Not all of our time in São Paulo was spent stuffing our faces with giant burgers and other nostalgic food and drink. On Sunday, the rain let up, allowing us to take to the streets and explore.The weather was still overcast and a bit chilly, but the day was so full of color that I barely noticed. After our brunch in Jardins, we decided to take the dog for a walk around the quirky neighborhood of Vila Madalena.
Exploring Sao Paulo’s Colorful Vila Madalena Neighborhood
People often compare São Paulo to New York City, due to its vastness. I’ve heard the neighborhood of Jardins compared to NYC’s Upper East Side, and Vila Madalena compared to the Village. But as we were walking through the hilly, art-covered streets I got more of a San Francisco vibe than anything.
There’s an air of creativity about the area, from the abundant art galleries to the ample street art to the restaurants and people themselves.
Street Art Paradise in Batman’s Alley
One of the most visited places in Vila Madalena is Beco do Batman, or Batman’s alley. This outdoor art gallery is a bit like stepping inside a kaleidoscope. We were there fairly early and therefore the crowds were pretty light.
I would love to return someday with a guide to get more information about the artwork and the artists, but even without any background it’s a fascinating walk.
Afterward, we continued walking around until we stumbled upon a small street fair that we had to stop and investigate.
There was a three-piece jazz band, drink vendors and an array of food options including fried porchetta sandwiches, chicken curry and macarons. We opted for a glass of Brazilian wine and a sit to listen to the music.
Multi-Cultural Cuisine in Villa Madalena
Eventually, we needed to warm up and found our way to Tanger, a cozy Moroccan restaurant nearby. Tom and I shared a warming plate lamb tagine before heading back to Bauru.
Tanger is an excellent restaurant with great service and a family atmosphere. Vila Madalena was the perfect neighborhood for a leisurely Sunday afternoon with no real plans. Sundays in Brazil are usually pretty slow-paced. If you’re looking to avoid crowds, it’s a great day to go. We noticed that many of the bustling places we’d driven past on Saturday were closed on Sunday. But there were still many options available to grab a bite, a coffee or a drink.
For more information about Vila Madalena’s street art, I found this article and this blog post very interesting.
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Colorful is an understatement. It looks like some of the posters I remember from the 60’s!
Great pictures!!
I just love the street art all over! I feel like it would constantly inspire me to be creative. Also I love that little family pic selfie. Obvi.
LOVE all the colors! So beautiful. There’s a neighborhood in Miami that’s very similar and I used to love going there, picking up a cup of coffee, and just walking around. Such talent!
That sounds amazing! I really need to get back to Miami one of these days!
Great street art work. super cool pictures! I am sure this need a lot of talent.
Thank you! The talent that the artists have not only to create such breathtaking pieces, but to do so quickly, amazes me every time.
Gorgeous shots! Thanks for sharing these 🙂
I am now obsessed with this place! I’m such a huge fan of street art so Villa Madalena looks like so much fun. And the fact that there are vegetarian restaurants is an added bonus 🙂
Thank you Justine! When I first moved to Brazil I thought it would be the worst place for a vegetarian to live, but as the months have gone on I’ve realized there are some great places to be meat free. I still think it would be rough in some of the smaller towns though.
Absolutely gorgeous photos! They remind me of my visit to Rocinha in Rio de Janeiro. The favelas there are covered in beautiful graffiti art. However, these murals in Batman’s Alley are way better. Thanks for sharing!
It was such a cool place, I think the murals change often and the vibe of the surrounding area was so unique. So much creativity.