Avenida Paulista is the most famous street in São Paulo. Its 2.8km is lined with tall office buildings, banks, and shopping malls. It’s often compared to Fifth Avenue in New York, but it’s more of a business and financial center than anything. It also boasts the most expensive real estate in all of Latin America.
Republic Square (Praça da República) is a nice urban park with tall trees and a small lagoon. It’s a great escape from the bustling urban jungle that is São Paulo. There are a few attractions located near the park.
The title says it all. It’s not that São Paulo is short on things to see, it’s just that the quality of things to see isn’t that great. I was expecting a whole lot more for a city so big. Granted, I didn’t visit Parque Iberapuera, one of the main attractions, but I don’t think that would’ve swayed me into liking São Paulo. Should you skip São Paulo? No, but don’t spend too much time here. Two days is more than enough to cover everything of note.
Just outside of Foz do Iguaçu is Itaipu Binacional. It’s the largest hydroelectric power plant in the world in terms of generating energy. If you are interested in engineering, it’s well worth a visit.
Most people pass through São Sebastião on their way to and from Ilhabela. Being only 15 minutes away from Ilhabela by ferry, I decided to check out the town for an hour while waiting for my bus to São Paulo.
On my last day on Ilhabela, I took a ride up to the town of Vila Ilhabela with Paul, a Dutch guy who arrived at my hostel the night before.
While visiting the UNESCO World Heritage city of Paraty, the attraction is the old town itself. There are no must-sees and must-dos. Just walking up and down the cobblestone streets past colorful colonial buildings is enough to satisfy your senses. But watch your step! It’s easy to slip off the stones or get your feet caught between them.
Angra dos Reis is the main hub for boats to Ilha Grande. I got a bus to the town from Rio de Janeiro, walked from the bus station to the docks, and got on a boat to Ilha Grande within a few minutes. That didn’t leave me with much time to see the town, but I was able to at least observe a lot during my 15 minute walk from the bus station.
There’s not much to do in the Brazilian resort town of Búzios other than walk around. The trendy Rua das Pedras, a cobblestone street nearest to the beach, is a good place to start.
An important square to visit in Rio de Janeiro’s city center is Cinelândia. The official name of the square is Floriano Peixoto Square (Praça Floriano Peixoto), named after a Brazilian soldier and politician who has a monument dedicated to him in the center of the square.