Cotia

Cotia is a city with a population of some 200,000 spread over an area of 323.891km². It contains a great number of stores, restaurants, big and small shopping centers, which attracts new residents that settle mostly in the wealthy region of Granja Viana.

By bus

There are daily interurban buses that can be taken at the district of Pinheiros, in São Paulo.

By car

Cotia is crossed by the Rodovia Raposo Tavares (SP-270), which serves as its major road and connection with São Paulo. It is also possible to reach it via the Castello Branco and Regis Bittencourt highways, but you will have to take the Rodoanel and eventually reach Raposo Tavares anyway. Raposo Tavares is constantly congested during rush hour, so it's always best to avoid it during the periods.

As mentioned above, Rodovia Raposo Tavares is the main road crossing the street and it is well-served by a number of lines, but they may be crowded and/or stuck in traffic constantly.
The city center can be covered with a walk. The districts of Granja Viana and Caucaia do Alto are more sparsely populated and may need a car ride for a complete visit. Bus lines there are not so plenty, and most of them are interurban, which means higher prices.

Granja Viana

The district of Granja Viana (sometimes spelled Granja Vianna) is one of the three districts that make up the municipality of Cotia and the first one if you come from São Paulo via Raposo Tavares highway. The district is filled with middle/upper class condos and has a number of restaurants, shopping centers, parks and other features worth visiting.
Granja Viana was once formed by a small number of big farms. The owners of such properties decided to divide them into smaller lots and sell them, giving way to the many houses that now exist there. In the last decades, many people from São Paulo saw Granja Viana as a refuge from the city's pollution, violence and traffic jam. Nowadays, because too many people moved, the same problems from São Paulo now exist in Granja Viana, as well, though with smaller intensity.

• Centro Cultural Wurth

  phone: +55 11 4613-1894
  address: Rua Adolf Wurth, 557
  A cultural and business center with a theater, a lounge and rooms for meetings, exhibitions and happy hours. There are also some apartments.

• Parque Cemucam

  phone: +55 11 4702-2126
  address: Rua Mesopotâmia, s/nº
  The park actually belongs to the city of São Paulo. It's equipped with jogging and BMX tracks, barbecue grills, courts and fields and large open fields. There are many security guards patrolling the area, so it's a rather safe place.

• Parque Teresa Maia

  phone: +55 11 4702-3964
  address: Rua Santarém, 13, Parque São George
  A small park with playground, an open air gym for the elderly, a lake with ducks and fish and a small forest with trails. It hosts weekly on Sundays the Ecofeira (lit. Ecofair), with organic food and handicraft by local producers.

• Templo Budista Zu Lai

  phone: +55 11 4612 2895
  address: Estrada Fernando Nobre, 1461
  Perhaps the most famous touristic spot in Cotia, it is one of the largest Buddhist temples in Latin America, built in the middle of a large, beautiful and well-preserved garden.

• Paróquia Santo Antônio

  phone: +55 11 4702 2295
  address: Rua Santo Antônio, 486

• Templo Odsal Linkg

  phone: +55 11 4703 4099
  address: Rua dos Agrimensores, 1461
  A Tibetan Buddhist temple, not as big as Zu Lai, but equally worth a visit.

• Orquidário Mucuripe

  phone: +55 11 4703 3866
  address: Rua Manoel Lajes do Chão, 2293
  An orchidarium with leisure for the family.

• Orquidário Maylasky

  phone: +55 11 4714 4191
  address: Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 55
  An orchidarium with orchids direct from the produce.

• Cia dos Bichos

  address: Estrada do Capuava, 2990
  A mini farm.

Centro

Downtown Cotia is located between Granja Viana and Caucaia do Alto, starting at km 29 of Raposo Tavares Highway and ending at the km 40, at the border with Vargem Grande Paulista.

• Praça Japonesa, Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 31. A Japanese-inspired square built in honor of the Japanese immigrants that developed rural techniques in the region.

• Convento Carmelo

  phone: +55 11 5703 2000
  address: Avenida Professor Joaquim Barreto, 162
  Religious order of cloistered carmelite, since 1942 in Cotia.

• Igreja Matriz

  phone: +55 11 4148 1969, +55 11 4703 2180
  address: Rua Senador Feijó, 12
  Like many Brazilian cities, Cotia grew around its Igreja Matriz. However, the first church of Cotia was built in 1648 at the Caiapiá neighborhood, and transferred to where it is today in 1713.

Caucaia do Alto

Caucaia do Alto is the last district of Cotia for those coming via the Raposo Tavares highway, but it is not located near the road: one must leave the highway before Vargem Grande Paulista and take the secondary roads leading to the region. It is also the largest, particularly due to the presence of the Reserva do Morro Grande, a large preserved area of Atlantic Forest.

• Bichomania

  address: Estrada dos Pires, 1933
  A farm with many animals and side attractions such as an organic garden, a mini-zoo and a playground.

• Parque de Estudos e Reflexão Caucaia

  address: Rua Katojo Sogabe, 195
  A park and local establishment of a world network of similar parks.

• Sítio do ManduA Bandeirantes house build around the 16th century, with traces of floor, two porches, a separated chapel and common room.

• Sítio do Padre Inácio

  address: Estrada do Padre Inácio, no number
  Built around the 17th century, this house is a well-preserved mansion featuring remarkable decoration.

• Paróquia Nossa Senhora Conceição

  phone: +55 11 4611 5732
  address: Rua José M. de Oliveira, s/n

• Fazendinha Nose

  phone: +55 11 4611 1145
  address: Rua Joaquim Pires Júnio, 499
  A mini farm with zip-line, ecological trail, restaurant, playground and farm animals. Groups can book visits via e-mail.

• Pet Zoo

  phone: +55 11 4158 1664, +55 11 4158 4473
  address: Estrada de Caucaia, 4101
  A 15,000m² mini farm with restaurant and souvenir store.

• Shopping Granja Viana

  phone: +55 11 4613-9000
  address: SP-270 (Raposo Tavares), km 23
  Medium-size shopping mall with 160 stores, food court, and 5-screen movie theater.

• The Square Open Mall

  phone: +55 11 2898 9595
  address: Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 22
  A medium-sized shopping with a European concept. Its got wide, open corridors, allowing for fresh winds. There is a cinema, a number of restaurants and many stores. The buildings located just above it contain small offices.

• Benditos

  phone: +55 11 4614-5419
  address: Avenida Professor Manuel José Pedroso, 353
  Salads, grilled food, pasta, risottos.

• Rei da Esfiha

  phone: +55 11 4612-8201, +55 11 4614-1222
  address: Rua Senador Feijó, 352
  Sfihas, pizzas, sandwiches, portions

• Chicken Pizza

  phone: +55 11 4148-3742, +55 11 4148-3326
  address: Avenida Antonio Martins de Camargo, 81
  Fried chicken, pizza and sandwiches.

• Restaurante da Feijoada Plínio

  phone: +55 11 4158-3042
  address: Rua São Paulo das Missões, 409
  Feijoadas.

• Caravelas Restaurante e Pizzaria

  phone: +55 11 4148-8594, +55 11 4614-1941
  address: Avenida Professor Manuel José Pedroso, 409

• Batata Schöne

  phone: +55 11 4616-1013
  address: Avenida Antônio Mathias de Camargo, 512, inside Shopping Pátio cotia

• Espetinhos Cipó

  phone: +55 11 4551-8269
  address: Rua Pinhal, 178, Jardim Sabiá
  A store with "espetinhos", rotisseries of meat, chicken, pork or vegan.

• A Quinta do Bacalhau

  phone: +55 11 4616-5481
  address: Estrada de Caucaia, 1597
  Portuguese cuisine.

• Don Camillo

  phone: +55 11 4702-3535
  address: Avenida São Camilo, 580
  A pasta restaurant that works with the "rodízio" system, which means the waiters keep offering dishes to costumers on their tables and they take what they want.

• Empório Granelli

  phone: +55 11 4617-3295
  address: Rua José Félix de Oliveira, 991, Loja 7
  A store with food, spices, candies and pickles.

• Rancho do Sassá

  phone: +55 11 4612-8433
  address: Estrada Fernando Nobre, 970
  Churrascaria and pizzeria.

• Il Nuovo Battuto

  phone: +55 11 4702-0347
  address: Rua José Félix de Oliveira, 957
  Pasta restaurant.

• Peter's Bar

  phone: +55 11 4612-5300
  address: Rua José Menino, 1361
  Brazilian and German cuisine.

• Tantra

  phone: +55 11 4702-6883, +55 11 4702-6923
  address: Avenida São Camilo, 988
  Asian cuisine with free attractions such as exotic dancers, circus and tarot.

• Mocaires Restobar

  phone: +55 11 2690-3777, +55 11 2690-4777
  address: Rua José Félix de Oliveira, 991, Patio Viana
  Typical Argentinian restaurant.

• Taki Sushi

  phone: +55 11 4777-9893
  address: Rua dos Manacás, 557
  Japanese restaurant working under a "rodízio" system. The waiter will offer you many options, you pick the ones you want and he keeps bringing them. You can ask for more or order something you initially declined as much as you want paying only once.

• Ser-Afim

  phone: +55 11 4702-0789
  address: Avenida São Camilo, 288
  Vegan restaurant. The name is a play on "ser afim", a slang that means "to want" in Portuguese, and "Serafim", Portuguese for "Seraph".

• João do Grão

  phone: +55 11 4612-6366
  address: Avenida São Camilo, 288
  Vegan pizzeria with a "rodízio" system. Waiters keep going from table to table offering different kinds of pizza, and you can have as many slices as you want. One can also order a single pizza and pay for it separately.

• Emilia

  phone: +55 11 4703-0777
  address: Avenida Professor Manoel José Pedroso, 1760

• Restaurante Três Corações

  phone: +55 11 4243-8156
  address: Rua 10 de Janeiro, 184
  Typical Brazilian cuisine. Feijoada every Wednesday and Saturday. Delivery,.

• Good Chicken

  phone: +55 11 4703-4605, +55 11 4148-3910
  address: Avenida Professor José Barreto, 907
  Fried chicken and pizza.

• Restaurante Planeta

  address: Avenida Inocêncio Pires de Oliveira, 139
  Open from Monday to Saturday, with Feijoada every Wednesday and Saturday.

• Pesk & Pag Maravilha

  phone: +55 11 4243 7375, +55 11 4243 7562
  address: Avenida Benedito Isaac Pires, 1
  A "pesque e pague" (lit. "Fish and Pay"). It is a place where you can fish alone or in groups and then hand your fish for someone to prepare it.This one has two lakes and a party room for rent.

• Pesqueiro Tijuco Preto

  phone: +55 11 4611 4576
  address: Estrada de Caucaia do alto, 3993
  A "pesque e pague" (lit. "Fish and Pay"). It is a place where you can fish alone or in groups and then hand your fish for someone to prepare it.This one has a restaurant.

• Restaurante Granjinha

  phone: +55 11 4612 2262
  address: Estrada Fernando Nobre, 819
  Restaurant and bar. Offers self-service and menu lunch everyday. Happy Hours from Wednesdays to Saturdays with fried pizza, steaks and other types of typical Brazilian bar food. Feijoada every Saturday. Live music from Thursdays to Saturdays.

• Rancho Caipira

  phone: +55 11 4703 6209
  address: Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 39,1
  Restaurant with typical Brazilian countryside food. Party space for birthdays, year-end companies parties, etc.

• Atobá Pizza & Bar

  phone: +55 11 4148 2000, +55 11 7644 5938
  address: Rodovia Raposo Tavares, km 39

• Estação Caucaia Bar e Restaurante

  phone: +55 11 4243 2222, +55 11 99942 3990
  address: Estrada de Caucaia do Alto, 2040

• Graciosa

  phone: +55 11 4611 0078
  address: Rodovia Bunjiro Nakao, km 49,5
  Lamb meat and special meat. Lunch everyday. It's got a room for parties.

• Hotel Granja Vianna

  phone: +55 11 4551-0933, +55 11 99880-0603, +55 11 70109-6509
  address: Rua Paulo Jacinto, 30
  Rooms equipped with air conditioning units, LCD TV, mini-bar, Wi-Fi. Hotel equipped with parking lot.

• Araucária Park Hotel

  phone: +55 11 4158 3960
  address: Estrada de Caucaia do Alto, 4003

• Hotel Cuca Fresca

  phone: +55 11 4703 3241, +55 11 4703 4735
  address: Avenida Antonio Mathias de Camargo, 168
  Rooms equipped with air conditioning units, cable TV, mini-bar, central heating, Wi-Fi.

• Hotel Cotia

  phone: +55 11 4703 4461
  address: Avenida Antonio Mathias de Camargo, 575
  Rooms equipped with TV and Wi-Fi; parking lot and breakfast.

• Eduardo's Park Hotel

  phone: +55 11 4158 3577
  address: Estrada de Caucaia, km 4
  Hotel equipped with tennis court, multisports pitch, footbal field, games room, kids space, 2 swimming pools (1 for children; 1 semi-olympic), piano bar with fireplace, restaurant, 4 conference rooms, 24h gate with security team and CCTV.

• Public telephone booths can be found on some streets of Cotia. They work with phonecards only, which can be bought at any newspaper stand. Regular phonecards allow you to make local and national calls, but the credits fall at an incredible rate if the call is directed to another city or to mobile phones. There is a special phonecard for international calls, so make sure you ask the clerk for the correct one if that's the case.
• The city code, as well as the vast majority of cities near São Paulo, is (11), hence local telephone numbers have the following format: +55(11)0000-0000. If you are making local calls, the +55(11) prefix should be dropped.
• When making national calls from SP, you have the option to choose your telephone provider: dial 0 followed by (15) Telefónica, (23) Intelig or (21) Embratel, plus the two-digit DDD code and telephone number.
• When making international calls from São Paulo to abroad, you also have the option to choose your telephone provider: dial 00 followed by (15) Telefónica, (23) Intelig or (21) Embratel, plus the country code and telephone number.
• To make reverse charge calls within the same city code area, dial 90 90 + the telephone number (do not use the city code (11)).
• To make reverse charge calls to other cities, dial 90 followed by (15) Telefónica, (23) Intelig or (21) Embratel, plus the 2-digit DDD code and the telephone number.
• When calling a cellphone number within the 11 code area, be sure to add a 9 digit before the number if the number you are dialing has only eight digits. Since 2012, all cellphones within that area have been added a "9" as their first digit, so that a whole new gamma of possible numbers is created

From Cotia, taking the Raposo Tavares highway (SP-270), it is possible to reach the nearby cities of Jandira, Itapevi, Vargem Grande Paulista and São Roque.