It’s time to relax and enjoy yourself, take a day off to do things you have never done before. If you have to go to work, don’t worry! There are plenty of things you can do over the weekends.
We came up with a list of things you can do in Sao Paulo, it does not matter if you live here or if you’re just a tourist passing by. We tried to pick free or low-price and easy access-by-subway activities for everyone. Check it out:
1 – See the beautiful graffiti on Beco do Batman
Picture: NewYorker-2-Carioca (Flickr)
Beco do Batman, located on Vila Madalena, is a good place to admire the graffiti, which is a huge characteristic of the city. A lot of different artists let their marks on the walls of this valley. It is a open-air gallery.
How much: For free
How to get there: take the subway to Sumaré station or Vila Madalena station, these are the closest stations nearby Beco do Batman. Then, you can walk to the alley.
2 – Ride a bike when Paulista Avenue is closed
Picture: Flickr
Every Sunday Paulista Avenue is closed for cars. Pedestrians, cyclists, skateboarders and others can enjoy even more this huge avenue. Sunday is a good day to ride a bike, enjoy the fresh air and relax seeing the beautiful buildings on the avenue.
How Much: For free – if you have a bike. (or you can rent one for free for the first hour in any station of BikeSampa – the orange bikes – check all the rent points on mobilicidade.com.br/bikesampa.asp).
How to get there: There are three subway stations on Paulista Avenue: Brigadeiro, Trianon-Masp or Consolação. I recommend you pick Brigadeiro or Consolação, because they are the both extremes of the avenue.
3 – Antiquities Street Markets on Bixiga
Picture: E se esta Casa fosse Minha
Bixiga is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Sao Paulo. Visiting Dom Orione Square, where you can find an antiquity open street market, is a good way to dive deep into the story of the city. You can see vintage furniture and historical objects for free.
How much: For free
How to get there: leave the subway at brigadeiro station and walk through bixiga – it’s less than 600 meters.
4 – Watch the sunset at “Praça do Pôr do Sol”
Picture: Juliano Emidio Mendes
In the middle of concrete jungle you can watch a beautiful sunset. The square is a good place to have a picnic, play the guitar, enjoy the end of the day or even meditate.
How much: For free
How to get there: there are no subway stations nearby. The closest ones are Vila Madalena or Faria Lima, approximately 1.700 kilometers from the square.
5 – Walk through Ibirapuera Park
Picture: Ibirapuera Park
Ibirapuera Park is known as the beach of Sao Paulo because, at the weekends, a lot of people go there to relax and enjoy the sun and the day. If you prefer a calm place, go during the week, over the weekend it can get a bit crowded.
Beyond running, riding a bike, practicing sports, drinking a good coconut water, organizing picnic and taking a day-off, you can visit some exhibitions inside the park. There are museums and theaters, and the schedule is always changing. (check it out here http://www.parquedoibirapuera.com/programacao/)
How much: the park entrance is for free and the exhibitions are not expensive – take twenty reais to enjoy the day at ibirapuera.
How to get there: the closest subway stations are Santa Cruz, Vila Mariana, Ana Rosa, Paraíso and Brigadeiro.
6 – SUP at Guarapiranga
Picture: Map of Sports
If you always thought that living in Sao Paulo was bad because there weren’t places that you could practice SUP, you are wrong. Not-so-far from the metropolitan area, in dam of Guarapiranga there are lots of water sports, including Stand Up Paddle. There are a lot of clubs around the dam, and you can take your equipment or rent one when you get there.
How much: during the week is free. On the weekends you have to buy a ticket that costs 20 reais.
How to get there: there are no subways close to the dam, but there is a bus that stops in front of it. Take a subway to Santo Amaro and, after that, one of these busses: 5362/10;5632/22;6970/10;6000/10;6913/10;6960/10, getting off on Parada João de Barro.
7 – Walk through Minhocão on Sundays
Picture: FuturaPress
There are no cars at Minhocão on Sundays and it becomes a leisure street. You can walk, run, ride a bike and skateboard, taking all your family with you. There you can always find street sellers and food trucks, so take some money. You can take a camera, because it is one of the most beautiful landscapes on the city.
How much: free
How to get there: get out on Marechal Deodoro station – red line – and walk 100 meters to Minhocão.
8 – Enjoy Liberdade’s Street Market
Picture: ObaOba
Liberdade’s street market is one of the most traditional Japanese events in the city. It happens all weekends, from 8am to 6pm. You can try a lot typical foods, get in touch with the Japanese culture and buy some Japanese things – cute and cheap.
How Much: For free
How to get there: get out on Liberdade station – blue line
9 – Camping on a building
Picture: Aki Hostel – Release Picture
Placed on the rooftop of Aki Hostel, Aki Camping São Paulo is the first urban camp in the city. It is a good way to get out of your routine and see the city with another eye. The hostel provides the necessary equipment to go camping, but if you have it, you can take yours. There are bathrooms, a kitchen and free wi-fi.
How much: thirty reais per person/night.
How to get there: get off on Paraiso station – blue line.
10 – Challenge your friends on board games
Picture: Partiu Mundo
With more than 900 board games, Ludus Luderia is a pub where the main focus is to play games.The entrance gives you the right to play whatever you want to, stay at the house the whole time and ask about the games to the monitors. It is a good place to take your family, friends and have fun. They also have a restaurant with drinks and junk-foods that you can have while playing.
How much: 18 reais (from Wednesdays to Thursdays), 25 reais (Fridays and Sundays), 35 reais (Saturdays).
How to get there: nearby Brigadeiro subway station