Sao Paulo Travel Guide: Sao Paulo Attractions

The Monastery of São Bento (Saint Benedict) is a mandatory stop for those interested in the city’s history, as it is known for its outstanding 17th century architecture. It was restored in the early 1900s in a more Germanic architectural style. It is now home to around 40 cloistered monks who follow the routine of work and prayer. For a truly sacred experience, visitors should attend one of the daily masses, particularly the traditional Sunday mass. There is a delightful little gift shop selling various treats such as bread, jam, cakes, and cookies. Visitors can also relax in the café São Bento and take time to admire the architecture of the building.

The Viaduto do Chá (Tea Bridge) is a wide and long viaduct was the first to be built in the city and inaugurated in 1892. It is named for the large crop of Indian tea that was cultivated in the Vale do Anhangabaú district of the city’s central zone in which the viaduct is located. In 1938 the old wooden foundations of the viaduct were destroyed in order to make way for a new, wider structure of concrete and metal. Today it is a key artery in the city center, linking what was previously considered to be downtown (Rua Directa) with the now more significant area of Rua Barão de Itapetininga. It is lined with street vendors selling various trinkets.

Beneath the Viaduct is the Parque Anhangabaú, a pretty and verdant park in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the center. The oldest parts of the city (Centro Velho) can be found located in proximity to Anhangabaú. Amongst the sites here is the Praça da Sé, which is a wide open plaza containing the magnificent Catedral Metropolitana. Although the current cathedral building dates to 1954, the site has hosted various churches dating back to the foundation of the city. The enormous gothic-style building can hold a congregation of 8,000 people and provides a most peaceful and thought provoking experience.

The São Paulo Igreja de Sao Francisco de Assis, originally built in 1647 and renovated a century later, is one of the few physical remnants of the Portuguese empire that remains standing. This baroque style church is actually home to 2 separate religious institutions; one is run by the Catholic Church whereas the other is controlled strictly by laypeople. The churches play an important role in the community, organizing fundraising events to help to support the poor with food. It is open from 7am to 7pm, and although entry is free, donations are always welcome to help with church restoration and to support church projects.

Moving away from the historical center of the city, the central business districts are always worth a peek; apart from anything else, the view from the 34th floor of the BANESPA building gives an amazing view of the city which spreads underneath your gaze like a vast carpet of roads and white buildings (São Paulo covers an area roughly 3 times the size of Paris). There is a museum also located at the top of what was – at 160 meters – the highest building in the city for decades. Nearby, visitors can also see the globally-influential BOVESPA Stock Exchange in action whilst perhaps even checking up on their portfolios.