10 Things You May Not Know About So Paulo

São Paulo is the largest city in Latin America. With one of the five largest populations on earth, this buzzing metropolis holds a few surprises. Here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about the city.

Coffee plantation

The largest city in South America has a huge coffee plantation very near the iconic Avenida Paulista. There are about 1,500 coffee plants rooted within the Instituto Biológico in the neighborhood of Vila Mariana. Since 2006, between May and June, the Sabor da Colheita (Taste of the Harvest) event is held which marks the beginning of the coffee harvest in the entire State of São Paulo.

Traditional tribal lands

Pizza and more pizza

Having the largest Italian community in the country, the city has more than 6,000 pizzerias that produce more than 1,000,000 pizzas per day or 720 per minute, with revenues of around R$4 billion per year. Pizza is one the favorite foods of any Paulista.

Gay Pride

The city has the largest openly gay community in Latin America, and every year hosts what is considered to be the largest Gay Pride Parade in the continent. In 2016, more than two million people attended the event. There are many hotels, bars, clubs and churches catering to the community. In 2012, the São Paulo State government created the Museu da Diversidade (Diversity Museum) to preserve the cultural heritage of the LGBT community in Brazil.

Japanese community

São Paulo is also home to the largest number of Japanese people outside of Asia. Japanese immigration to Brazil started in the early 1900s and today the community’s population is believed to be around 1.5 million. The Japanese Liberdade neighborhood is currently one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. This community has its own newspaper and many street names and storefront banners are written in Japanese. They also celebrate all the major festivities, such as Moti Tsuki, Toyo Matsuri and Tanabata Matsuri.

Japanese celebration at Liberdade Neighborhood

Amazing Avenida Paulista

Of the main landmarks of São Paulo, Avenida Paulista has been the scene of many of the city’s major events, hosting both New Years Eve celebrations as well as political demonstrations and protests. Inaugurated in 1891, the avenue runs through six neighborhoods and has a length of 2.7 km. Nearly 1.5 million people walk daily along its wide sidewalks.

Largest helicopter fleet

The city of São Paulo has the largest helicopter fleet in the world with 210 heliports in the city where approximately 1,300 aircrafts land and depart daily. Every 5 minutes, at least 4 helicopters land or take off from one of the city’s many tall buildings.

International population

São Paulo City is believed to be the 14th most globalized city in the world, producing 12% of Brazil’s Gross Domestic Product and 15% of the GDP of all of South America. In addition to a very big Japanese population, the city is also home to large Italian, Lebanese, Korean and Bolivian communities.

Crazy traffic jams

The capital of São Paulo also has an incredible number of cars: over seven million! With all those vehicles the city is said to have the 7th worst transit on the planet. São Paulo drivers spend about 102 hours per year in traffic jams.

Sumo gymnasium

São Paulo is home to the only gymnasium exclusively used to practice the sport of sumo outside of Japan. It is located in the Bom Retiro neighborhood. Sumo wrestlers have been practising here since the early 1980s, but it was only in 2011 that a special location was constructed to exclusively house sumo competitions and practices. It was from this gymnasium that the Brazilian sumo wrestlers team for the 2016 Olympics was formed.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.