Foreigner’s 2-Month Staycation in Sao Paulo & 20 Things You NEED To Visit While In This Concrete Jungle

Oct 2, 2022 • By Leonidas K. • 8 min read

Brazil Travel

Experiencing São Paulo: The Concrete Jungle of Brazil

São Paulo is known as one of the world’s largest metropolises, with a population of over 12 million people. As someone who has lived in Brazil for two years across three different cities (Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Curitiba), I had initially avoided São Paulo due to its enormous size and concrete jungle landscape. However, I decided to give it a try for two months to truly experience what it’s like living in this massive city.

Arriving in São Paulo

I first visited São Paulo briefly in 2016 for four days. At the time I was overwhelmed by the thousands of skyscrapers shooting up in every direction, almost chaotically, due to the city not being prone to earthquakes. Buildings shoot up randomly across the landscape as far as the eye can see. It’s a concrete jungle, with the trees being replaced by endless high-rises. Despite the randomness of it all, I knew I had to come back someday to truly experience São Paulo.

The Pros of São Paulo: An Abundance of Exploration and Discovery

One major advantage of São Paulo is the sheer number of museums and cultural attractions. Some of my favorite museums here include:

Museu da Cultura Itau – Features paintings depicting Brazil from 200-300 years ago. The lower floors have more contemporary and Brazilian history exhibits.

Santander Tower – An iconic São Paulo skyscraper with a view of the city from the top floors. Also contains a banking museum and contemporary art exhibitions.

Igreja São José de Anchieta – In the very downtown core is an exhibit showing São Paulo 500 years ago and how the city evolved over time.

Cemitério da Consolação – A fascinating cemetery densely packed with intricately carved tombstones and mausoleums. Offers a glimpse into Brazilian history.

Estação Pinacoteca – Showcases the history of language and Brazilian culture. Also has an amazing view on the rooftop.

Memorial da Resistência – Documents resistance against Brazil’s military dictatorship from 1964-1985. Upper floors feature additional contemporary artwork.

Even More Discovery

Museu da Casa Brasileira – Also known as the Brazilian House Museum, showcases furniture and historical artifacts from past generations of wealthy Brazilians. Also contains photographs of São Paulo from 70-100 years ago. This place is great to check out if you have a spare hour.

Parque do Povo – A large public park where thousands of locals relax on the grass and hundreds of cyclists ride through the bike tracks. Grab a coconut while you’re there! It’s also next to a shopping center and a metro station.

Museu de Arte de São Paulo – Right on the famous Avenida Paulista, the Museum of Art São Paulo features beautiful paintings and art from Brazil as well as Europe. Make sure to read the painting history on the back.

Parque Trianon – A tiny but peaceful park across the street from the Museum of Art. Lush trees block views of the surrounding city. Also contains photographs of old São Paulo from the 1800’s.

Japan House – A contemporary Japanese art exhibit and shop selling goods like expensive sake. Nice for a quick 1-hour visit.

Bairro da Liberdade – The Japanese district dating back to 1912 immigration. Now filled with Japanese-inspired shops and restaurants. Lots of amazing asian snacks and drinks to buy also.

Catedral Metropolitana – Historic São Paulo Cathedral with catacombs underneath containing graves of Catholic church officials since 1589. Just outside is the scary reality of the homeless crisis in Sao Paulo.

Hopi Hari – An amusement park 90 minutes outside São Paulo reachable by bus. Features roller coasters and rides if you need a thrill fix. This is a fun date spot.

Praia de Guaruja – A beach town one hour away from São Paulo by bus, for those needing an ocean escape from the concrete jungle. The bus ride takes you from the elevated resting place of Sao paulo, to the beaches of Brazil. Don’t step in the dirty streams feeding into the ocean though.

Paranapiacaba – a historic train station and town. I really liked escaping the town itself and following the train tracks until the broken bridge. Crossing the bridge is not for the faint of heart.

I also enjoyed several beautiful parks scattered throughout the city, such as Parque Ibirapuera, Parque Agua Branca, and the Botanical Gardens. For pop culture lovers and most tourists, make sure to check out Batman Alley (Beco do Batman) covered in colorful street art.

The Cons: Noise, Homelessness, and Safety Concerns

However, São Paulo also has some significant downsides.

Noise is Deafening

One issue I faced was construction noise. My first apartment had new high-rise buildings going up next door, while my second apartment was right beside another construction site. The constant jackhammering and drilling, from 8am to 6pm daily, made sleeping in and working from home very difficult.

Be Vigilant at all Times

In terms of safety, one must exercise caution, especially at night. For instance, my landlord told me the previous tenant was robbed at gunpoint by a man on a motorcycle while standing outside his own apartment gate. Keep valuables out of sight as much as possible and be vigilant of pickpockets in crowded areas.

Homeless & Drug Crisis

Homelessness is also a major issue plaguing São Paulo. One area to avoid is Estação Luz, containing thousands of homeless people. While they typically don’t bother tourists during the day, caution is still advised at nighttime. This crisis extends across the entire city, exacerbated by Brazil’s rapidly growing population coupled with economic problems.

Eating Out in São Paulo

With 12 million residents, São Paulo offers an endless selection of food. There is outstanding Japanese, Korean, and vegan food available. However, many trendy spots operate as “ghost kitchens” focused only on delivery.

Given São Paulo’s ginormous (that’s a word) size getting around is difficult, so I mostly ordered delivery using apps like UberEats and Rappi. Prices are inexpensive for foreigners earning USD or other foreign currencies, although costly for locals paid in the Brazilian Real.

Dating and Relationships

Brazilians are generally extremely friendly towards foreigners. I joined local expat Facebook groups to ask questions and learn insider tips. However, I didn’t attend meetups to socialize because the distances are so big, and the traffic is absolutely intense.

Instead, I went on dates using apps like Tinder to meet locals interested in exploring the city. These adventures took me to hidden corners of São Paulo even some longtime residents and locals had never experienced. I ended up seeing more of the city in two months than friends who lived here for years. Dating apps can be a creative way to venture out if you prefer not to go clubbing or partying.

Also, if your Portuguese is lacking, good news, a lot of Paulistas actually speak fairly good English. At times, I found myself speaking more English than learning Portuguese.

Is São Paulo Livable Long-Term?

While São Paulo offers endless cultural activities, a lively nightlife, lots of places to visit and discover and decent digital nomad infrastructure, I personally find it less livable than cities like Curitiba or Rio de Janeiro due to noise, pollution, and safety issues. As a base for short business trips or discovery, São Paulo provides endless urban energy. But for long-term living, especially families, I would opt for a smaller Brazilian city like Curitiba, and ultimately the magical island of Florianopolis.

Nevertheless, São Paulo presents a one-of-a-kind megacity experience. If you relish skyscrapers, concrete jungles, massive economic centers, and exploring a seemingly endless urban landscape, São Paulo will not disappoint. Just come prepared for the chaotic pace.

I hope you enjoyed this glimpse into my two months living in Brazil’s largest city. Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions!

As always,

Leonidas here

and

Boa Viagem (Good travels) & Ate Logo (Until next time)

AI Disclaimer

In the hopes of efficiency, I used Claude.AI to write a blog post based on my Video Review of Sao Paulo, Brazil, which you can check out above.

The AI was used to write the blog post, but Leonidas still had to edit it for truthfulness, relevance to my personal adventure (the AI likes to invent a lot of things I didn’t do) and ensuring it all made sense 😉