São Paolo

V!VA User‘s Description

By Stephen Keeling

São Paulo is truly staggering. One of the world’s largest cities and the biggest in South America, it’s a vast, sprawling metropolis—approximately 19 million people live in the greater São Paulo area—and it is the financial capital of Brazil. Often skipped by tourists in favour of Rio, São Paulo is far more than just a frenetic business centre: the sheer size of the place can be overwhelming, but it’s one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the continent, host to an incredibly varied range of restaurants, bars and cultural attractions that surpass its more famous rival to the east.

The city evolved from a mission established on the banks of the Rio Tietê in 1554, but it was coffee that laid the foundation of modern São Paulo. From the 1870s, a boom in coffee cultivation in lands nearby meant the economy mushroomed, the profits rapidly ploughed into manufacturing.

The need for cheap labour increased immigration, and today, São Paulo’s diverse ethnic make-up is perhaps one of its most endearing qualities. Unknown to most visitors, it’s the largest Japanese city outside Japan, with over one million of its citizens claiming Japanese ancestry—the district of Liberdade is known as Japantown and is the best place to absorb East Asian culture with a Latin twist. São Paulo also contains sizeable Arab, Chinese, Eastern European, Italian, Korean and Portuguese communities, making it one of the best places to eat in South America, from cavernous churrascarias to Chinese noodle bars. The Jardins District contains the most fashionable restaurants and numerous bars—São Paulo’s dynamic nightlife is equally as colourful with Rua 13 de Maio and Vila Madalena hip places to grab a drink.

The Butantã Institute is perhaps the city’s most famous tourist attraction, a leading center for the study of poisonous snakes with thousands of deadly serpents on display, but it’s also worth checking out the city’s absorbing museums. Avenue Paulista, the financial heart of the city, is where you’ll find the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), a huge art gallery containing an exquisite collection of Brazilian and European art, complemented by the equally impressive Museu de Arte Sacra, located on Avenue Tirandentes and loaded with superb pieces from Brazil’s colonial era.

But the best way to get to grips with the soul of São Paulo is through its two most vigorous passions: capoeira and soccer. São Paulo has a vibrant capoeira scene, the Brazilian martial art performed in numerous bars and at events organised by ABADÁ Capoeira São Paulo. For sports fans, a pilgrimage to the Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo in the suburb of Morumbi is a must, preferably on a match day when the raucous atmosphere in the stadium equals the skills on the pitch. São Paulo won the Libertadores Cup and FIFA World Club Championship in 2005, both for the third time, cementing its position as Brazil’s most successful soccer team—an awesome achievement.

Ignore your first impressions: São Paulo needs time to be appreciated, but it’s one of the most absorbing and energetic cities on the continent, a multi-cultural powerhouse with plenty to do and see.