Sao Paulo as a travel destination

The third Latin American Spectrum Conference is being held in Sao Paulo, Brazil’s centre of business and commerce, and one of the most culturally diverse societies in the world. Sao Paulo has its own stock exchange, some very tall buildings and has the largest GDP of any in Latin American city.   

The hotel is located in the city’s new business hub, the Vila Olimpia, an important commercial and financial centre and the location of many of the city’s major companies. Google, Unilever, Microsoft, Intel, Symantec and CNET are all based in this district. It is fewer than ten minutes from the airport and close to excellent bars and restaurants, international shops and some of the city’s best entertainment venues. It is close to the Berrini district where many of the city’s telecommunications and technology companies are based.

For visitors the highlights include:

The Football Museum

Brazil has one of the most successful national teams in the history of the game and this museum opened by Pele a few years ago is an experience of twentieth century Brazil – its habits, behaviours and customs inseparable from the history of the sport.  Its called the Museu do Futebol 

Mercada Municipal

The Municipal Market doesn’t on the face of it sound terribly enticing, but by many accounts it’s a must.  The building was designed by architect Francisco Ramos de Azevedo in 1926.  The stained glass windows are by the Russian artist, Sorgenicht Conrad Filho. It is an enormous temple of gastronomy selling fruit, vegetables, spices, meat, poultry and seafood but is also host to many restaurants offering everything from simple snacks, home cooking to the latest in avant-garde cuisine. 

Banespa  Tower

Sao Paulo’s Empire State Building, constructed during the city’s twentieth century race for modernism provides a 360 degree panoramic view of the Sao Paulo.  Originally built as the State Bank of Sao Paulo it is 160 metres high and has an observation deck on the 34th floor. The building was privatised by the bank Santander in 2000 and a museum opened inside with thousands of artefacts from the past 100 years of banking in Brazil.  

Vila Madalena – Nightlife

This is a district described as bohemian and known for its small independent shops, nightlife, art galleries and studios and live music. More details can be found here. 

Jardim Botanico

Botanical Gardens a small tropical getaway which was created to preserve part of the Atlantic Coastal Forest it functions as a research facility focusing on Brazilian flora and fauna. It became a formal tourist attraction in 1969. The Gardens are also home to a Botanical Museum where visitors can see Brazilian flora and fauna and the natural products that come from their use. There are several tours available to visitors to give a greater understanding of what the Gardens show.