On a trip to Brazil, how can you miss Sao Paulo? Here are the best places to stay in Sao Paulo!
A gigantic city covering 1,523 km², São Paulo is home to almost 12 million inhabitants and nearly 29 million in its metropolitan area. It is the largest city in Latin America, Brazil, and the third-largest in the world. As the commercial, industrial, financial and economic nerve center of Brazil, Sao Paulo is also considered a tense, dangerous city (some neighborhoods).
Sao Paulo is subdivided into 31 districts and nine zones. The most popular districts are Paraiso, Vila Madalena, Jardins, Vila Mariana and Higienopolis. Here is our non-exhaustive selection of neighborhoods to stay in Sao Paulo.
Centro Velho
Photo credit: Flickr – Diego Torres Silvestre
São Paulo’s historic district is home to a variety of architectural styles. Here you’ll find the Catedral da Sé, located on Praça da Sé, the liveliest square in the city center. There are also the skyscrapers of multinational companies and investment banks, shops, pick-pockets and – as everywhere in Brazil – huge disparities in wealth. You can step inside buildings such as the 26-storey Edificio Martinelli, Edificio Italia or Banespa to get a bird’s eye view of the megalopolis. Caution: staying in Centro Velho can be dangerous if you’re out late.
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Vila Madalena
Photo credit: Flickr – Wally Gobetz
Vila Madalena – or Vila Madá – is Sao Paulo’s bohemian district. It’s home to countless bars where you can go out every night of the week. International tourists flock here to attend the many cultural events held throughout the year. Carnival, for example, is held in February. Many alleyways are dedicated to street art, such as the famous Beco do Batman between rua Harmonai and rua Aspicuelta. Restaurants, concert bars – samba is an institution here! -cafés and discotheques will set the pace of your Brazilian life if you’re a fan of wild, festive evenings. It’s a safe neighborhood, ideal for sightseeing, dining and partying: a good compromise for accommodation in Sao Paulo.
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Find an Airbnb in Granja Julieta
Granja Julieta and Alto da Boa Vista
Photo credit: Flickr – Augusto Gomes
Granja Julieta and Alto da Boa Vista are very quiet residential neighborhoods, lined with large houses and luxury buildings. It’s a small-town life within a small-town, where residents love to cycle and enjoy the passing of time, nature and tranquillity. These are also lively neighborhoods where you’ll find all the shops you need for everyday life. There are also plenty of bars and restaurants to go out in, making it a great place to enjoy the nightlife.
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Gardens
Photo credit: Flickr – Caio do Valle
Further north, the Jardins district is one of Sao Paulo’s most attractive areas. Paulista Avenue offers majestic views of the downtown skyline. Here you’ll find a wealth of shops, bars and restaurants, and museums to discover Brazilian culture.
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Liberdade
Photo credit: Flickr – Kaczuroski
Historically, this is the Japanese district. Sao Paulo is home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan, with 57,860 inhabitants. Located close to the city center, the district is a little piece of the Japanese archipelago in an ocean of latinity. Created in the 1950s, it is one of Sao Paulo’s tourist attractions. Here, Portuguese writing has been replaced by Japanese kanji, and you can feel the influence of Japanese culture. Asian stores, restaurants, karaoke bars and cultural events punctuate the district’s social life. It’s worth noting that the Japanese aren’t the only ones here: many Koreans and Chinese settle here, and tourists from all over the world flock here by the thousands. A great place to stay in Sao Paulo.
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Main photo credit: Flickr – Gus Kasaoka
Map of hotels and accommodations – Sao Paulo,br