FLIGHTS TO SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

Guarulhos International Airport (GRU)

São Paulo, the largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, is also one of the oldest in the Americas. Named after St. Paul the Apostle, it was established by Portugal in 1554 and today, it's an economic powerhouse and home to many corporations. Visitors will enjoy all of the historical, cultural and culinary advantages that a first-class city of São Paulo's stature affords.

Brazil's Melting Pot

It may come as a bit of a surprise that the single largest ethnic group in this diverse Brazilian city founded by Portuguese is Italians. They settled here in huge waves beginning in the 19th century, and currently some 6 million São Paulo residents are of Italian descent. The neighborhood of Mooca is the epicenter of this heritage, and probably has more Italian restaurants, cafés and pizzerias than any other locale in South America. São Paulo also has a prominent Japanese district, known as Liberdade, where you can enjoy authentic Asian food; furthermore, large numbers of Greeks, Germans and Chinese descendants also call the city home and have helped along the multi-cultural air about the city.

The heart of São Paulo beats along the tony Paulista Avenue, the city's main thoroughfare which feels akin to New York's Fifth Avenue or Paris' Champs Elysees. Here, in addition to a non-stop parade of chic boutiques and swank eateries, you'll find the São Paulo Museum of Art, where works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Goya are on display. Nearby, to the northeast toward the city center, site two of São Paulo's most regal landmarks: the glorious Cathedral da Sé, which has become the city's symbol, and the opulent Municipal Theater of São Paulo.