Vila Madalena & Street Art

★★★ Vila Madalena — The Creative Heart

Vila Madalena is São Paulo's hippest, most creative, and liveliest district — a labyrinth of colorful streets full of galleries, boutiques, craft beer bars, vegan restaurants, and record stores. During the day, it's a paradise for street art fans, and in the evening, it explodes with bars and live music.

★★★ Beco do Batman (Batman Alley)

The most famous graffiti alley in Brazil — and perhaps the world. Every square inch of the walls, stairs, and doors is covered with colorful murals. The works change constantly, as artists regularly paint over them with new motifs. What began as an illegal graffiti action is now a pilgrimage site for street art fans from around the world.

Around it: The Rua Gonçalo Afonso and the Rua Medeiros de Albuquerque are also full of murals. Plan 1–2 hours for photographing and browsing the surrounding galleries and boutiques.

São Paulo's Street Art Scene

São Paulo is considered the world capital of street art. The city has one of the most vibrant and innovative graffiti scenes in the world — from the "Pixação" tags (the Brazilian form of tagging, with geometric script on skyscrapers) to monumental murals by artists like Eduardo Kobra (his giant colorful portraits can be found worldwide), Os Gêmeos (the twin brothers with their yellow figures), and Nunca.

Other hotspots: Av. 23 de Maio (endless mural wall along the city highway), Cambuci, and the Museu Aberto (Open-Air Museum in various districts).