Sao Paulo Hotels
Many tourists like to have a vacation in the city of Sau Paulo. Some may want to see the culture, the history, the tourist attractions, the society, the scenery and entertainment or sports events of the city. Some may want to have vacations in the city to the see the attractions such as the beaches the architecture, or culture. Some may want to see the cities, town and villages of the regions. They may want to see the culture the music or art in the city. Some tourists may want to tour the coastline on a boat . Some tourists may want a hotel in the city to provide them with short term accommodation. Some may want to stay at a luxury hotel or a cheap hotel. Some tourists may want to stay in a large hotel or in a small hotel. Numerous tourists may want a hotel that has good access to parking and to entertainment.
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, with its metropolitan area ranking fourth among the largest urban areas in the world. The city is the capital of the State of São Paulo, the most populous Brazilian state. It is also the richest city of Brazil. The name means Saint Paul in Portuguese. São Paulo exerts global influence in commerce and finance as well as arts and entertainment.
The city has many renowned landmarks. The Immigrant's Hostel greeted millions of immigrants as they came to Brazil in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Paulista Avenue, in Downtown, is the most important financial center of the country and South America. The city is home to the São Paulo Stock Exchange (BOVESPA). São Paulo has been home to several of the tallest buildings in Brazil, including the Mirante do Vale Building.
São Paulo is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar (Portuguese for Sea Range), itself a component of the vast region known as the Brazilian Highlands, with an average elevation of around 799 metres above sea level, though at a distance of only about 70 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean. This distance is covered by two highways, the Anchieta and the Imigrantes, that roll down the range, leading to the portuary city of Santos and the beach resort of Guarujá. Rolling terrain prevails within the urbanized areas of São Paulo except in the North of the city, where the Serra da Cantareira Range boasts higher elevations and a sizable remnant of the Atlantic Rain Forest. The entire region is very stable tectonically, and no significant seismic activity has ever been recorded.
The Tietê River was once a source of fresh water and leisure for São Paulo. However, in the latter half of the 20th century, it became grossly polluted by raw sewage and industrial effluents, much like its tributary the Pinheiros River. However, a substantial clean-up program for both rivers are in the pipeline, financed by international development banks such as the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. Neither river is navigable in the stretch that flows through the city, however water transport becomes increasingly important on the river Tietê further downstream (towards South, near river Paraná), as the river is part of the River Plate basin.
There are no large natural lakes in the region, but the Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs in the outskirts of São Paulo are used for power generation, water storage, and leisure activities such as sailing. The original flora consisted mainly of a great variety of broadleaf evergreens. Today, non-native species are common, as the mild climate and abundant rainfall permit a multitude of tropical, subtropical and temperate plants to be cultivated, with eucalyptus being especially ubiquitous.
Jesuit missionaries Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta founded the village of São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga on January 25, 1554. Along with their entourage, they established a mission named Colégio de São Paulo de Piratininga aimed at converting the Tupi-Guarani indigenous Brazilians to the Catholic religion. Located just beyond the Serra do Mar cliffs, overlooking the port city of Santos, and close to the Tietê River, the new settlement became the natural entrance from the South East coast to the vast and fertile plateau to the West that would eventually become the State of São Paulo.
São Paulo officially became a city in 1711. In the 19th century, it experienced a flourishing economic prosperity, brought about chiefly through coffee exports, which were shipped abroad from the port of the neighbouring city of Santos. After the abolition of slavery in 1888, and in an effort to "bleach the race," as the Brazilian authorities worried Brazil would turn into a black country, waves of immigrants from Italy, Portugal, Spain, Germany and many other European countries emigrated to São Paulo in order to, among other reasons, work at the enormous coffee plantations established in the State. At the beginning of the 20th century, the coffee cycle had already plummeted due to, among other factors, a sharp decline in international coffee prices.
The local entrepreneurs then started investing in the industrial development of São Paulo, attracting new contingents of overseas immigrants to the city, mainly Italians. In addition to Europeans, Japanese and Syrian and Lebanese immigrants arrived in large numbers in the first half of the 20th century. Along the 20th century, the booming economy of the city also attracted huge waves of migrants from the poorest regions in Brazil, such as the Northeast.
However, due to competition with many other Brazilian cities, which sometimes offer tax advantages for companies to build manufacturing plants in situ, São Paulo's main economic activities have gradually left its industrial profile in favour of the services industry in the late 20th century. The city is home to a large number of local and international banking offices, law firms, multinational companies and consumer services.
São Paulo is a major cultural centre. The city has an ethnically diverse metropolitan area, with heavy Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, among other influences.
The city is known for its varied and sophisticated cuisine, ranging from Chinese to French, from fast food chains to five star restaurants.
São Paulo has been home to the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), and Pinacoteca do Estadoart museums, a symphonic orchestra (São Paulo State Symphony , and what has been Formula One Grand Prix racing circuit (Interlagos).
Landmarks in the city include or have included ;
Paulista Avenue (one of the most important thoroughfares
of the city and the site of many cultural centers and museums, such as the MASP
and Centro Cultural Itaú).
Banespa Building (skyscraper with observation
deck and museum designed after the Empire State building).
Catedral da Sé
(the metropolitan cathedral, a symbol of the city).
Edifício Copan,
designed by Oscar Niemeyer, in the Centro neighbourhood. Built between 1951 and
1966, its wavy shape gives the building an impression of movement, and the integration
of small businesses and residential flats are of innovative urbanism.
Edifício
Itália (skyscraper with observation deck).
Estação da
Luz (historical railway station built 1895-1901).
Ibirapuera Park (the second
largest park of the city (Parque do Carmo is the biggest), is also home to several
museums. It is known for its buildings designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer,
such as the Oca and the new Ibirapuera Auditorium).
Liberdade (Asian district
of São Paulo).
Memorial da América Latina (another complex of
buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer).
Mercado Municipal (historical market
place in São Paulo).
Municipal Theatre of São Paulo (magnificent
opera house built in the early 20th century.
Museu de Arte Sacra (museum of
religious art located in a colonial convent).
Museu do Ipiranga (museum built
where the Independence of Brazil was proclaimed in 1822).
Museum of the Portuguese
Language (located inside Estação da Luz).
Pátio do Colégio
(founding site of the city, former Jesuit mission-school to convert the natives
to Catholicism).
Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (important museum
of Brazilian art).
Praça da Sé (large square next to the São
Paulo Cathedral. Official centre of the city).
Shopping Malls Iguatemi, Ibirapuera,
Morumbi, Eldorado.
Solar da Marquesa (rare example of 18th century architecture).
The nonspecific term "Grande São Paulo" ("Greater São Paulo") denotes any of São Paulo's metropolitan area definitions. São Paulo was home to the first jesuit missionaries in Brazil, in the early 16th century. They wrote reports to the Portuguese crown about the newly found land, the native peoples and composed pieces of poetry and music for the catechism. Among them were priests such as Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta, living in or near the colony then called Piratininga.
Rodovia dos Imigrantes (official designation SP-160) is a highway in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.
There have been two major airports in the São Paulo metropolitan area: São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport that has been used for for domestic and international flights and Congonhas/São Paulo Airport which has often been used for for domestic flights.
The major soccer teams in São Paulo include Corinthians, São Paulo and Palmeiras. There are other small clubs in the city, Portuguesa, Juventus and Nacional. Another popular club in São Paulo is Santos FC from the nearby coastal city of Santos. Volleyball, basketball and tennis are other major sports.
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