Sao Paulo & surrounds

The first thing you will notice of Sao Paulo is its sheer size and the diversity of ethnic groups that call the city their home. It is the biggest city in South America and the whole southern hemisphere. Whilst being the business and financial center of Brazil with its endless rows of skyscrapers, the city has a lot to offer for tourists as well. It is truly a cosmopolitan city of immigrants that have settled here and now a throbbing metropolis with a thriving art scene, dining scene and an abundance of cultural attractions such as the Art Museum of Sao Paulo, the Municipal Theatre and the State Art Gallery just to name a few. Besides the cultural attractions, the city's main attraction lies in its people and its vibrant culture. The array of different cultures is responsible for the excellent standard of the dining scene of Sao Paulo that brings visitors from all over the world. The abundance of different cuisines range from Arab, Brazilian, Japanese to Jewish, in total it is said that you will be able to encounter restaurants from more than 50 different cuisines. Regardless, Sao Paulo currently boasts the highest ranked Latin American restaurant in the San Pellegrino's 50 Best Restaurants of the World list with Restaurant D.O.M. by Alex Atala in 4th place. As with a number of top class restaurants in Brazil, the focus is the unique and wonderful Brazilian produce including from the Amazon. Brazil's most modern, cosmopolitan city has much to offer in terms of shopping and nightlife. You would not want to miss Paulista Avenue which is Sao Paolo's main street and one of the favorite spots for young and hip Paulistas (as residents of Sao Paulo are called) to hang out . Besides finding some of the finest shopping in Brazil, you will see many street artists to keep you entertained. Some short day trips from Sao Paulo include a visit the beautiful Paulista coast and its beautiful islands with stunning beaches . The main attraction is the Island of Ihabela (which means "Beautiful Island") located around 200 km away from Sao Paulo city. It boost some of the most luxuries and secluded Hotels and long pristine beaches itself allow you to relax in style and take in the Brazilian sun. It is also the place for some great water-sports. Sao Paulo is also a short flight away from Brazilia, set in the heart of the country and inaugurated as Brazilia's capital since 1960 taking over from Rio. It was built on an empty plain and the chief architect was Brasilia's most famous modern architect, Oscar Niemeyer, who passed away in December 2012. Brazilia's distinctive unique architecture reflects Brazili'as own take on the International Style and is probably the main reason to visit here. It can be done in a day or you can also spend a couple of days to appreciate the buildings and urban design of this planned city just over half a century old.