I believe when most of people think of Brazil the first thing that comes to their minds is Carnival, Rio de Janeiro and caipirinhas… Maybe some will be afraid of going to Brazil after watching movies such as City of God or Elite Squad which are great movies but show the violent side of Brazil.

I am Brazilian and I can guarantee that Brazil is not only Carnival or it is a dangerous place where tourists should not go. Traveling the world house sitting and pet sitting has been the way I’ve found to discover the world staying in beautiful locations without having to pay for accommodation.

This year was the time to house sit for the first time in my hometown São Paulo. After living abroad for many years I have learned to love this city. I will try to share in this blog post some of my favorite places in the city and I will tell more about my recent international house sitting and dog sitting experience in São Paulo.

I used the website Trusted House Sitters to find my house and pet sitting in São Paulo. Check my other blog post on How to become an international house sitter and pet sitter and and travel the world for free!

Traveling during Covid times to Brazil

Traveling from Barcelona, Spain to São Paulo, Brazil was definitely a totally different experience. Less people traveling, constant use of alcohol gel to sanitize my hands and also a negative Covid test is required from travelers travel to most countries including Brazil. A new reality we need to face now traveling abroad.

Part of my house sitting trip to São Paulo was to spend some time with my family and the other part house sitting and dog sitting Pirata (the dog). I stayed in Pinheiros, one of the nicest areas in São Paulo which is the largest city in Latin America with almost 12 million people.

São Paulo is the business center of Brazil, multicultural city, a city full of buildings, traffic, cultural activities, restaurants and people from all over the Brazil and the world. It is a different vibe from Rio, people work hard in São Paulo to make money. Definitely worth a visit if you want to see a busy metropolis and vibrant city in South America.

What I noticed here is that restrictions due to Covid are less strict in Brazil however most of the people are respecting and using face masks, avoiding crowded places.

One of the best things for me to go back to Brazil during summer or winter in Europe was to have sunshine and warm temperature almost every day! Average 30C! And my favorite delicious variety of fruits, fresh and tasty everywhere!

I am more than happy to stay away from the winter in Europe and away from tough Covid restrictions in Europe.

International House sitting and dog sitting in São Paulo

If you are looking for a nice area to stay in São Paulo I would recommend staying around the neighborhoods of Pinheiros, Vila Madalena or Jardins, close to Avenida Paulista the main business area in São Paulo. It is safe central and almost walking distance to many nice areas of the city or an easy commute with metro.

Pinheiros is close to the metro station Fradique Coutinho and walking distance to the main tourist attractions in São Paulo. During my house sitting experience in São Paulo I stayed in a nice comfortable apartment in Pinheiros taking care of 1 happy puppy called Pirata overlooking the city.

The apartment was comfortable, clean and excellent location. I had a maid coming everyday from Monday to Friday, a swimming pool, garage and a person to park the car!

Dog sitting Pirata

Dog sitting Pirata was easy and fun! She is a pretty happy dog and walking her around the city with her was a fun experience. Every corner she would meet other dogs to play around with and I would get stopped a lot on the streets because people just wanted to pet her or they would tell me how pretty she was! I got lots of compliments to her!

Walking around the neighborhoods of São Paulo with Pirata in Pinheiros, Jardins, Paulista and Vila Madalena where there are lots of good restaurants, bars, cafes, stores was a way to know different areas of São Paulo and discover new locations. I definitely recommend exploring those neighborhoods just walking around and getting lost! It is safe and I never felt unsecured walking around by myself.

Places I recommend to visit in São Paulo:

Some places and neighborhoods I recommend visiting in São Paulo:

1. Mercado Municipal (city center): big market with lots of fruits, good brazilian food
2. Neighborhood (or Bairros): Pinheiros, Vila Madalena, Jardins where you can find lots of good restaurants, bars, cafes, stores. It is busy and lively and safe to walk around.
3. Avenida Paulista: main business street in São Paulo and streets around
4. Rua Oscar Freire and streets around: it is busy area with nice brazilian shops, fancy international brands are also there. There are also nice restaurants, cafes and bars around.
5. Shopping Malls: this is the beach of São Paulo where you can go have a meal, coffee, people watching and shopping. I recommend Shopping Morumbi.
6. Beach Coast of São Paulo: you can find nice beaches 1-3 hours away from the city like Ubatuba, Ilhabela, São Sebastião