5 must sees in São Paulo
This month I am taking you on a flashback to my best Christmas ever; Brazil 2013! My dad was relocated in São Paulo for his job, the biggest city in Brazil with an impressive skyline. Not everyone is fond of this, and I must admit São Paulo is a city that you must get used to. It is a place full of contrasts, good and bad ones. It is a huge culture shock, but once you get to know São Paulo you’ll see that the city has a lot of cool spots to offer. Let me share some ideas with you!
Avenida Paulista
This is the busiest and most important street of São Paulo. Avenida Paulista is the financial heart of the city, but don’t think this street is only for businesspeople. Avenida Paulista is full of cultural sights! Here you can shop until you drop or spend your day sightseeing. Since I was here during the Christmas season Avenida Paulista was extra magical as it was filled with lights. All those huge and impressively beautiful Christmas decorations were a true eyecandy!
Rua Augusta
This avenue is a hotspot for nightlife in São Paulo. Enjoy a drink at a sunny terrace or dance the night away at one of the many bars and clubs. Please be cautious though and avoid walking alone at night. The best thing to do is to hang out with local people who can take you to fun and safe places to party.
Ibirapuera park
Ibirapuera is a green oasis in a city full of skyscrapers. Did you know that the size of this urban park is more than 1500 million squared kilometers?! It is a popular spot for people of all ages to come and hike, play outdoor sports, picnic or simply chill. There are several little lakes in Ibirapuera and you can spot lots of animals. This was the first time that I saw black swans in the wild! Ibirapuera is especially fun during the holiday evenings, the whole park lights up and there is even a giant Christmas tree!
Unique Hotel Skybar
Looking for a unique spot to enjoy the skyline of São Paulo? Unique Hotel is literally the place to be! This hotel is right next to Ibirapuera park and its skybar is the perfect place to lunch or dine with a view. Don’t forget to take pictures of the building itself, as Unique Hotel is an architectural gem in the form of an arch.
Rock/Reggae galleries
São Paulo is an interesting mix of various (sub)cultures. Bringing a visit to the Rock galleries is a very cool way to observe the local life of São Paulo. The Rock galleries sell clothes and merchandise in the style of rock bands, punks, skaters and also hiphop. There is no shortage of tattoo shops either. Right next to the Rock galleries you will find the Reggae galleries. Here you can buy everything that is related to the Afro culture. The Reggae galleries is full of hair salons where ladies spend their day getting hair extensions. The application of these extensions might take up to twelve hours! These ladies know their hair dresser really well and since they spend their whole day at the salon, it’s perfectly normal for them to enjoy lunch together.
Would you visit São Paulo?
Ayo! AR x
We have close Brazilian friends living there, so yes! I would love to visit Sao Paulo!
Very nice! Would you go to any of these places that I mentioned? 🙂
Brasilia is definitely on my travel bucket list!
Brasilia, the capital? Interesting, I don’t hear many people say that they want to go there 😛
Why does Brasilia atract you?
Nice one! I’m not a huge fan of big, crowded cities and I think the culture shock would be severe :p Although the skybar does sound appealing!