Without electric trios in the streets and samba school parades on the Carnival holiday, Salvador and Rio de Janeiro have a vast choice of itineraries that go beyond postcards. From museums and taverns to hidden beaches, these are places that have become the darlings of locals and promise to win over tourists.
The carioca route begins at Largo de São Francisco da Prainha. Located in the Saúde neighborhood, the place houses bars and restaurants with good gastronomic options. That’s where Bafo da Prainha is located, a bar that has become a sensation among cariocas.
For those who want to take good photos, the square is also a full plate. That’s because it is surrounded by colonial mansions that give the place a captivating and multicolored look.
In addition, the square is a good alternative for cultural tourism as it is one of the 15 points that make up Little Africa. The region got its name due to the large black presence in the 19th century and for preserving the history of this population.
Cais do Valongo and Praça Mauá are part of the locality, which houses two of the city’s main museums: the Rio Art Museum and the Museum of Tomorrow.
To encourage visitors from Rio de Janeiro and tourists to Little Africa, there are already companies betting on the so-called Afrotourism, that is, itineraries that value points linked to black history. That’s what Gabriela Palma, founding partner of the Sou+Carioca agency, decided to do.
“We use public assets to teach how important these people and subjects were. It’s a way of giving voice to stories that were silenced for a long time”, says the businesswoman.
Parque Madureira is another area that is not on the traditional itineraries, but which has already won over Cariocas. Located in the north zone, the space is well wooded and has leisure options.
There, there are volleyball, soccer and basketball courts, as well as two cultural spaces: Arena Carioca and Praça do Samba, an environment that celebrates the genre that is a hallmark of Madureira. The neighborhood is home to Império Serrano, one of the most traditional samba schools in Rio.
Tour guide Karolynne Duarte knows the charms of Madureira and other areas of the suburbs well. In 2012, she decided to found Guiadas Urbanas, an agency that rescues the history of suburban neighborhoods.
“The image that was created about Rio is based on places like Copacabana and Cristo Redentor, but the city’s cultural identity is also very much in the suburbs, even because of samba”, says Duarte, who promotes tours in neighborhoods like Marechal Hermes, place full of good gastronomic options with affordable prices. The Dom Ganache and Bistro Famiglia restaurants are proof of this.
Bruno Kazuhiro, municipal secretary of tourism, says that the City Hall is promoting alternative routes in lesser-known areas of the city, such as the north and west. “It is necessary to understand that Rio is more than sun and sea”, he says.
Salvador also has its itinerary that goes beyond postcards such as Pelourinho, Elevador Lacerda, Farol da Barra and Igreja do Bonfim. The Bahian capital has good surprises in store for communities that, in recent years, have been rediscovered by Salvadorans.
This is the case of Gamboa de Baixo and Vila Brandão, communities in valued areas that border the Baía de Todos-os-Santos in the Bahian capital. In addition to the natural attractions, both have reinvented themselves through graffiti art on the walls of the houses and regional cuisine.
Gamboa de Baixo borders the Museum of Modern Art of Bahia, located in the architectural complex of Solar do Unhão, an old mill from the 17th century. It is just 1.2 km from Mercado Modelo and Elevador Lacerda. Anitta and Iza have already recorded there.
In the community, it is possible to enjoy a beach that is almost exclusive to local residents, with stones instead of sand, without the competition for space that occurs in the crowded Porto da Barra.
Another way to get to the place is by taking a 20-minute ride on small boats that leave from Preguiça beach, next to Bahia Marina. On site, several establishments offer all sorts of delicacies, such as broths, snacks and, of course, seafood.
The most sought after are Monica’s Bar, Pier 7 and Dona Suzana’s Restaurant. You have to arrive early, go with an open heart, without frills, as they are simple environments, with delicious food ranging from R$10 (sururu broth) to R$180 (octopus, shrimp and lobster moqueca).
Further ahead, in Vitória, embedded in a rocky wall amid high-end buildings with their own cable cars, Vila Brandão resists the real estate pressure that, on several occasions, has already tried to remove residents from that space overlooking the Bay of Todos -os-Santos.
The community is next to one of the oldest churches in Salvador, Nossa Senhora da Vitória. On the way to the village, in addition to checking out the church’s sacred art works, it’s worth making a stop at the Palacete das Artes, in the Graça district. French Auguste Rodin.
At the entrance to Vila Brandão, there is a viewpoint from where it is possible to see the Baía de Todos-os-Santos and the Island of Itaparica. On the way down to the community, a chapel at the bottom of the landscape, on top of a hill, draws attention: it is the Cemitério dos Ingleses.
Who welcomes leaf are pedagogue Cláudia Santos, 54, and receptionist Vanda Araújo, 40, whose family is in the fourth generation of local residents. Both are part of the Vila Brandão Residents’ Association.
“One of the first residents here was my grandfather. They’ve already tried to get us out of here, but we’re here to stay,” said Vanda. “For a long time, I lived here near the village, but I didn’t know about its existence until I moved here. It’s a very peaceful and pleasant place to live”, amended the pedagogue.
Bathing in the sea on a beach with a stone bottom, boat rides and regional food are the main attractions of the community of 60 families. Even if there were no signage at Cantinho da Jô and Point da Vila, the lost visitor would be hooked by the sense of smell: traditional Bahian dish, the moquecas are the flagship of the two restaurants. Port of Barra.
Without Carnival, São Paulo invites tourists to its parks and viewpoints
For the second year in a row, the streets of the capital of São Paulo will not receive the color of the Carnival blocks. How about taking the opportunity to explore São Paulo during the four days of the holiday?
Sampa Sky, Beco do Batman or Parque Jardim Prainha. THE leaf has separated options for those who enjoy nature, a stroll through the streets or a walk to enjoy São Paulo from the top of the city’s belvederes and highest peaks.
Nature in the stony jungle
Despite being urbanized, the city reserves wooded places to hear the birds singing and have a picnic on the lawn. The newest of them is Parque Augusta at the intersection of Rua Augusta and Caio Prado, open from 5 am to 9 pm during Carnival. The area offers spaces for walking, walking with the pet and a playground for children.
In that region are also: Trianon Park, Prefeito Mario Covas Park, Amadeu Amaral Square, Amadeu Cordeiro de Farias Square and Alexandre de Gusmão Square.
Prainha Garden Park
On Rua Mafrense, in Grajaú, Parque Jardim Prainha is an option for those who live in the South Zone. Located near the Guarapiranga Reservoir and Billings, it is grassy and offers trails and exercise equipment.
R. Mafranz, 100, Grajaú. Daily from 7 am to 6 pm.
Ibirapuera park
With a multitude of places, Ibirapuera Park is cool to walk around on holiday and there is always something to be explored. Fonte no Lago, Praça da Paz, Praça do Porquinho, Bosque da Leitura, Praça Burle Marx and also Parque dos Cachorros are some of them.
Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, Vila Mariana. Daily from 5 am to 11 pm.
Sunset Square
And the sunset? Praça Coronel Custódio Fernandes Pinheiros, in Alto de Pinheiros, is great for gathering friends and watching the summer fall. Thirty minutes from the Vila Madalena and Faria Lima subway, the well-known Praça do Pôr do Sol was gridded last year and, therefore, is open from 6 am to 8 pm.
Cell Square. Custodio Fernandes Pinheiro, 334, Alto de Pinheiros. Daily from 6 am to 8 pm.
street rolls
Walking through the streets is another tour that has gained supporters. The alleys of Gonçalo Afonso and Medeiros de Albuquerque, in Vila Madalena, for example, known as Batman’s Alley, can yield good photos of the graffitied walls. A kind of open-air gallery, it houses urban art by graffiti artists such as Binho Ribeiro, Kobra, NOVE and Rafael Sliks. Another spot with the same objective is Beco do Hulk, in Gildo Lao alley, in Ermelino Matarazzo, East Zone, with more than 40 graffiti.
worm
Opened in 1971 to relieve traffic in the center of São Paulo, the Elevado Presidente João Goulart, known as Minhocão, was transformed into a “beach for the people of São Paulo” during the pandemic. Groups of friends, families, cyclists and skaters enjoy the closed street on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
High President João Goulart. Sat., Sun. and holidays: 7am to 10pm.
Roosevelt Square
Close to Minhocão, at the junction of Consolação and Augusta streets, Franklin Roosevelt Square is frequented mainly by skaters. In addition to trees and plant beds, it has an exclusive space for the tribe. With smooth floors, handrails, ramps, Skate Plaza is an amusement park.
Franklin Roosevelt Square, s/nº, Bela Vista. Daily, 24 hours.
Antiques Fairs
Antique shops and thrift stores in the open, the antique fairs spread throughout the neighborhoods of the capital of São Paulo are for those who like to prospect. Three of the main options are Feira do Bixiga, Benedito Calixto and Praça da República. In addition to buying jewelry, furniture and vinyl records, the public can enjoy street food. In Bixiga, there is also the traditional roda de choro.
Bixiga Fair – Dom Orione Square, Bela Vista. Sun.: 9 am to 5 pm.
Republic Square Fair. Sun.: 9 am to 5 pm.
Benedito Calixto Fair – Benedito Calixto Square, Pinheiros. Sat.: 9 am to 5 pm.
Funcast no SP Market
Funcast is located at SP Market and is an interactive exhibition. Inspired by events in Los Angeles, its theme, “Promote your selfie”, provides sensory experiences and the possibility to produce photos and content on social networks.
Av. of the United Nations, 22,540, Jurubatuba. Mon to Fri: 10am to 10pm. Sun and holidays: 12pm to 8pm. Admission is free and the visit must be scheduled in the SP Market app.
Selling SP from above
Sesc Paulista viewpoint
In addition to a stroll along Avenida Paulista, how about seeing it from above? On the 17th floor of the Sesc Paulista unit, the neighborhoods from Paraíso to Consolação are tiny. Admission is free, but due to Covid-19 protocols, tickets must be purchased on Fridays, from 12 pm, via the Credencial Sesc SP app or through the Sesc Portal. Proof of Covid-19 vaccination is required, from 12 years old.
Avenida Paulista, 119, Bela Vista. Tue to Fri: 10am to 9.30pm. Sat., Sun. and holidays: 10 am to 6:30 pm.
Sampa Sky
If you want to see the center of São Paulo with a 180º panoramic view, you can press 42º in the Mirante do Vale elevator. Sampa Sky is 170 meters high. In a structure of transparent glass from the walls to the floor, the view is of the South Zone and the entire Center.
Pedro Lessa Square, 110, Center. Tue to Fri: 11 am to 6:30 pm. Sat. 9 am to 6:30 pm. Sun.: 9 am to 4 pm. Admission: from R$40 to R$100.
Jaraguá peak
How about enjoying the holiday and connecting with the silence of nature and climbing the highest peak in the capital? To the west of the Cantareira mountain range, the Pico do Jaraguá trail is uphill, 1,135 meters high and 242 steps up. From up there, you can see part of Osasco, the beginning of Serra do Mar and the Anhanguera, Bandeirantes and Rodoanel highways.
Jaraguá State Park – R. Antônio Cardoso Nogueira, 539, Vila Chica Luiza. Tue to Sun: 7am to 5pm.
