Attractions region São Paulo

São Paulo - Attractions São Paulo

Butantan Institute

Embu

Founded in 1554, Embu remained a mere village until São Paulo's explosive growth in the 20^th century. But, just 27 km west of the city, Embu couldn't have expected to remain unaffected by its growth; what is surprising is that it has somehow managed to retain its colonial feel. Despite having a population approaching 200,000, simple colonial-style buildings predominate in the town's compact center, which is traffic-free on weekends. In the 1970s, Embu was a favorite retreat for writers and artists from São Paulo, and many set up home in what was then still little more than a village.

Today, the Sunday handicraft market in the main square, Largo 21 de Abril, makes the town a favorite with Paulistano day-trippers, although during the week Embu is far quieter. The shops around the main square stock a more or less similar selection of pseudo-antiques, rustic furniture, ceramics, leather items, jewellery and homemade jams to what's on offer in the market, but they are open daily.

Nearby, on Largo dos Jesuitas, the basic structure of the 18^th century Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário is typical colonial Baroque, but its interior retains almost no original features. Attached to the church is the interesting Museu de Arte Sacra dos Jesuitas.

It takes less than an hour to get to Embu from São Paulo.

Paranapiacaba

For most of its history, communications from São Paulo to the outside world were slow and difficult. In 1856 the British-owned São Paulo Railway Company was awarded the concession to operate a rail line between Santos and Jundai, 70 km north of São Paulo city in what was then a developing coffee-growing region. The 139 km line was completed in 1867, remaining under British control until 1947. Overcoming the near-vertical incline of the Serra do Mar that separates the interior of the state from the coast, the line was an engineering miracle and is slowly being restored today.

Located 40 km southeast of São Paulo and the last station before the rack railway plunges down the coastal escarpment, was the administrative and engineering center for the rail line and at one time was home to 4,000 workers, many of whom were British.

Neatly laid out in the 1890s in a grid pattern, the village has remained largely unchanged over the years. All that remains of the original train station is the clock tower, said to be a replica of London's Big Ben, but the workers' cottages and locomotive sheds (one of which houses an old British steam engine) are in an excellent state of preservation, and some are open to the public.

On a hilltop overlooking the village is the wooden English-style Castelinho: once the residence of the chief engineer, today the building contains houses the Centro Preservacao da Historia de Paranapiacaba, which displays old maps and photographs of the rail line's early years.

You don't have to be a railway buff to appreciate Paranapiacaba, however. The village is set amidst one of the best preserved areas of Mata Atlantica in the country and most visitors use it as a starting place for fairly serious hikes into the thickly forested Parque Estadual Turistico do Alto Ribeira.

Americana

Americana is a city of the State of São Paulo, distant 133 km from the capital.
After the end of the Civil War, many Americans were unhappy with their situation; by that same time, the Brazilian Emperor, feeling the pressure of the anti-slavery groups (the American War itself was a signs of things to come in Brazil) was looking for immigrants willing to work in the Brazilian fields.

Several groups of Americans came to Brazil, and several colonies were founded by them. The group led by Colonel William Hutchinson Norris, ex-Senator by the State of Alabama, and his son Robert Norris, which settled in a region near Santa Barbara d'Oeste, was the most successful of all; Norris arrived in 1868, and shortly afterwards, all the other groups moved from their original settlements and joined Norris.

Norris and the American families employed the techniques from Alabama to cultivate cotton; their superior knowledge and skills soon turned the group into an important cotton trader. In 1875, an important boost came with the opening of a train station, which permitted easier transportation of the production.

To educate their children, the Americans brought teachers from USA; their pedagogical methods were so efficient that, eventually, they were adopted by the official Brazilian system. The religious cults were also conducted by American priests; in 1895, a Presbiterian Church was founded in the village. Because people from other religions could not be buried in catholic cemeteries, the Americans had to build their own, the Cemiterio do Carmo; until today, American descendents are buried there, and it's around the chapel in the cemitery that festivities are organized, in memory of the founders.

To celebrate the centenary of immigration, a museum was opened in Santa Barbara d'Oeste; the museum exhibits objects and documents which belonged to the pioneers.

Holambra

Holambra is a piece of Holland in Brazil. In 1948, after WW II, Holland was not as rich as today; many families, particularly from the countryside, didn't have bright perspectives in their country, and wanted to emigrate.

Brazil was the option for some of them; the catholics had a particular preference for Brazil. The Brazilian governments (Federal and State) were offering to the Dutch immigrants 5,000 hectares of land in the interior of the State of São Paulo; the immigrants would bring along herds of Dutch cattle, famous for their milk production; the original intention was to start farms which would provide high quality dairy products for the State of São Paulo.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. The cattle, brought from the temperate climate of Europe, didn't adapt well in the warm Brazil, and was also severely attacked by tropical diseases. The Dutch, then, started to work with chickens and pigs, and cultivate several crops. Eventually, the cultures moved to a product typical from Holland: flowers.

Today, no other place in Brazil produces flowers comparable to those of Holambra, be it in variety or in quality. The production is auctioned through the Veiling Holambra, one of the most sophisticated in the world; the output is the largest in Latin America; most of the flowers are exported.
In 1991, by decision of the citizens, Holambra gained political autonomy and became a municipality.

Over the past few years, the tourism is becoming an important sector of the city's economy. More and more Brazilians are traveling to see this charmful city, result of the efforts of 2 countries and their cultures.

Beaches

Costa Verde

Named for the ancient Atlantic forest that covers much of the shoreline, the Costa Verde (Green Coast) offers relaxing day and weekend trips from Rio and São Paulo. The drive from Rio to the city of Santos is beautiful: Small beaches line one side of the road, jungle and mountains the other. Visitors pass cattle ranches, quaint 17^th-century towns, and uncrowded beaches of white sand and more than 300 offshore islands. (The islands can be seen on day trips from Sepetiba Bay, an hour long drive from Rio.) Santos itself, located 70 km southeast of São Paulo, is Brazil's leading commercial port; both Santos and next-door neighbor Guaruja afford a wide range of nice beaches and boat tours. Santos beach is famous for its beach garden (4 km). It is also located close to São Vicente, Brazil's oldest town. Nearby Jose Menino has beautiful orchid gardens that flower from October to February. East of Santos is the popular beach resort of Ubatuba.