In February, inDrive launched a new service in Brazil - it’s now possible to buy bus tickets for around 5000 routes across more than 200 service providers using our app. To celebrate this milestone, we spoke to inDriver Lorena Ribeiro for an insider take on São Paulo, where she’s been living for the past six years.
So if you’re visiting Sao Paulo and you’re looking for recommendations, here are some of Lorena’s faves…
I really like São Paulo; it’s a really busy city. I live right beside the busiest avenue in the city in front of São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), one of the most important in Latin America. There are a lot of cars and buses and the city is very loud and busy, but there are a lot of things to do.
São Paulo has the biggest Japanese community outside Japan, and also the biggest Italian community outside Italy. So there are a lot of great restaurants, art museums, theaters–there is a very cultural environment.
How do you get around? inDrive is really good here, we have the best prices and there are a lot of available drivers. Also, the city has really great public transportation such as buses and also subways.
What is your favorite thing about the city or about living in the city?
The different cultures. You meet people from all over the world and you can try different foods. I really like living in a city where difference is one of the biggest values of the city and you can see this in every street.
What do you like least about living there?
The traffic, because you can do seven kilometers in one hour and 40 minutes, maybe sometimes longer. The traffic is crazy. Even with good public transportation, people use a lot of cars, and there aren't a lot of good cycle roads. So you have to plan a lot of things when you are leaving for an appointment or something.
Favorite restaurants?
I didn't know that much about Arabic food, but since I came here I am in love with it. There is an Arabian restaurant called Raful, in the heart of São Paulo, so busy that you cannot even go by car. It's a very traditional restaurant.
My favorite food is really Italian. There’s an Italian community neighborhood, Bixiga, that has really great restaurants, including the oldest one, Carlino. It’s from 1881! And then Huto in Moema is great for Japanese food.
What nature spots would you recommend? The biggest park is Ibiraquera, and the Museum of Contemporary Art is there. You can go hiking in the mountains – there are really beautiful mountains and small villages. It's three or four hours by car. I think there are overnight hikes; but mostly people do day hikes or go in the morning, because we have a lot of rain here, so it can be dangerous.
Best cultural venues
The Museum of Art of São Paulo – they have free tickets on Tuesday. Also the São Paulo Municipal Theatre – it’s the main theatre in the city and you can see a great orchestra and shows there. And Teatro VillaLobos, named after the famous musician.
People in São Paulo really connect with culture. So it is usual for people to go to the museums and you see a lot of kids from school going too.
Pinheiros is the neighborhood of bars and fun; they have a lot of bars with outside spaces where you can sit and relax. Not fancy restaurants, but more to just go and chill.
And then Bixiga is an Italian neighborhood, but it has the most famous places to samba… I don't know why, maybe because it's downtown, so it's close to a lot of places!
What do you most recommend for a short visit?
The Museum of Arts of Sao Paulo, for sure. Then we have a rooftop downtown called the Italian Terrace - it's really big and you have a beautiful view all over the city. Try a performance in the Municipal Theater, that’s important. And then just go to a bar!
We have a Lollapalooza festival at the end of March. It is a great time to visit the city, but it usually rains, so be careful. The festival sometimes gets really messy because of the rain.
February is a month that is really great to be in Brazil because of the carnival parties. All the cities have them and here in São Paulo it's growing. September is also a great month to visit, with great weather. Not July, because it's so cold!
Any tips for visiting your city?
Yes! Unfortunately, we have a lot of robbers, so do not use your cell phone on the street – they just grab it from your hands. And then remember it’s a really busy city, so for example, if you are in a subway station, pay attention and stay to the right for people to pass on the left. People are always running!
And then, be open to the different cultures and people from all over the world.
It's not a calm city, but there are a lot of good things here!
