São Paulo, “The Drizzle Land”

São Paulo is huge: there are 12 million people living in the largest city of the South Hemisphere and the third biggest city in the Americas. São Paulo gathers more than 100 museums, 120 theaters, around 300 cinemas, besides having several parks and green areas. It’s the Latin American capital of conventions and events, which has a super structure in the Anhembi Convention Center to host congresses and conventions.

Sampa, an affectionate nickname given to the city, is delightful, and is famous for offering one of the best nightlives around the planet. Known as the Latin American capital of good restaurants, it has high standard international restaurants with fine regional dishes signed by renowned Brazilian chefs. It is considered as well the Brazilian pizza capital, featuring more than six thousands pizza places around the city.

The São Paulo Art Museum (Masp), spot listed by the Brazilian Institute of History and Art Heritage (Iphan) in 2003, has a collection of 10 thousand pieces, including African, American, Asian, Brazilian and European Art, from the ancient times to the 21st Century; including paintings, sculptures, drawings, photography and dressings. The State Pinacoteca, a rich visual arts museum, houses relevant international exhibitions and displays valuable pieces from the last 200 years of the Brazilian Art.

On weekends, the traditional paulistano’s (as the ones born in Sampa are called) program is to go to street markets around the city. The Bixiga, Liberdade, and Praça Benedito Calixto street markets are some of the most visited ones.

Going to the Ibirapuera Park is a pleasant activity. Besides areas for exercises, bike paths and playgrounds, it features museums, auditoriums and a planetarium, always busy with an intense cultural program.

The São Paulo LGBT Pride Parade, which usual-y takes place in May or June, invades the Paulista Avenue at the sound of trio eletricos. As the party (one of the biggest around the world) goes on, there are debates, cultural fairs and award ceremonies. Learn more about the gay parade.

Source: www.visitbrasil.com