all over the city. Prices for accommodation will be sky high but that will also be for other cities in Brazil during these times.
How long should I spend in the city?
In 4 days you will be able to see most sites if you do a couple per day. If you want to go to some museums or need to have some breaks in between it’s better to come for 5 days. While São Paulo is a great city to explore, if this is your visit to Brazil you probably would like to spend more time on other places. Brazil has so much to offer and cities like Rio, Salvador or Florianópolis have more sightseeing possibilities than São Paulo.
How to get around?
Because the city is so large you need to expect to travel quite a bit. It doesn’t matter if you are in the city center or outside of it, you will need to go from site to site to see everything you want.
Public transport is good in comparison to the rest of Brazil but for foreigners it feels very poor. There are only 5 subway lines in this mega city and as you can imagine people still need to travel more than that. The bus system is big but navigating is not easy for visitors especially when you don’t speak Portuguese. I have used the metro but not the bus. You can use Google maps to plan your trip. The metro system is relatively safe and cheap. You pay $R 4,40 per ride. (Also for the bus.) Metro tickets must be purchased with cash at ticket windows that are available in all stations. Visitors cannot buy a reusable metro card and you will need to buy single-use tickets instead. You can buy your ticket in the bus itself but they don’t give change if you pay with large bills.
Another way to travel around which is safer is using an Uber. Indrive and taxi are also around but don’t have as many safety protocols as Uber. I always use Uber with a safety code to make sure I have the right one.
How to be safe in São Paulo?
First of all use your common sense, if you feel unsafe leave the situation if possible or ask for help. Leave your valuables at your hotel or put them in your backpack or handbag. Don’t walk alone at night or better yet, don’t walk at all at night especially in the city center. Pickpockets can be anywhere, in the subway or at busy tourist areas so it’s best to put your phone away as much as possible. When I visited São Paulo, a friend’s brother who lives there warned us about phone snatchers. These thieves ride bicycles around the city, waiting for those moments when people are distracted by their phones, whether writing a message or taking a picture. They then snatch the phone from your hand and bike away.
Taxi scams still happen so to be safe it’s easier to take an Uber.
Plan your trip
Because the city is so large you will need to travel a lot so it’s best if you plan your days. Some days you will need to calculate some extra time because of traffic. Especially Tuesdays and Thursdays. And if you find yourself in a tropical storm you will have to wait for taxis or bussen longer. Find out what you want to do and check what places are close to the ones you have on your list. Be aware that some locations might look close by on the map but in reality they are much further.
Where to eat?
There are so many amazing places to go and eat in São Paulo and for that reason I will not list individual restaurants. But I’ll give some neighborhoods where you can find different restaurants for you to try. If you want to eat typical Brazilian food you can find that all over but especially in Republica, Pinheiros or Vila Madalena. Streetfood can be purchased on the street (of course), at a Feira (market) or at the Mercado Municipal. If you like Japanese food go to Liberdade (it was so good!) and for Korean or Jewish food go to Bom Retiro. The pizza from São Paulo is quite famous so if you have a chance, try one. They are completely different from Italian pizza so let yourself be surprised. Pro Tip: Check out TripAdvisor for the best restaurants per neighborhood.
I can imagine that it can be overwhelming to visit a mega city like this but with these tips you will have a great time. If you want to get more information about how to navigate your trip in Brazil check out my blog about that. If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know in the comments down below.
Is São Paulo accessible for wheelchair users?
Museums*
Most bigger museums have ramps and elevators. But smaller museums don’t always have that. So of course you need to check before you go because it will be different museum to museum.
Café’s and restaurants
There are so many places where you can enter but a lot of place don’t have ramps. Bathrooms in smaller places usually are upstairs. You can always go to a shopping mall because they have food courts that are accessible.
Public transport
Not good. Some busses have a ramp but a lot of them have steps. The busstops are not alway even and you will need help for sure. The subway does have some elevators but not always. For a hassle free trip it’s easier to use Uber or taxi.
Toilets
If you go inside malls or other public places you will have a designated toilet for wheelchair users.
*And other attractions
Items I love while traveling
Door lock
My portable door lock goes everywhere with me. Especially as a solo traveler it makes me feel way more safe. It can be use in most doors (only a couple of times I wasn’t able to use it) and it’s super sturdy.
XD Design roll top bag pack
My roll top backpack is almost 3 years old but I still use it every day, not only when I travel. Because of the roll top and the add lock system it is anti-theft. It’s also cut proof and water resistant. There is a separate section for your laptop and water bottle.
Baseball cap for ponytail or bun
One of my biggest wins in terms of sun protection are hats and baseball caps. But I have a lot of hair and with this baseball cap I can finally wear my hair in a bun or high ponytail. Win-win!