São Paulo is a destination fit for travelers all year round. That said, if you come between Carnaval and the first two weeks of December, you’ll more than likely find a fun event to attend, since the city’s events’ calendar tends to slow down for the holidays and summer, when locals and domestic travelers are taking holidays to visit the beach and family in other parts of the country!

So many travelers end up not adding São Paulo to their itinerary when planning a trip to Brazil, and this is usually because it is “just” seen as the country’s business center. Either because of this, or because travelers will only come through for events, festivals, concerts, etc., and not leave room to explore the city’s essence. Even if you only have a short window of time to visit the city, plan at least a day or two to visit the city’s historic center (where it all began), Avenida Paulista – the city’s cultural corridor, and Ibirapuera Park, where you’ll get a mix of culture and nature.

São Paulo as a nature destination? Besides having parks in the city, São Paulo is incredibly close to lush state and national parks, as well as a stunning coastline. Within the city, you’ll find the Capivari-Monos reserve, in the southern-most part of the city, where there is native Atlantic Rainforest to visit. It’s a reserve that contains the city’s main water source and the barrier between the city and the forest and mountain that will take you down to the beach. It is also where the Embu-Guaçu river is born, and there are trails you can hike that take you to waterfalls and natural swimming holes. Beyond this, the region is home to indigenous communities of the Guaraní ethnicity, and near the reserve you’ll find community-based tourism activities where you can visit small organic farms.

This is the hardest question of them all. That’s because São Paulo has a little bit of everything for all tastes and budgets – and we’re not just trying to get you here, these are facts. With thousands of bars and restaurants, and being a multicultural city, there is no “local” dish. Despite this, one place you must visit when in the city, is the municipal market in downtown São Paulo, the “Mercadão” – there you will drink the freshest juices and taste exquisite fruit, find fish stalls shucking fresh oysters, and restaurants serving the most massive mortadella sandwiches you’ve ever seen. All of this, within an impresssive structure, architecturally.