Sao Paulo a tempting option for World Cup fans

Sao Paulo skyline by maucantara (Creative Commons)

While many fans heading to Brazil for the World Cup will be looking to the beaches and landmarks of Rio de Janeiro, you could do much worse than look to spend a part of your stay in Sao Paulo. With a population of almost eight million, Sao Paulo is by far Brazil’s biggest city, housing many of the country’s biggest businesses and a city packed with diverse culture and atmosphere.

Sao Paulo has a strong argument to claim it is Brazil’s most diverse city, with immigrants from the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia and Latin America helping make the city a cocktail of cultures that results in some fantastic food and music.

The city was the only place to be in Brazil as the host nation opened their World Cup campaign in Sao Paulo against Croatia. A 3-1 victory for Brazil ensured the tournament got off to a bang as Sao Paulo played host to one of the biggest parties in the country’s history. With a number of exciting games set to be played at the city’s Arena de Sao Paulo stadium, fans from across the world have kept the carnival atmosphere going on ever since the first match.

Sao Paulo may not have the picturesque geography of Rio, but what “Sampa” lacks beaches and mountains, it makes up for in cultural activity. From museums and galleries, to concerts and restaurants, Sao Paulo and Rio are sometimes worlds apart and the city often attracts a very different tourist than those looking to strut their stuff on Copacabana Beach.

With the World Cup in full swing, Sao Paulo has not let Brazil down in showing visitors a brilliant time. And with the host nation still in with a chance of winning the tournament, the party could well be only just getting started.