Sao Paulo

The largest city in South America, São Paulo sits on the Piratininga plateau and is surrounded by rivers that fan out into the interior. Almost from its founding in 1554, São Paulo became the gateway to the sertão (Brazil's backcountry), and explorers known as bandeirantes made expeditions from the city into this region. Today's main highways to interior cities still follow the routes of the bandeirantes.

Immigrants from all over the world have always been a part of São Paulo, and you'll still see the influence of Portuguese, Spanish, German, African, Jewish, Arab, and Japanese residents on its life and culture. There is an entire museum devoted to Japanese immigration, for example, and another to the contributions of Africans in Brazil.

Perhaps the most difficult thing to grasp about the city is its sheer size. A good way to get an idea of how far it spreads is from the observation deck of the 46-story Itália Building on Avenida Ipiranga. Many of São Paulo's tourist attractions are widespread, so you'll find the Metro a good way to travel between them.

Discover the best places to visit in this lively metropolis with our list of the top attractions and things to do in Sao Paulo.