When I told friends I was headed to Sao Paulo, they looked puzzled. Isn't it just a huge city? Exactly. But among its seemingly endless stand of skyscrapers are edgy art museums, chic shops, Michelin-starred restaurants, raucous clubs and stylish accommodations.
Paulistanos, as city residents are known, defend Brazil's largest city as stridently as they lay down samba steps. No, Sao Paulo isn't sexy like Rio de Janeiro or exotic like Salvador. Its treasures take time to explore and appreciate.
Best known outside Brazil as the country's business capital, Sao Paulo has seen explosive growth since the mid-20th century, when coffee was king. Today it's a megapolis of over 20 million people (including about 11 million in the city), making it the largest in South America and one of the biggest in the world.
While all the high-rises were going up, the city was also building a reputation in Latin America and beyond for art, architecture and cultural diversity. "Look at this city -- we've got the best museums in South America," said Fabio Montanheiro, a Sao Paulo tourism coordinator. "We've got concerts, sports, art and samba schools, too."
To get the word out to more North Americans, Brazil's tourist board Embratur is stepping up its marketing efforts with LATAM Airlines, the region's largest airline, and big hotels like Marriot's Renaissance group. (Embratur, LATAM and Renaissance sponsored my six-day visit last fall.)
Sao Paulo has plenty to tout, even though the city's traffic, crowds, pickpockets and drizzly weather can be disconcerting. Still sleepy after an overnight flight from the U.S., my first day began in Parque Ibirapuera with an eye-opening visit to the 33rd Bienal de Sao Paulo, a world-class art fair. Housed in a vast pavilion designed by premier Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, the event showcased art in all forms from a field of clay mushrooms, to a video of mannequin suicides and artists moaning forlornly during a live performance.
A view of Sao Paulo's skyline from Parque Ibirapuera.
Definitely awake, I strolled through Parque Ibirapuera, an urban refuge where skateboarders cruised along a covered serpentine walkway (Niemeyer again). In the distance, the city's massive skyline sparkled as mist and dusk fell.
Exploring Sao Paulo's eclectic art scene alone could take days. Conveniently, Ibirapuera park is also home to the Museu Afro-Brasil (another Niemeyer building), whose art details African migration to Brazil, as well as the Museu de Arte Moderna, the country's finest contemporary collection.
The city's premier art museum is the Museo de Arte de Sao Paolo. An iconic structure elevated on four red pillars over a plaza along the city's main street, Avenida Paulista, the museum displays the broadest collection of European art in the Southern Hemisphere, from impressionists to old masters. How the art is arranged -- in glass panels set in concrete easels in the middle of the room -- is part of the experience. Equally impressive when I was there was a temporary exhibit by mostly Brazilian artists depicting the struggles of people of color to gain acceptance in what is now one of the world's most culturally diverse countries.
Art is everywhere in Sao Paolo -- splashed on buildings, sidewalks and bridges. The best of the best is in Beco de Batman (Batman's Alley) in artsy Vila Madalena. Vibrant, edgy paintings swathe every inch of space, creating a festive landscape for gawkers who swarm the area to pose for selfies amid the art.
A produce vendor at Sao Paulo’s vast Mercado Municipal shares fruit samples. Photo Credit: Barbara Redding
Along with art, food sustains the soul of Paulistanos. At Mercado Municipal, an astonishing array of everything edible in Brazil ranges from calf's hoof to salt cod and oddly shaped fruits and vegetables. To sample the city's famous mortadela (stacked meat and cheese) sandwiches or a pastel de feira (flat dough pockets stuffed with assorted fillings), head upstairs to the cafes, where you can also admire the market's massive stained-glass windows.
Regional dishes served simply and inexpensively have brought international accolades to several local chefs. Mocoto's Rodrigo Oliveira earned a Michelin star for serving traditional fare from northeastern Brazil. It's all about the pig at eclectic A Casa do Porco, where Jefferson Rueda's tasting menu draws long queues for lunch and dinner. Fine dining options include Seen, atop the elegant Tivoli Hotel, where ceviche is served like a pizza and seared scallops sit atop gnocchi in a decadent cream sauce.
Along with more flights, the airline also is adding more comfortable seats.
Staying downtown, close to Avenida Paulista, minimizes traffic hassles. Marriott's Renaissance Hotel boasts a central location as well as elegant rooms with soaking tubs, a classy spa and fitness center, and infinite city views from upper floors. (Lights from the city's southern half streamed through the curved windows of my 24th-floor corner suite.)
Hotel Unique's crescent-shaped exterior may have spurred its nickname "the Watermelon," but architect Ruy Ohtake actually had the hull of a ship in mind. Guestroom windows are portholes. Rooftop bar Skye and the adjoining pool are trendy places to catch a sunset. Elegant Palacia Tangara offers guests a park-like oasis in the city as well as the chance to dine at a Jean-Georges restaurant and watch tiny sagui monkeys play tag on the patio.
My last day in Sao Paulo coincided with a holiday, when Avenida Paulista transforms into a street festival. (It's closed to traffic on Sundays, too.) Shoppers browsed booths stacked with handmade bracelets and purses, while others sampled pastels, downed fresh-pressed sugar-cane juice and danced to the rhythm of local bands.
Yes, Sao Paulo is big, and that's a big part of its appeal.
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