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São Paulo is the capital of the state of São Paulo in southeastern Brazil. The city has an area of 1,523.0 square kilometres and a population of just over 11 million, which makes it the largest and most populous city in the Southern Hemisphere and a global city. 19.7 million inhabitants live in the greater São Paulo metropolitan area as defined by the government, making it the fifth most populous metropolitan area in the world.

São Paulo is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar, itself part of the vast region known as the Brazilian Highlands, with an average elevation around 800m - though at a distance of only about 70 km (40mi) from the Atlantic Ocean. According the Köppen climate classification São Paulo has a humid subtropical climate. Though generally considered by Brazilians to be drizzly and rather cool. São Paulo is one of the most important financial centers in Latin America. The city is considered to headquarter more German companies than any other single city outside Germany. In the last few years, São Paulo has become a major home to many international events and fairs, visited by the most varied audiences, ranging from scientists and artists to merchants and entrepreneurs, coming from Brazil and also abroad. São Paulo is a major cultural centre. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Arab and Japanese influences.

The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants. There are 52 different types of cuisines in São Paulo, and more than 12 thousand restaurants. Other venues such as thousands of bars, pubs, lounges and discos cater to a variety of music tastes. Brazil first entered the international fashion circuit with the increasing reputation of famous Brazilian top models such as Adriana Lima, Gisele Bündchen, Fernanda Tavares, Ana Beatriz Barros, Izabel Goulart and Ana Hickmann, and the "discovery" of some fresh talents such as Alexandre Herchcovitch by some international fashion magazines. As a consequence of this, SPFW is the place to see and to be seen in Brazilian fashion scene, always attracting a number of international editors and models. Nowadays, São Paulo Fashion Week is one of the most relevant fashion events. It takes place twice a year at the building of Bienal de São Paulo.

Also a major event in the city, the São Paulo Gay Parade attracted about 2,5 million people to Paulista Avenue in 2006, according to official statistics. It is usually opened by the city‘s mayor. A huge carnival goes all the way through the city centre. The Parada do Orgulho GLBT de Sao Paulo, in Portuguese, has grown from 2,000 participants in 1997 to 3 mi. the 2000's. They made to the Guinness Book in 2006 for the world’s biggest Gay Pride celebration. 4 million people are expected for 2011.

Thanks to its hardworking people, paulistas managed to transform São Paulo into the most important state in economic terms in Latin America. São Paulo is not only that, however. Aside from its thousands cultural attractions, it also offers good tourism options. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean, its coastline has 622 kilometers of beaches of all kinds and sizes. In the north shore, there are several beaches in several municipalities such as Bertioga, São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, and Ubatuba, apart from some islands, one of which Ilha Bela, a paradise for those who like windsurfing and sailing. In the South shore, in cities such as Iguape and Cananéia, there are some of the planet‘s most important preserved natural areas, such as Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins and Ilha do Cardoso, in Logamar - Complexo Estuarino Lagunar de Iguape, Cananéia, Antonina, and Parananguá.

GO THERE FOR:

Shopping – For shop-a-holics, São Paulo is the right place to go. The saying goes that ‘if you can’t find it in São Paulo, you can’t find it anywhere else in Brazil’. São Paulo is one of the most important cities in the fashion world today, though shopping is not limited to clothes, shoes and accessories. You can shop for electronic equipment, traditional items in crafts markets, Brazilian drinks and almost anything you can imagine.

Touring – São Paulo is a beautiful city (even though there are no mountains or beaches), with lots of green areas, great architecture and a city where you can always look up and see the blue Brazilian sky. São Paulo is a huge city, but it is possible to do some walking sightseeing or touring.

The Food – One of the most amazing things in São Paulo is the gastronomy. The city is well-known for having some of the best restaurants in the world. São Paulo is also known as a “city that never sleeps”: and you can find some good 24 hour restaurants.

Nightlife – If Sinatra had known about São Paulo, he would never have given the ‘city that never sleeps’ title to New York. Most Paulistas won't ever set foot in a club until midnight: Paulistas like to dress up for the night and dance until dawn. Smart casual is fine, though jeans and trainers probably won't make it past the door at many clubs.

Culture – São Paulo is an important cultural city. For those who love art, there are several amazing museums and galleries to visit. There are a few cultural movie centers, showing old movies and foreign movies.

Business – For people who never stop working, São Paulo is considered one of the biggest and most important financial cities in the world. It’s seen as the engine of Brazil and is an amazing city in which to do business. The most important multinational companies have huge offices in the city and the market grows exponentially each year.

DON’T MISS:

MASP - Museu de Arte de São Paulo
Avenida Paulista, 1578; +55 11 3251-5644; www.masp.art.br

MASP is not only famous for its exhibitions, but also for its astonishing architecture that was designed by Lina Bo Bardi. It is considered on the most important museums of western art in the Southern Hemisphere, since it is home to very important art works by Pierre Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Eugène Delacroix, Claude Monet, Paul Cèzanne, Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri Matisse e Marc Chagall. Collections of paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, drawings, archeology, majolica, tapestries and European decorative arts, plus a large collection of kitsch pieces, are part of the museum.

Shopping Cidade Jardim
Avenida Magalhães de Castro, 12.000; +55 11 3552-1000; www.shoppingcidadejardimjhsf.com.br

Shopping Cidade Jardim is a unique and eclectic place that is home to some of the most amazing and luxurious brands in Brazil, all facing a beautiful garden and open areas. A place that offers the best restaurants in town and the largest spa in Latin America with all the comfort imaginable, it is also a special space for art and design, and boasts a garden located in the surroundings of the mall.

Park Ibirapuera
Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral – Moema; www.parquedoibirapuera.com

Park Ibirapuera is a major urban park in São Paulo and is a large outdoor area for leisure, jogging and walking, as well as a convention center; it is as important to São Paulo as Central Park to NY City. Inaugurated in 1954 for the 400th anniversary of the city, with buildings designed by the famous architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscape by designer Roberto Burle Marx, Ibirapuera Park covers an area of almost 2 square kilometers (0.77 sq mi) and is the second biggest park in the city.

Jockey Club São Paulo
Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, 1263; +55 11 2161-8300; www.jockeysp.com.br

The Jockey Club São Paulo is home to over 500 horses that are housed in the training centers and help shape the racing programs. The race track has four tracks: a grass track, 2,119 meters long, aswell as a sand track, and 1,993 meters of closed loop, which are used for official races. Additionally, two more auxiliary lanes of sand are used for training. The club has two bars - Cânter Bar and Mercearia do Jockey - which are opened in the afternoon and during night with live music and restaurant service.

Rua Oscar Freire –
Rua Oscar Freire is a tree-lined street that stretches from Alameda Casa Branca to Avenida Rebouças in the Jardins neighborhood of São Paulo. According to Ministry of International Shopping the Rua Oscar Freire is the 8th most luxurious street in the world and second only to 5th Avenue, New York in the Americas. Stores in the Rua Oscar and surrounding streets include Louis Vuitton, Dior, Montblanc, Cartier, MaxMara, Ermenegildo Zegna, Versace, Cavalli, Bulgari, Salvatore Ferragamo, Marc Jacobs, Nike, as well as Brazilian fashion shops: Alexandre Herchcovitch, NK Store, Havaianas, Carlos Miele, and Osklen. Sophisticated food shops and restaurants can also be found here, reviving weary legs.

Mercado Municipal Paulistano
Rua da Cantareira, 306 – Sé; +55 11 3326-3401; www.mercadomunicipal.com.br
Mercadão is open: Monday-Saturday 5am – 6pm, Sunday 7am – 4pm.

The city's first grocery market, this huge, 1928 neobaroque-style building benefited from a major renovation in 2004 and is now the quintessential hot spot for gourmets and food lovers alike. The building, nicknamed Mercadão (Big Market) by locals, houses 291 stands that sell just about everything edible, including meat, vegetables, cheese, spices, and fish from all over Brazil. It also has restaurants and traditional snack places.

BASICS:

Country Code: +55
Area Code: +11
Emergency:
• Health emergency – 192
• Civil Police – 147
• Military Police – 190
• Fire Department – 193
• Post Office (lost and found) 0800 570 0100

Telephone Information: Local subscribers – 102

Airports in São Paulo:

Campo de Marte
Airport Charter flights and private planes
Tel.: 6221-2699
Congonhas Airport
Domestic Flights only
Tel.: 5090-9000
Cumbica Airport at Guarulhos (GRU)
International and domestic flights
Tel.: 6445-2945
Shuttle Bus to Cumbica Airport
Tel.: 6445-2505

Electricity: 110V and 60 Hz. But in the main hotels, you will find some 220 volt plugs identified.

Time Zone: March-October GMT-4; February-March GMT-3; October-February GMT-2

Currency: The Brazilian currency is called the REAL (plural REAIS), and its symbol is R$. American Dollars and Euros can be changed to Reais at hotels, exchange desks and some travel agencies.

Hint: Make sure you bring some cash and change it to the Brazilian Reais right after arrival, if possible, as taxi cabs and some small stores do not accept traveler checks or credit cards.

GETTING AROUND:

Taxi cab - São Paulo taxis are white with a green sign on the roof. Most cabbies are reliable and honest, but most will speak only Portuguese. Cabs can be hailed on the street almost anywhere, but it is often safer and more convenient to ask someone to call a cab or to walk you to one of the numerous “pontos de taxi” (taxi points) where only registered drivers can park and take passengers. All cabs use tamper-proof electronic meters. Taxis use electronic meters, and fares start at R$4.55. Fares to and from the most common business destinations usually run between R$20-50. There is a 20% surcharge (called “bandeira 2”) after 8 p.m. and on weekends. When the driver goes into “bandeira 2” mode, a bright number 2 will appear on the meter just to the side of the fare.

Central Taxi - 5062 – 0404; Use Taxi - 5582-2000; Delta Taxi 11 5072-4499; Vip Taxi – 5591-0000

Metrô - São Paulo’s underground system is called the Metrô (3291 7800 - www.metro.sp.gov.br). There are four metrô lines with a fifth under construction. Each line is identified by a colour and a number and there are maps conveniently located in all Metrô stations. A ride to any destination costs around R$2.55, and tickets can be bought at the booth labeled bilheteria. Transfers are often necessary, but it is free to switch lines and trains run frequently. With some exceptions, the Metrô operates from 4.40am to midnight.

Currently, the Metrô has 69 km long by four lines and 57 stations. Lines: 1-Blue (Jabaquara - Tucuruvi), 2-Green (Sacomã - Vila Madalena) and 3-Red (Corinthians-Itaquera - Palmeiras-Barra Funda) work every day, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 4:40 am (see the closing times of each station). Line 5-Lilac works every day, including Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, from 4h40 to 24h00. The system is integrated with the CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos) in Brás, Palmeiras-Barra Funda, Tatuapé, Corinthians-Itaquera and Santo Amaro and the other modes of transportation in São Paulo. Every day, the Metro carries about 3.4 million passengers.

Onibus - If you are going to be in the city for a while and will be using public transport, it is worth getting a Bilhete Único. This electronic card allows for discounts and free transfers between buses, the metrô, and CPTM. For R$2.75 you can take one metrô/CPTM ride and up to three bus rides during a period of two hours. The Bilhete Único can be obtained at most metrô stations. In essence the card is free, but it must be charged with a minimum of R$20 to start (just like the Oyster Card in London).

Helicopters - São Paulo state has one of the largest helicopter fleets in the world, with around 500 choppers (approximately half the number registered in all of Brazil), 300 of which serve São Paulo city alone. There are numerous helipads around the city, making it an easy transportation method.

WHEN TO GO:

Sao Paulo experiences warm weather year-round, making it a great escape any time of year. The most popular time to go is from June through mid-December, when temperatures are cool, skies are clear, and many of the city's biggest events take place.
The least popular time to visit is mid-December through February, when many locals leave for summer vacation and rain is heavier, but on the other hand many tourists come to experience the Brazilian sun.

High season: June to mid-December
Low season: mid-December to February
Shoulder season: March to May

São Paulo's summers, December through March, are hot and humid. Temperatures rise to the high 90s (mid-30s Celsius). In the spring and fall, the temperatures stay between the high 70s and 90s (mid-20s to mid-30s Celsius). In the winter, June through August, it can cool off to a minimum of 59°F (15°C), but during the day temperatures can sometimes rise to the 70s or mid-80s (20s°C). Those traveling to São Paulo between May and September should bring some cold-weather clothes, the equivalent of what someone would wear in New York or London in the fall. Most rain tends to fall in the summer (Dec-Feb); January is especially wet.

Public Holidays and Dates of Interest:
Sao Paulo hosts 75 percent of Brazil's events, and gets particularly busy during:
 - Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre (Saint Sylvester Street Race) on December 31
 - Carnival in February/March
 - São Paulo Fashion Week in January/February or June/July
 - Parade of Pride of Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders of São Paulo in June
 - Brazilian Formula1Grand Prix races in October/November

1 January - New Year's Day
25 January – São Paulo’s Anniversary
February/March - Carnival
February/March - Ash Wednesday (until 2pm)
21 April - Tiradentes Day
April - Good Friday (Paixão de Cristo)
1 May - Labor Day (Dia Mundial do Trabalho)
June - Corpus Christi Day
7 September - Independence Day National
12 October - Lady of Aparecida Day
2 November - All Souls' Day (Finados)
15 November - Republic Day
20 November - Black Consciousness Day (Dia da Consciência Negra)
25 December - Christmas Day (Natal)