The cultural and financial capital of Brazil, as well as its largest city with over 11 million inhabitants, São Paulo is one of the richest cities in Latin America. Fast-paced and chaotic, it may lack the natural beauty of Rio but there's no denying that this cosmopolitan city is bursting with exciting arts, music, fashion and cultural attractions. Here the nightclubs, bars, restaurants and museums are some of the best on the continent, there is fabulous designer shopping to be had, and with concerts, theater and dance performances held on a nightly basis there's no risk of feeling bored. The city's inhabitants, called paulistanos, are known for being hard workers and big spenders.

Some of São Paulo's most famous landmarks include the gothic Metropolitan Sé Cathedral, the Estaiada bridge, the Monumento à Bandeira and the Edifício Martinelli. Avenida Paulista, the financial center, boasts a number of cultural attractions such as the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) and the Instituto Itaú Cultural with its film, dance and theater programs. Other fascinating museums include the Memorial da América Latina, the Museu do Ipiranga, the Instituto Butantã's snake museum and the museums of the Parque Ibirapuera. Regular concerts are hosted at the Teatro Municipal and Fundação Maria Luisa e Oscar Americano and one can get a taste of international flavors in the Italian neighborhood of Bixiga and the Japanese neighborhood of Liberdade.

São Paulo was first founded in 1554 as a Jesuit mission station in the midst of the humid subtropical forests of what is now southeastern Brazil. For centuries it remained a backwoods colonial outpost until 20th century growth sparked a flood of immigration from countries all over the world. To this day the city is Brazil's most ethnically diverse, home to people of 100 different ethnicities, principally people of Italian, Portuguese, African, Arab, Japanese and German descent.

It's no surprise that São Paulo has the most sizable concentration of exclusive hotels in all of Brazil. Given the city's importance as a financial center, most hotels are oriented towards business travelers yet more than satisfy a leisure traveler's desire for luxury and style. Two of the best areas to find a hotel are the Avenida Paulista and the leafy Jardins neighborhood and visitors are advised to book their hotel sometime between April and December when the city's arts and entertainment calendar is at its most vibrant.