Sao Paulo, Brazil

Terra da Garoa

São Paulo was founded January 25, 1554 by the Jesuits, and for many years it was a small city. São Paulo didn't begin to grown until 1850, when the lucrative coffee plantations brought with them inward migration and investment. With São Paulo's increasing population and wealth it became the first industrial city in Brazil.

Today São Paulo is the financial, industrial, and commercial hub of Brazil. It's the largest and most populated city in South America, and one of the largest cities in the world. The population of São Paulo in 2004 was approximately 18 million and is among the most ethnically diverse in the world. It's for this reason São Paulo is known by many as an immigrant city. Liberdade, for example, is a neighborhood in São Paulo with a large population of Japanese citizens; interestingly this is the largest Japanese community outside of Japan!

Within São Paulo there are many cultural centers, amusement parks, shopping centers, leisure centers, sports facilities, and many more attractions. For tourists there are countless tours available, including: historical tours, shopping tours, cultural tours, amusement tours, zoo tours, museum tours, and more. Many of these tour companies offer English speaking guides due to the large number of English speaking clientele.

The city of São Paulo is an inland city, uniquely situated a short distance between beautiful ocean beaches and magnificent ecological reserves. The closest beaches to São Paulo are Guarujá and Santos, both of which are very busy because of their close proximity to the large city. On weekends this is where many Paulistas will go to get away from the city. If you choose to venture further, there is 385 miles (622km) of coast line with many more beautiful beaches, such as Camburi, Maresias, and Ubatuba. All of these beaches are accessible by bus, but keep in mind the furthest beach is 4 hours or so from São Paulo.

My Experience

São Paulo is a beautiful place. I especially enjoyed it at night when the city lights gave me a real appreciation for just how large the city is. The best place I found to enjoy the city lights was Paulista Avenue.

I've heard São Paulo referred to as the city that never sleeps, and I agree! I was always able to find a restaurant, movie theater, pub, supermarket, or pharmacy open 24 hours - what convenience!

As a tourist, getting around São Paulo without a vehicle was easy. The city has an incredible subway network. I found it was easy to understand and simple to use. In short, the subway network is divided into 5 different colored routes, depending on which area of the city you would like to reach.

Hotels in Sao Paulo        Sao Paulo Hotels Sao Paulo is located in the south-eastern corner of Brazil, in the state of Sao Paulo. This great city is particularly famous for Paulista Avenue; its magnificent churches, museums, and cultural events; its soccer teams; and the São Paulo Carnival. Search for Brazil Hotels