AN INTRODUCTION TO SÃO PAULO CITY

Not used to see their own town as a touristic destination – there is in Brazil a popular thinking that only cities by the sea or with extremely exotic features or landscapes can develop a strong touristic activity – São Paulo’s locals (paulistanos) have recently realized that their city is also a powerful visitors magnet. But the reasons it happens are quite much the same as the world’s biggest cities’, and not the reasons other Brazilian locations use to attract visitors.

Located in southeastern Brazil, São Paulo is Latin America’s largest and the world’s 6^th biggest city - more than 11 million people live and work in a 1.523 sq km area (seen from the sky, São Paulo can be described as an impressive “sea of buildings”). Brazil’s financial and business capital is also the country’s richest city, answering for 12% of Brazil’s G.N.P. The city also houses 63% of all multinational companies’ main offices in Brazil and it is in São Paulo that 28% of all national scientific production is developed. Not less than 75% of all business events and fairs in Brazil are performed in the city (as expected, most of São Paulo’s first time visitors come for business) and a wide range of services to ensure comfort for visitors was developed – 410 hotels offer from luxury to tourist category accomodations. Unfortunately, such wealth also attracted typical big cities problems, like overcrowding, traffic jams and pollution.

One of Brazil’s oldest towns, São Paulo was founded by Portuguese catholic missionaires in the 16^th Century, but became an important city only from the 19^th Century on, when the wealth produced by coffee plantations and exportation activities was also used as starting capital for industrialization. Although not being a seaport city, São Paulo became a destination for great numbers of European, Middle Eastern and Japanese immigrants, who came to Brazil to begin new lives and who gave to the city its unique multicultural ethnic flavour (see more in History).

Flavour is the second main reason tourists come to São Paulo – there are more than 12.500 restaurants and pubs in town. Paulistanos love to eat well and São Paulo developed a rich gastronomical culture, cultivating culinary traditions and also mixing different influences, local and from immigrant communities. One of the most successful culinary exchanges created in the city is what today is known as the Brazilian style steakhouse, or churrascaria rodízio (see more in Food and Restaurants). São Paulo is also known for quality American and French style restaurants and ethnical food, specially Italian, Japanese, Arabian, Indian and Greek.

Shopping is the third main reason people come to São Paulo. From luxury goods to bargains, from local originals to ordinary essentials, almost anything you may be looking for you can find in town (see more in Shopping). São Paulo is also Brazil’s biggest wholesale center – some city’s commercial districts, like clothing Bom Retiro district and accessories and textiles 25 de Março Street area, receive each more than 400 thousand visitors daily.

Finally, entertainment is another main reason tourists come to São Paulo. The city has nearly 300 movie theaters, more than 100 performing arts theaters, 70 museums and is the only Brazilian city where Cirque du Soleil shows and Broadway musicals are regularly performed. São Paulo is also a must-stop point for all international pop stars in their Brazilian tours. The city also receives important international sport events, like Indy 300 Car Race in March and Formula 1 Brazil’s Gran Prix in October. Considered Brazil’s most international, multicultural and tolerant city, São Paulo also organizes the world’s biggest Gay Pride Parade, with more than 2.5 million people attending at Avenida Paulista cellebration in June. From December 1^st to 25^th  São Paulo lightens up with Christmas decorations and visitors gather around Ibirapuera Park’s lake every evening to see the Season’s Water and Lights Special Show.