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Historic sector in São Paulo, Brazil
Photo: Diego Torres Silvestre, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
São Paulo's downtown area (Centro) is where the city was founded and started to grow from, in 1554. It is a concentration of historic buildings and protected areas, from different eras and architecture movements. In the second half of the 20th century, business and upscale households have moved away from downtown, turning the area into a degraded hub for robbery and drugs people preferred to avoid. Many renovation projects took place and are still underway, slowly but confidently turning the old center into an important, lively and vibrant commercial and cultural hotspot.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Jardim da Luz
The park in front of the Luz station was a meeting point for São Paulo's high society in the early 20th century. It is now a calm and beautiful environment that contrasts with the urban chaos and degradation of its surroundings.
Largo da Memória
The obelisk in this square dates from 1814, which marks São Paulo becoming a city.
Largo São Bento
The square holds São Bento's church and monastery, a 17th century monastery, where mass is still held against a backdrop of Gregorian chants. The monks' bakery is a temptation. Give in, it’s no sin.
Largo São Francisco
Church and Convent of Saint Francis and the historic Law School of the University of São Paulo.
Elevado Presidente Costa e Silva
The Minhocão ("Big Worm"), a 2.7-km-long highway opened in 1970, is considered to be a monument to poor urban planning and to the chaotic growth of the city in a not-so-distant past. Its construction turned a large portion of the city center into a degraded area. The highway is closed to cars, but open for pedestrians and bicycles, Monday to Friday from 20:00 to 7:00, Saturdays starting from 15:00 and the entirety of Sunday. Over the Minhocão, you have a unique view of the west part of the city center, mostly the Santa Cecília district. Seeing the Minhocão from below is also interesting, as it has been covered with works of art.
Praça da República
There are buildings that bear witness to many different architectural styles: the 1935 Esther building, considered the first with a modern architectural design; the S-shaped Copan building designed by Oscar Niemeyer; and Itália building (see Historical buildings).
Praça da Sé
São Paulo's central square (marked by the Zero Mark (Marco Zero) monument) has fountains, 16 sculptures, palm trees and lots and lots of people. The Sé Cathedral and the São Paulo Justice Palace are located here.
Vale do Anhangabaú
The valley is a giant boulevard with gardens, sculptures and a view of the main downtown office buildings. The Altino Arantes building and the Correios Palace are here.
Viaduto do Chá
Linking R. Barão de Itapetininga to R. Direita. Marks the transition from old to the new part of the center.
Bovespa - São Paulo Stock Exchange
This exchange is the largest in South America, founded in 1890 by Emílio Rangel Pestana. You can have a visit to the museum inside the building, showcasing Brazil's economic history.
This S-shaped building, the largest residential building of Latin America, was projected by famous Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and was the symbol of the emerging "modern" São Paulo during the 1960s. As the rest of the Historic Center, the building entered a period of decadence, but its inhabitants now have a middle class profile, and it is still one of the most beautiful skyscrapers of the city center.
Altino Arantes Building, Farol Santander
Previously known as the Banespa building (after the bank that used to occupy the building), it was the tallest skyscraper in the city between its completion in 1947 and the construction of the Itália building in 1965. Aside from art exhibitions, a cafe and an indoor skate park, visitors can take a lift to the 35th floor and climb up to the tower, from which there are panoramic views of the city. The top of the building lights up in different colors to celebrate certain dates.
Palácio do Anhangabaú, Edifício Matarazzo, Banespinha
São Paulo's city hall is a building from the 1930s in modernist architectural style. The building had been the home of Matarazzo Industries, which used to be the most powerful manufacturing company in Brazil.
Palácio dos Correios
The first home to the state's mail service, constructed in 1922. It hosts many exhibitions, mainly focused on the company's history.
Palácio da Justiça de São Paulo
Home to the Higher Courts of Law of the State of São Paulo since 1933. Hosts an exhibition about law in the state.
Solar da Marquesa
Emperor Dom Pedro I's powerful concubine, the Marchess of Santos is one of the most popular monarchy figures in Brazilian popular culture. Her colonial house is now a museum.
Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Santuário Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmelo
A vast baroque basilica decorated with frescoes by Benedito Calixto.
Capela de Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos
A creepy-looking church in a small street near Liberdade Sq., it is one of the oldest surviving churches of the city, dating back to 1774, when it was built to be the chapel of the city's first cemetery. It is still the destination of romaria Catholic pilgrimages.
Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora da Assunção e São Paulo
São Paulo's main catholic church, with 14 towers, built in a Gothic and Renaissance style. Although the current construction was finished in 1954, the original cathedral, at the same spot, dates from the early history of São Paulo - 1616.
Paróquia Nossa Senhora da Consolação
Built in the neo-gothic style in 1909, when its surroundings were still semi-rural and poor. Contains paintings of Benedito Calixto and Oscar Pereira da Silva.
Igreja da Nossa Senhora de Boa Morte, Igreja da Boa Morte da Virgem Maria
Known in the past as “Igreja das Boas Notícias” (Church of Good News) due to its bells tolling whenever someone important arrived in São Paulo, the historical church opened in 1810. Local legend says its curious name is due to the fact that the church was a place of prayer for African slaves sentenced to death. Historically speaking, it distinguished itself as one of the few churches in that era which allowed anyone in, regardless of ethnicity.
Igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo, Capela da Venerável Ordem Terceira do Carmo
A church from the colonial period, finished in 1758, with the original building dating back to 1592. Contains over a hundred pieces of art from the colonial area.
Paróquia Matriz Nossa Senhora da Conceição
Built in a neo-romantic style with neo-gothic details, it resembles medieval churches in northern Europe. It was temporarily the cathedral of São Paulo between 1930 and 1954. Contains paintings of Henri Bernard, Benedito Calixto and Carlos Oswald.
Catavento Cultural e Educacional, Palácio das Indústrias
Former São Paulo city hall, constructed during the 1920s in an eclectic style. It now hosts an interactive science museum, a very popular choice to take the kids to.
Focused on showcasing Latin American artists, with the entrance changing its painting whenever there's a new exhibition. Ironically, despite being named "Red Gallery", the walls are mostly white.
Memorial da Resistência
Dedicated to those who fought against the military dictatorship in Brazil, which occurred from 1964 to 1985. Here you can see prison cells, written documents, spoken testimonies and visual records of this period.
Dedicated to one of the city's founders, José de Anchieta, and also the place where São Paulo was founded on January 25, 1554. It contains many paintings and historic documents, the most interesting of which is a scale model of early São Paulo. The Pátio do Colégio square also contains a church where his femur is located, alongside a library.
Museu de Arte Brasileira
Ran by Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP), an arts university. Houses a variety of temporary exhibitions.
Museu de Arte Sacra
With its wealth of religious images (Natividade Musem is housed there), it is where Carmelite Nuns prepared Frei Galvão pills, which many consider to be miraculous.
Museu de Energia de São Paulo
Focused on the history of different kinds of energy that powered both São Paulo and the world, includes interactive exhibitions.
Museu da Língua Portuguesa
A interactive linguistics museum that shows the different accents and dialects of Portuguese in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America, as well as its relation to other tongues and their developments and influence of African, Amerindian, Asian and European languages on Brazilian Portuguese.
Pinacotega do Estado de São Paulo
High quality temporary exhibits share the stage with the museum’s fantastic painting and sculpture collection. Come early to avoid the crowds.
Cemitério da Consolação
Since the early 20th century, this necropolis has buried some of the most well known figures in Brazil, such as Tarsila do Amaral, Mário de Andrade and Monteiro Lobato, many of them with beautiful sculptures carved for their graves. The wealthy Matarazzo family owns the largest mausoleum in South America, located here.
One of the few green areas in the Center, it contains bronze statues by France artists, some built into fountains.
Museu do Futebol
One of the country's most important and iconic stadiums, Estádio do Pacaembu is an art deco giant built in 1940, and 10 years later hosted six matches of the 1950 FIFA World Cup. Since then, it has hosted several final matches for national and continental tournaments, alongside large concerts for famous performers, such as Paul McCartney, Iron Maiden, Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton. Nowadays, it also houses a museum all about the sport.
Sala São Paulo
The other traditional address for classical music fans. The São Paulo State Symphony Orchestra (OSESP), an important symphony orchestra which represents the state, plays its concerts there. It’s also possible to pre-arrange guided visits of the theater and main hall.
Teatro Abril, Paramount Theater
Opened in 1929, this building's purpose changed along with its leadership, going from a movie theater to a live performance theater. Hosts the most popular Broadway-style musicals south of the equator, translated into Portuguese.
Theatro Municipal
One of the two traditional addresses for classical music fans. This is where the historic Modern Art Week took place in 1922. The building, designed by Ramos de Azevedo in 1911, is reason enough to justify a visit. It now houses the São Paulo City Symphony Orchestra, the city's lead group in the field. Guided visits need to be booked in advance.
The largest library in the city and the second largest in the country, named after the modernist artist. With over 3,2 million titles, it distinguishes itself for its collection of 60 thousand rare documents dating back to the 19th century.
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
Once the bank’s first headquarters in São Paulo — offers an excellent program of arts, movies, theater and music at accessible prices.
Centro Cultural São Paulo
A general culture center where limited time events often take place. It has a library, movie theater and concerts. It is a common place for informal street dance and board game gatherings.
Sociedade Brasileira de Cultura Japonesa, Edifício Bunkyo
This cultural center of the Japanese diaspora contains the Japanese Immigration Museum, where visitors can learn about the history of the Japanese community in Brazil. A lot of activities are available, including Japanese courses and the youth group (Seinen Bunkyo). These activities are open to everyone, not only Japanese descendants.
The historical part of downtown is known for being unsafe at night, so to compensate for that, local NGOs organize a nocturnal walking tour every Thursday. It is an opportunity to have a different look at some of downtown's most famous sights. Unfortunately, the tour is only given in Portuguese.
The largest festival of the Chinese community in São Paulo celebrates the Chinese new year. Celebrated every year with typical Chinese performances and food.
Festival das Estrelas
This traditional event of the Japanese community is celebrated every year around July. In this event, people write their wishes into pieces of paper and hang them into bamboo sticks. There is also a cosplay contest, typical Japanese food, and performances of both traditional and modern Japanese culture.
Festa de Nossa Senhora Acheropita
The largest festival of the Italian community in São Paulo, and also a religious event. Celebrated every year, it typically lasts the whole month. Includes typical Italian food, music and performances.
Korean street market with traditional food, K-pop dance contests and souvenirs available.
Feirinha da Liberdade
At this weekend open market, you can taste Asian delicacies like gyoza, takoyaki and okonomiyaki as well as non-Asian treats like acarajé from Bahia. Look for unusual sweets like ginger ice cream or even tempura-fried ice-cream.
Mercadão
A truly traditional outing in São Paulo, the "Big Market" is a mosaic of color and flavor that showcases a little something from all the different nationalities that settled in the capital. Pop in to sample the most beloved pastries and sandwiches in the city; a locals' favorite is the sanduíche de mortadela. And don’t forget to pick up some other local delicacies, spices and fruits.
Burgers and sandwiches. Try the famous sanduíche de pernil, barbecued ham sandwich, the comfort food for many generations of journalists and students that roam around that region.
Hot dogs with unusual ingredients such as apple sauce, pork-based sandwiches and even ice cream with torresmo (deep-fried pork fat bits). Relaxed and young atmosphere.
Founded in 1922, this is the place where the famous bauru - a sandwich that comprises 4 types of cheese melted into a fondue, along with roast beef and tomato slices - was invented.
Fully vegan restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet at a fixed price during daytime. Offers a pizza buffet at night.
Typical Japanese ramen shop, where you are greeted with an irasshai-mase (welcome in Japanese) at the door and noodle-slurping noises from the Japanese customers. Also has great gyozas as side dishes.
Traditional Brazilian food with minor Japanese touches. Also serves yakisoba.
Italian cuisine in a rustic atmosphere. Live music on weekends.
A Chinese restaurant famous for authentic and tasty Cantonese dishes with cheap and generous portions. Communicating with the staff can be a challenge, as many only speak Chinese, but the food is worth the while. Reservations only for groups. All the tables are large, so if going alone or in a smaller group of 2-4, you may have to share a table with other customers, Chinese-style. Check out the interior decoration of the restaurant, fitted with golden fixtures, a small elevator, and large paintings on the walls. Try the clams with garlic (mariscos com alho).
Japanese restaurant with an extensive menu. Try the fried oysters or the yosenabe, stewed white fish with vegetables.
If you are the kind of tourist who doesn't like to feel at all like a tourist, check this "factory-style" restaurant immensely popular among workers in the region, with long lines, self-service catering, and capacity for 400 people. The quality and diversity of food (Japanese, Chinese and Brazilian) will surely impress you. Many people come here to pile on high-quality sashimi at prices much lower than typical à-la-carte Japanese restaurants.
"the laughing cat"
Traditional Italian restaurant in República, opened in 1951.
Chinese restaurant with a huge menu specializing in noodle dishes. At the right-hand corner of the main room, behind a glass window, the cook displays his ability to shape yakisoba noodles by hand. Seafood yakisoba is a good choice for 2-3 people to share.
Century-old barbecue restaurant that started as a bar. Plenty of cuts, sides and common paulistano dishes available. If you don't feel like it, they also have a burger shop and a cafe just crossing the street.
A bright, cheerful restaurant with a multi-cultural menu with items from a variety of countries from Peru to Italy to Thailand.
Restaurant and bar focused on pork dishes. Includes unique experiments such as raw pork temaki, along with a large drink selection and snacks to go.
Charming French bistro that is adorned with vintage posters and offers culinary delights such as homemade cherry strudels and roast lamb.
Very popular and traditional Italian restaurant. All dishes are made to serve two people. Buses of tourists come and go at the door. If going at peak time, expect a long wait to be seated.
Cozy French cuisine bistro with honest food and prices. Expect to find some of the classic dishes, such as steak tartare, steak poivre and moules et frites (mussels and chips).
One of the most traditional Italian cantinas in São Paulo. Try the polpetone, a kind of flat meatloaf filled with melted mozzarella cheese, for which special recipe this restaurant became famous for.
Renowned chef Marcos Bassi's "temple of meat" is one of the city's most famous steakhouses.
High-end Italian cuisine with a 360º view of the city.
One of the best places in São Paulo for live music, especially on Thursday and Sunday, when traditional samba plays. This bar was opened in the 1920s and is the most traditional place to hear classics of Brazilian Popular Music (MPB).
Opened in 1940. Go for the beer, served with a minimum of three fingers of foam. Always full and popular with locals and visitors alike.
The place to go for live music, especially jazz and blues. Has an old world feel with marble bar tops and antique balconies, but it's the perfect place to hear good music.
Small but pleasant LGBT-focused bar. Live music on some nights.
Inferno Club
Electronic club at the center of São Paulo's nightlife street.
Choperia Liberdade
A mix of restaurant, karaoke and snooker bar, this unimaginable place packs on Thursdays and Fridays and is often featured on TV. Get in after 22:00.
The location is the selling point here, but the rooms are solid. A police station is nearby, so safety is not a concern. Washing machines are nearby.
Clean, straightforward but good service. Get a room on a higher floor, as the streets can get noisy.
Free breakfast and Wi-Fi in this straightforward, comfy hostel.
Knee-deep into a street full of restaurants and bars, but in case you'd rather save money, they still have a kitchen with a grill. Wi-Fi is free.
This centrally located hotel is clean and features modern decoration. It offers a breakfast buffet. Staff are kind and helpful, they try their best to communicate in spite of their lack of English proficiency.
While not exactly like the capsule beds you'd see in Tokyo, this hotel maintains the general concept by offering cramped rooms with bare essential features, plus a shared bathroom.
A standard hotel, but it has free parking, breakfast, toiletry and Wi-Fi. Comfortable beds and helpful staff.
Standard hotel that is clean and spacious. Right in front of one of the metro exits for extra convenience.
Garden decoration in a villa style, with 6 suites. Enjoy breakfast and fruit trees on the property.
Nicely decorated, comfortable and both Wi-Fi and breakfast are included with your stay.
Three-star hotel. A modern accommodation venue with contemporary decor, anti-allergic flooring, private bathroom, telephones and air conditioning. It offers a buffet breakfast with cakes, fresh bread and tropical fruit.
Located within a popular center of nightlife, it has a buffet restaurant available.
A family-friendly venue 600m from Av. Paulista. It has air-conditioned guest rooms and is equipped with an outdoor pool, a fitness center, a sauna, internet, complementary breakfast, bar, garden, safes and kitchen units.
4-star hotel with panoramic views over downtown. Equipped with a restaurant, bar, sauna, whirlpool, gym and rooftop swimming pool. Offers non-smoking rooms and facilities for disabled guests.
Solid rooms with an extensive breakfast available for free. Parking is available in the same street, but it's R$50.
Three-star hotel. The fanciest place to stay in Liberdade, but not too extravagantly.
With 27 floors and 220 hotel rooms, be sure to ask for a room on the upper floors, for great views over the city. Good buffet breakfast is served, somewhat pricey but will fill you up.
This amazing Mediterranean feel hostel is located close to the Brigadeiro subway station. It is in a safe and quiet neighborhood, with pleasant and bright common areas and private rooms of varying sizes and comfort.
Luxurious suites 700m away from the Higienópolis-Mackenzie subway station.
Full apartment suites.
This sound insulated hotel offers 260 air-conditioned apartments, swimming pool, conference center, business center, free internet, lobby bar, fitness center and rooms for non-smokers.
High-end business hotel with all the expected amenities, including free Wi-Fi, parking and fitness center.
Liberdade means "freedom", and indeed few places are as free as the center of the Japanese district of São Paulo. Although mainly a shopping area, the place has become a meeting point for many young subcultures, from punks to kawaii girls to cosplay dressers, so you can hardly find so many different people somewhere else in the city - except maybe in Av. Paulista. There you can find a large number of shops and restaurants selling things related to Japan, China and Korea, plus electronics, cosmetics, jewelry, clothing, CDs and DVDs. The supermarkets on here are so well stocked with imported food and goods that you may think it has been shipped whole straight from Japan. The favorite place for young people (but not only them) is the SoGo Shopping in R. Galvão Buenno, very close to Pç. da Liberdade. The Feira Oriental (Oriental fair) happens on weekends at Pç. da Liberdade; there you can buy typical Asian food and handcrafts.
Shopping Center Grandes Galerias
Fans of all types of music coexist peacefully in the corridors of the Galeria do Rock, a prime example of pre-mall architecture. There, you can search and buy from T-shirts sporting underground Japanese bands, to hard-to-find CDs. More than 300 shops.
For costumes, accessories, kitchen gear and other knick-knacks, don’t hesitate to go this place, the most famous collection of warehouses in Brazil. Several specialty business streets are also in this area. The shopping malls Galeria Pajé and Shopping 25 de Março are located here. The Ladeira Porto Geral is a hub for cheap costumes and accessories. This area is known for commerce of smuggled goods, but this activity has been reduced considerably due to intense police action.
A popular place for clothes, especially women's wear, due to the clothing factories and workshops around the area. This neighborhood used to be known for Jewish shops in the 1960s, but since then, Koreans have been acquiring the clothes shops and taking over businesses. Many of the clothes that stock elegant shops in the city's more upscale malls come from here, and so do many of the fashion trends that will take over Brazilian mainstream shops, imported by Korean shop owners straight from New York and Paris.
Feira do Bixiga
Sells everything "old", from furniture to books and discs. Sacred art is available at Velhiquário. Nice Italian restaurants are nearby.
Feira de Artesanato da Praça da República
São Paulo's most traditional open market of handcrafts and art, that happens since 1956. About 800 exhibitors.
The shopping mall has become a favorite meeting spot among the LGBT residents in São Paulo. The 9-room cinema shows both mainstream and alternative films. About 140 shops.
Shopping mall with a more upscale profile, attending the district of Consolação. It has a cinema and a nice theater room. About 305 shops.
By bus
Numerous buses run continuously to the center from other parts of the city.
By car
The Center is crossed by Corredor Norte-Sul, that links the north and the south parts of the city, and by Radial Leste-Oeste, that links the west and the east. Av. Rebouças and Av.
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