20 Must-Visit Attractions In So Paulo

São Paulo is Latin America’s largest city, and Brazil’s financial hub; the sheer size of the city and number of attractions in São Paulo are enough to make any visitor dizzy. Fortunately, Culture Trip has done the work for you with this list of the top twenty attractions that should not be missed while you’re in town.

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Mercadão Municipal

Market

Mercado Municipal | © LWYang/Flickr

Catedral da Sé

Cathedral, Church

The first version of the church was installed in 1591, when the indigenous leader Tibiriçá chose the spot where the city’s first temple would be built. The ‘church’ was a taipa structure with walls made of clay and straw, held up together by logs. The construction of the current Cathedral began in 1913 but was only inaugurated in 1954, still without its two main towers. One of the five largest Neo-Gothic temples in the world, there are guided historical visits within the church and its crypt below the altar, where the imaginary line of the Tropic of Capricorn passes and the indigenous leader Tibiriçá is buried. The front of the Cathedral is considered the very centre of the city of São Paulo.

Parque do Ibirapuera

Museum, Park

Ibirapuera Park São Paulo | © Lesanta/Flickr

MASP

Building, Museum

Located in São Paulo’s most famous avenue, Avenida Paulista, the São Paulo Art Museum Assis Chateaubriand (MASP) is one of the most important museums of the Southern Hemisphere and one of the main postcards of the city. It has a collection of about 8,000 pieces by famous artists, from Brazil’s Portinari and Anita Malfatti, to Picasso, Van Gogh, and others. With its modern architecture, designed by Lina Bo Bardi, MASP is said to be the only museum in the world with the main body perched on four lateral pillars, and a free area of 74 meters in length.

Pinacoteca

Art Gallery, Library, Memorial, Museum

Located in the centre of town, the Pinacoteca was São Paulo’s first art museum. It houses a collection of about 9,000 pieces from both national and international artists, and attracts over half a million visitors each year. The unique interior of the museum is one that first catches the visitors’ eye. Exposed brick walls and a large two-story atrium in the middle of the museum lets visitors enjoy the artwork under natural lighting. In the museum’s beautiful garden there are also several interesting sculptures.

Sala São Paulo

Concert Hall, Train Station

Sala Sao Paulo | © Julio Boaro/Flickr

Galeria do Rock

Galeria do Rock | © Marco Gomes/Flickr

Instituto Butantan

Park

Instituto Butantan | © Mike Peel /Wikimedia CC

Instituto Tomie Ohtake

Restaurant

Instituto Tomie Ohtake | © Monica Kaneko/Flickr

Mosteiro de São Bento

Mosteiro Sao Bento | © Bruno Covas/Flickr

Liberdade

No trip to São Paulo would be complete without a visit to the Liberdade neighbourhood, Japan’s largest colony outside of Japan. Walk around Liberdade and you will feel a part of Japan in the largest city in South America. It is estimated that about 400,000 Japanese and descendants live in São Paulo today, many in the streets of Liberdade. With Japanese lanterns decorating the streets and dozens of sushi establishments and specialised food stores where one can find Japanese, Thai and Korean products for sale, Liberdade is a true centre for its tight-knit community. It even has its own Japanese-language newspaper and hosts several annual Eastern culture festivals including Chinese New Year.

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Liberdade, São Paulo, Brazil

Memorial da America Latina

Building, Memorial

Memorial da America Latina | © Gabrielt4e/ Wikimedia CC

OCA

Park

Oca | © Anabrambilla/ Flickr

Beco do Batman

Beco do Batman | © Lise Alves

Praça Benedito Calixto

From antique toys to aviator sunglasses to 1950s-style luggage, you can find it here at the charming Benedito Calixto square fair. The fair, which takes place every Saturday in Pinheiros, is considered one of the best antique fairs in all of Brazil, not only for its products but also for its snacks. In the afternoon people gather around to drink cold beer and eat typical Brazilian munchies while listening to chorinho (typical Brazilian music).

Praça Benedito Calixto, Pinheiros, São Paulo, Brazil

Edificio Martinelli

Building

View from top of Martinelli building | © Alexandre Hamada Possi/Flickr | © Alexandre Hamada Possi /Flickr

Theatro Municipal

Theater

One of the true postcard-perfect places in the city, São Paulo’s Municipal Theatre was first constructed in 1903. Since then it has gone through several restorations to make it more modern without losing any of its initial glamour. The theatre hosts performances by local music and dance schools, and during days when no performance is scheduled, visitors can enter the theatre to visit.

Museu do Futebol

Museum, Stadium

Templo de Salomão

Building, Church, School

Parque Villa Lobos

Park

Named after one of Brazil’s most famous classical composers, the park is one of the most beloved in the entire city, with almost 20,000 visitors passing through on any given weekend. The park, located in the Alto de Pinheiros neighbourhood, encompasses 732,000 square metres of green space which also houses a bicycle path, football fields, playground, gym equipment, jogging track, and a forest with species from the native Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Forest).

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