São Paulo
Copan was designed by late modernist master Oscar Niemeyer. The building, with its serpentine facade and narrow brises soleil (permanent sunshades), is…
Must-see attractions in São Paulo State
São Paulo
This covered market is a belle epoque confection of stained glass and a series of vast domes. Inside, a fabulous urban market specializes in all things…
Parque Estadual do Alto do Ribeira
São Paulo State
This 357-sq-km state park, with its 450 cataloged caves, is known as Brazil’s Capital das Grutas (Cave Capital). The park's Núcleos de Visitação (Visitor…
São Paulo
Sampa’s pride, this museum possesses Latin America’s most comprehensive collection of Western art. Hovering above a concrete plaza that turns into an…
São Paulo
Among the city’s oldest and most important churches, São Bento dates to 1598, though its neo-Gothic facade dates only to the early 20th century. Step…
Ubatuba
Ubatuba's most coveted beach destination is this tiny, 58-hectare island that is paradise in every sense of the word. Golden sands, lush rainforest and…
São Paulo
For one of Sampa’s best panoramas, head to the top of this 161m-high skyscraper, Brazil’s version of the Empire State Building – completed in 1939 and…
São Paulo
This elegant neoclassical museum, formerly known as Pinacoteca do Estado but modernly rebranded 'Pina_Luz' (with the underline!) in 2017, houses an…
São Paulo
Relatively unknown and blissfully uncrowded, the unassuming Casa Amarela is part NGO handicraft shop, part two-table romantic cafe and part tiny Museu…
São Paulo
Across the street from the Parque da Luz sits one of São Paulo's most stunning structures, a classic late-Victorian train station constructed with…
São Paulo
One of São Paulo's premiere street-art locations, 'Batman's Alley' has slowly risen from secret location for band promotional shots and Brazilian films to…
São Paulo
São Paulo’s most splendid construction, this theater was begun in 1903 in the style of Paris’ Palais Garnier. Its heavily ornamented facade seems to…
São Paulo
This hugely important, absolutely fascinating Parque Ibirapuera museum features a permanent 3rd-floor collection chronicling five centuries of African…
São Paulo
With 46 stories, this skyscraper just south of the Praça da República is the tallest in the city center. You have three options to see the view: weekdays…
São Paulo
Take a stroll down Brazil's 'Rodeo Drive', a leafy, tree-lined thoroughfare brimming with cafes, concept stores and flagship boutiques, top-end…
São Paulo
Tucked under the bleachers of colorfully art deco Pacaembu Stadium, this fantastic museum is devoted to Brazil’s greatest passion – football (soccer). Its…
São Paulo
You can't miss the stunning facade of this Av Paulista newcomer. Its sliding vertical plank entrance sits in stark contrast to the surrounding concrete…
São Paulo
São Paulo's most expansive green space and a much-loved urban oasis for Paulistanos, Parque Ibirapuera is a leafy 2 sq-km park in Vila Mariana. In…
São Paulo
Half of Estação da Luz has been given over to this museum, with fascinating permanent exhibits documenting the rise of the Brazilian language as distinct…
Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros
São Paulo
A smaller, cleaner and more manageable version of São Paulo's far larger and more chaotic Mercado Municipal, Mercado Municipal de Pinheiros has served…
São Paulo State
Embu's weekend arts-and-craft fair is the biggest draw in the São Paulo region for artisanal wares.
Ubatuba
This protected nature reserve was once home to a notorious penal colony and prison, which laid claim to hosting one of the biggest prison riots in the…
São Paulo
The best of its kind in Brazil, this museum includes works by renowned 18th-century sculptor Antônio Aleijadinho, along with some 1000 other…
São Paulo
A 2017 artistic addition to Av Paulista, this striking, R$150 million, vertical museum and cultural center is a real treat for photography fans – three…
São Paulo
One of Parque Ibirapuera's most noticeably unique structures is Oscar Niemeyer's Marquise do Ibirapuera. It's a wavy, 620m-long and 15m- to 80m-wide…
São Paulo
This grand turn-of-the-century beaux arts–style working railway station (actually completed in the 1930s) houses the Pina_Estacão, an annex of the Pina…
Museu de Arte Contemporânea da Universidade de São Paulo
São Paulo
This fine museum, the best of three belonging to Universidade de São Paulo's Museu de Arte Contemporânea, is housed in the Oscar Niemeyer–designed former…
São Paulo
The seat of São Paulo's city government sits inside this 1930s neoclassical 'palace' designed by Italian architect Marcello Piacentini (who is well-known…
São Paulo
Occupying the exact spot where São Paulo was founded in 1554 by Jesuit brothers José de Anchieta and Manoel da Nóbregra, this mission is actually a 1950s…
São Paulo
This 2018 cultural addition to Av Paulista offers the best free view you're going to get of the country's most important avenue: the 17th floor terrace…
São Paulo
Beautifully curated from some 84,000 historical photographs, this museum inside a restored colonial downtown mansion is a must for those interested in the…
São Paulo State
These private gardens on a mountainside 10km south of Capivari are one of Campos do Jordão's unexpected treats. Some 28 manicured gardens (themed by…
Fundação Maria Luisa e Oscar Americano
São Paulo
Home of the couple who developed the leafy, upscale suburb of Morumbi, this fine retreat hosts impressive gardens and a lovely collection of painting,…
Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão
São Paulo State
Parque Estadual de Campos do Jordão – known locally as Horto Florestal state park – is 14km northeast from Capivari and home to the largest araucária…
São Paulo
This cultural center occupies a grand neoclassical-style building with an imperious facade of black marble that served as Caixa Econômica Federal's…
São Paulo
Brazil’s oldest modern-art museum possesses a fine permanent collection of Brazilian modernists such as Anita Malfatti and Di Cavalcanti, as well as works…
São Paulo
Just off Paulista across from the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) lies Parque Siqueira Campos, a beautifully designed and maintained park that re…
São Paulo State
The home of the railway’s chief engineer, dating to 1897, this classically Victorian wood building known as ‘Castelinho' has been converted into a small…
São Paulo State
Paranapiacaba's most striking symbol is this Big Ben–reminiscent 1898 clock tower, which sits on the platform of the town's railway station. It was…
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
São Paulo
Housed in an extraordinarily and lovingly restored beaux-arts building, this cultural center holds innovative exhibitions of contemporary art over five…
