São Paulo
Travel Guide

São Paulo is one of Brazil's most important cities. In fact, it’s the country's main business and financial center and it's the largest city in America with more than 20 million citizens. Truly amazing. Besides being a good place for business, São Paulo is one of the most dynamic and important cultural centers in the world. The artistic life between its citizens is quite intense and covers various dimensions:... from constructions designed by very renowned architects worldwide, impressive museums with amazing relics, outdoor markets, natural parks, buildings with a Western air, entire neighborhoods dedicated to emerging artists, art galleries or street art. And all of these without even mentioning the Carnival, Samba, caipirinhas and the exotic landscapes around the city.
There's no question São Paulo is a destination that offers almost endless activities for tourists. You'll have tons of things to choose from for sure, and between dances and laughs there is an amazing gastronomic world to be discovered. São Paulo citizens are open, warm, friendly, outgoing and it's a very tolerant society.
As a matter a fact, São Paulo is the city, in all Latin America, where more gay people live. The people of São Paulo are diverse- though a bit polarized between rich and poor-, it stands out for having the largest gay community across Latin America but it's also home to the largest group of people from Japan and can boast about having a significant percentage of a migrant population from other countries like Italy, Germany or neighboring Latin American countries. São Paulo teaches and learns, it’s continually evolving and it's one of the seeds that Brazil is watering and caring for, so its development and experience is unique and unrepeatable. Portuguese is the official language and the one most of the population speaks, although the accent is a little bit different than that of Portugal. Still, more and more people are fluent in English, especially the younger generations. In the south of the country there are also Brazilians with parents from Italy or Germany so some families also speak these languages.

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São Paulo Overview

Language

Portuguese is the official language and the one most of the population speaks, although the accent is a little bit different than that of Portugal. Still, more and more people are fluent in English, especially the younger generations. In the south of the country there are also Brazilians with parents from Italy or Germany so some families also speak these languages.

Weather

Brazil is a huge country so, therefore, it has plenty of different climates. São Paulo's weather is subtropical so temperatures are pleasant most of the year. Its proximity to the sea makes the winters moderate, from May to September the temperatures drop a little and it also rains. Summers are warm, between the months of November to March, with some rains in the afternoon. The coolest month is July – with about 15 °C (59 °F) of average temperature and the hottest one is February with an average temperature of 23°C (73.4F). São Paulo has quite acceptable moisture rates although the ocean winds sometimes increase the apparent temperature.

Money

Real (BRL). There are exchange offices at the airport. Usually it is more reliable to exchange currencies at big banks but it is advisable to check the rate of commission first. Also, in São Paulo hotels, travel agencies and ATMs it's easy to exchange currencies but again, they may charge you a commission. It is advisable to ask for the ATM's schedule; because some of them stop working from around 8:00pm. When you are planning to travel abroad, it might be a good idea to ask your bank about the commissions it charges, in order to reduce your expenses as much as possible. Some shops and businesses take US dollars and most businesses accept credit cards.

When to go

In the Brazilian summer or when it rains the least. São Paulo's summer is from January to March and although it is the warmer time to enjoy the sun and the beach it is also the season that has more rainfall. If you’d rather travel during the dry season it is best to go from April to September. Temperatures are nice and it’s cheaper because it is not the high season.

Days

3 days. It is a good number of days to get to know the city and explore everything it has to offer. São Paulo is a city in motion with many events and a very active nightlife. It's best to spend a couple of nights in the city and then go and explore Brazil's landscapes and nature.

Surroundings

Rio de Janeiro (coastal city)
Santos (famous for its coffee)
Campos de Jordao (Municipality with Swiss-style houses)
Mantiqueira Mountains
Ilhabela (Maritime island and spa stay)
Embu das Artes (City of residence of many artists)

Store Hours

In Brazil the schedules somewhat vary depending on the sector and the day. Overall working hours are from 9.00 am to 6:00 pm. Businesses and shops close at noon on Saturdays. Also, the malls have longer hours, from 10:00a.m. to 10:00p.m. and they usually open in the afternoon on Sundays. In big cities there are some shops and supermarkets open 24/7.