São Paulo: an invitation to discover Brazil

What to visit and eat while in the Paulista City!

Sao Paulo is an open invitation to know Brazilian culture. Besides its intrinsic cosmopolitan characteristics, it has a lot of old buildings and museums, great to visit with the whole family, that tell the story of the city and Brazil.

Let’s start with the Sé Cathedral (Catedral da Sé), located in the heart of Sao Paulo. Built with neo-Gothic aesthetics, the church dates from 1588 and is one of the largest churches in the world. Despite the European style, the cathedral has typical Brazilian elements, such as altars with green and yellow stones, and the capitals of the columns, with animals and plants from the local flora and fauna. The Cathedral is located in Cathedral Square (Praça da Sé), Ground Zero of São Paulo. There, besides the Cathedral, you can also find the Palace of Justice and Sao Paulo Palace.

The Paulista Museum, better known as Ipiranga Museum, is the landmark of Independence and history of Brazil and Sao Paulo. Its collection includes over 125,000 items, between indigenous objects, furniture, armors, paintings, tools and other instruments, many for personal use.

Finish the tour through the historic center with a visit to the Monastery of St. Benedict (Mosteiro de S.Bento), one of the main sights of Sao Paulo. Built in 1598 in Norman - Byzantine style, it received the visit of Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.

Another must is 25th March street, in the city center, near the Praça da Sé. It gets thousands of visitors per day, more than a million people walk through the area. No wonder: you can find almost everything from toys to items for smallwares, to jewelry, footwear, eyewear, Indian clothes, fabrics, household items, umbrellas and electronic equipment. The best shops? Armarinhos Fernando, Niazi Chohfi, Clovis and Baron Duprat.

To get some sun, we introduce you to the two most beautiful beaches of the state of São Paulo. To get to Bonete Beach, in Ilha Bela, you can take a boat trip, which takes about 30 minutes or, for the more adventurous, a four hour trail hiking among waterfalls, hundreds of trees and native plants. It is a little hard to get to the beach, but when seeing the landscape, you will not even remember the trip.

The beautiful Fazenda Beach, in Ubatuba, is somewhat remote and lies within a nature reserve, the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar. With clear and tranquil waters, it is the perfect place to relax and enjoy nature.

It is impossible to visit the city and not taste one of the most famous sandwiches in Mercadão, specially the mortadela ones. Or, try the famous codfish cake as well. The architecture of the building and the delicacies are going to leave you awestruck.

One thing the paulista do well is cooking! They are very creative and they love their candies, and therefore, we decided to present you Hostelsclub’s Paulista Menu.

It’s hard to resist a delicious hamburger. Especially when it's filled with tasty ingredients such as cheese, tomato, lettuce, bacon, onion, among other delicacies. In Brazil, “burguer” specialized places are on the rise in Sao Paulo, and they are getting increasingly sophisticated. In Lanchonete da Cidade, we propose the Amarelinho (fried egg, cheese, tomato, pepper and oregano), the Tropicália (regional sausage, tomato sauce and onions), the Moraes (fried garlic, cheese, tomato and cress), the Supimpa (bacon, onion and cheese), along with rustic potatoes, crispy onions or “batata da cidade” (city potatoes). All delicious and very affordable, served in a 60’s environment. Also try the hot dogs Astro (cheese and crispy fried onions) and Bidu (with chili meat, goat cheese and corn).

For a gourmet option, try General Prime Burger. Known for its Caprese burger (breaded and crisp picanha and mozzarella, arugula and tomato), the GBP Javali (wild boar meat, cheese, cucumber and fried onions) and their Melted Cheddar Jack (Rib Burger with lettuce, tomato, fried onions, bacon, cheddar and Jack Daniel's served on black bread - 18+ only), along with a plate of Batatas Bravas (wild potatoes).

And then, straight to dessert!

It's hard to refuse a piece of chocolate, but saying "no" to a Brigadeiro is pretty much impossible. Ball shape or in a spoon, Brigadeiros are no longer just a kid’s party sweet. You can now findit in sophisticated versions, and even gourmet ones. You can get lost among dozens of types of brigadeiros in the stores Brigadeira Dicunhada, Maria Brigadeiro or Brigaderia.

For those who like sweets, a warm churro is a great invitation. Even more when the delicacy comes with a lot of filling such as dulce de leche or chocolate, or even salty, like cheese and cheddar. Against all diets, try as much as possible in churro stores La Churreria, Veloso Bar or A Casa do Churro. You will not regret!

The paulistas like a good honey bread, a delicious cake with a light honey flavor! Not to mention the versions stuffed with brigadeiro, sweet milk chocolate, white chocolate or even strawberry, which give a special touch to the delicacy. Try them yourself in Tchocolath: beyond the traditional choices, the candy store offers a honey bread with tangerine and ginger, gianduia, red fruits and marzipan, among others.

For those looking to avoid the traditional beer and cocktails, drinks with ice cream and popsicles are great options. One of the favorite mixtures in Sao Paulo’s bars is the caipilé: made ​​from the blend of caipirinha, one of the most popular drinks in Brazil, with the refreshment of the traditional popsicle. You can find them in Boteco São Bento and The Garden.

Do you really need any more reasons to go to Sao Paulo? Check our hostels in Sao Paulo and have a blast!