Parque do Ibirapuera

Ibirapuera Park is one of my favorite places on this planet, it is captivating, charming, often bucolic, and most of all it is heavenly. For me it represents the many cycles and circles of life. We would go here when we were younger and explore the ponds, streams, and the many areas off the beaten path. We purposely lived in Paraiso when we were in São Paulo just to be close to Ibirapuera so we could visit at least once a day to read, exercise, unwind, and continue exploring as much of the park as we could. It made a marked difference in our quality of life.

Soon after it became our children's first playground, the most unique backyard where they could explore the monuments, museums, see the wildlife, different areas of water, animals, trees, flowers, and plants. It was quite the contrast for them, to be in one of the most populated cities in the world yet have a place to escape to where they could be in lush nature. The Goddess statue was one of their favorite things in the park, playful, beautiful, and a place the kids gravitated to often. We experienced part of the circle of life here, have watched countless people of all ages experience joy in the park, and we hope one day to be living in São Paulo again so we could be at the end of our lives continuing to explore the wonders of Ibirapuera.

Truly one of my favorite places I visited when I was in São Paulo. I arrived on an Itaú bike from Avenida Paulista with a tour guide. We rode along the streets which I would have never tried to do alone mainly because I wouldn't have known my way around without using my phone - all I had to do was follow my guide. It was mostly down hill.

Once at the park, we rode around to see various areas - the bridge that overlooks one of the ponds. The water is murky, but you can see black and orange fish swimming below. There are plenty of areas in the park to sit and relax. I saw benches made of fallen tree trunks, an area of food trucks, a cafe where you can dine outdoors, drink / snack stands, and regular benches along the many paths.

It was very sunny the day I was there, but there were a lot of places that contained shade for pulling over to rest. There are public restrooms near the cafe and vending machines. I saw a trio of women who were walking a bunch of dogs (definitely over 20 I think... maybe 30?). That was fun to see because cachorros e cachorras são fofo muitos.

There is the Museu Afro Brasil, Oca (art museum), a planetarium, and many monuments located inside Parque do Ibirapuera. I did not have the chance to go inside any of them, but I did see some monuments when I would ride along paths.

The bike / running paths run along the outer perimeter. The larger side of the path are for those who walk or have strollers. Be mindful when passing people and if you have to take a break and stop to pull to the side. Lots of people were there, but it wasn't overcrowded. People come here to exercise, walk dogs, chat with friends and family, relax by the grass, take pictures, bike, rollerblade, etc.

Bringing a journal or book is what I wish I had done when I was here... and a blanket to sit on the grass. There are bike rentals at one of the main entrances I saw - so if you don't have an Itaú bike, there will be park ones you can rent from. Itaú bike stations are also not far from the park! The station my guide had shown me at the end of our tour was later filled up by the time I was ready to leave so I had to use my phone to try to locate other stations nearby. It did take me kind of a while to figure out how to get out of the park even though I had been riding along the same paths back and forth trying to prevent the very thing of getting lost, LOL. I was able to locate my backup bike docking station - a couple blocks away from the smaller park gate I exited from. I did have to cross a busy street and bike along a narrow sidewalk, but it wasn't dangerous.

I enjoyed açaí and the beautiful sun and being outdoors. There is an area where there are curved bamboo trees - they're tall and create this really pretty background for a picture. I could have spent all day here (I stuck around a couple hours after my tour had ended). I had planned on making a return trip before my trip ended, but plans shifted. You can bet I'll be back here next time I'm in SP though! It kind of reminded me of smaller Central Park (NYC). I would suggest bringing sun protection (lotion, hat, umbrella, sunglasses, etc.) The park also has multiple entrances/exits so if you're taking Uber make sure you're marking the correct locations.

Ibirapuera Park was definitely one of my favorite places I visited in all of Sao Paulo. It is in the middle of the city and is like their version of Central Park. Apparently, it is the most visited park in South America, and with good reason. There is so much to see and do there.

Spread out throughout the park are a lot of monuments and sculptures. These include the massive Monument to the Bandeiras, the Obelisk, and the Pedro Alvares Cabral Monument. During your visit, make sure to find all of these and they are very large and beautiful works of art.

Many museums are also found in the park. There is the Afro Brasil Museum, the Oca, the Planetarium, and a Japanese garden. You can literally spend the whole day wandering around the park. Even if you do not visit any of the museums, it's a great place to have a leisurely walk.

There is so much to do at this park, I really enjoyed walking around it. If you are in São Paulo, this is a must visit.

Once we arrived in Brazil, the first stop on our trip was Sao Paulo. We stayed at an Airbnb in Jardins Paulista which was within walking distance from Parque do Ibirapuera. Sampa's most famous urban parks was one of the first places we checked out. Beyond nature, there are museums, auditoriums, statues, and more.

We walked around a bit and enjoyed the foliage and the lake surrounding the park. There was a little festival going on outside of the Afro Museum with music and street vendors. We checked that out for a bit and then grabbed a churro with Nutella (can't say no to that) from another street vendor. Good spot to take a stroll and enjoy some cultural attractions.

LOVE THIS PARK! A-Lot of activities to do and it felt safe. There's food, futbol, and lots of space to do what you want.

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of São Paulo, this place offers a lot of greenery and open room to explore. From exercise equipment to trails, art and skateboard areas there is plenty to do in Ibirapuera Park and at least two hours should be allotted to see it all. Fans of art will also find Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo on the Park's grounds.

Ibirapuera isn't referred to as one of the best urban parks in the world for no reason. In the heart of a city of 20 million lies a beautiful tranquil respite from the surrounding madness. Like NYC Central Park but cleaner, it's large enough that it never feels crowded despite being maybe the most popular destination in SP for locals and tourists alike. In addition to loads of trails, ponds, streams, and playgrounds there is also a concert hall, museum, and loads of street vendors selling delicious food. An absolute must-see for anyone visiting Sao Paulo.

In human terms, city streets are the arteries and veins. City parks though? They're the heart. In a city of almost incomprehensible size, where finding the "there" can be elusive amidst the concrete density, Ibirapuera Park is a breath of fresh air and the heart of the city. It's no surprise that Paulistas (as locals are known) flock here each weekend as it's seemingly the only place to feel you've escaped São Paulo without actually doing so.

On a weekend in December - early in Brazil's summertime - the park was full without feeling so. The park is frequently compared to NYC's Central Park and serves the same purpose even though it could fit inside with almost enough room for a second Ibirapuera Park. The park is also completely flat with a well-paved path making for a perfect and easy walk, bike ride, roller-blade, or jogging path. (Bikes are available for rental at various points). It would be easy to navigate a wheelchair on such a path.

My son and I walked from the Hotel InterContinental (a good, long walk) to the park and spent the better part of a day here, first in Museu Afro Brasil then just trodding the pathways and observing the Sampa life. As we sat and watched a pick-up soccer game being played on a concrete court, he remarked that Buenos Aires had no such places for outdoor, group sporting activities; in this park, the opportunities are numerous (soccer, basketball, volleyball).

We passed a big, interesting looking playground area for children, lakes, fountains, more museums, and some extensive lawn areas barely occupied by anyone. We wandered. We saw a million little rolling food and drink kiosks, all selling exactly the same junk food (who knew purple Fanta was so popular?). We also saw about 1 million policemen patrolling the park on bicycle leading me to feel that this park is extremely safe in the daytime and that the Brazilians in charge intend to keep it so.

Even in a park full of people Park Ibirapuera never felt crowded. In fact, it felt quite the opposite. It's a great escape from the city without actually escaping.

Nice open space for walking, biking, skating or skateboarding! Plenty of shade, benches, bathrooms, food stand, grassy open spaces, playgrounds and walkways. There's a bike rental at gate 4 and the buses stop across the street (cross with the pedestrian bridge).
We checked out the MAM and there's some new exhibits outside the African culture museum that start Saturday (March 28). The Japanese pavilion was closed on Friday but looks nice from the outside.
Apparently there's porcupines and bats at dawn and dusk. I didn't see anything but geese and birds in the afternoon but micos and monkeys are supposedly around too.
Definitely a great place to hang out with friends.