Jundiaí

In 1615, the region called by Native Brazilians as "Jundiahi" was settled by bandeirante Rafael de Oliveira. Jundiaí was officially recognized as a village in 1655, and dedicated itself to mining on its early decades of existence, followed soon by a period of economical stagnation. This started to change in 1785 with the boom of agriculture, including fruit cultivation, which is still one of the main characteristics of the region today. With the inauguration of the train station in 1867, Jundiaí started receiving a lot of European immigrants (from Italy, Spain and England) and became a major agricultural exporter.
In the twentieth century, industry in Jundiaí has steadily developed and the city is today one of the most attractive places in the state for industries. Unfortunately, despite the agricultural and industrial prosperity, the somewhat disorganized population growth lead Jundiaí to have rates of social and crime problems which are significantly high for a city of its size.
Most visitors come to Jundiaí to relax in its charming countryside, or to adventure in the Serra do Japi. But as the only large city of the state outside the São Paulo metro area to still have a fully operational passenger train station, urban Jundiaí contains important testimonies of the shining days of rail transport in Brazil. Not by coincidence, Jundiaí is likely to be the first city in the state to have a rapid train service, around 2016.

By car

Jundiaí is easily accessible from either São Paulo (50 minutes) or Campinas (40 minutes) by Rod. Anhanguera (SP-330). From São Paulo, a frequently used alternative is to take Rod. dos Bandeirantes (SP-348), and change to Rod. Anhanguera shortly before arriving in Jundiaí.

By train

Jundiaí is one of the few places outside the São Paulo metro area where it is possible to arrive by train. The CPTM train of Line 7-Ruby, that departs from Luz station in São Paulo, is ridiculously cheap (same price as a regular CPTM/Metrô ticket) but since it is a stop train, it is very slow (takes at least 1:30 hours, plus transfer time at Francisco Morato station which can add a further 20 minutes on occasion). The train can also get overcrowded at peak hours, and you should keep track of where your valuables are if people are brushing up against you. The train itself goes through some rough-ish neighbourhoods but security at every stop do a good job of keeping everything under control. You can see some pretty interesting views from the rail route that you simply don`t get to see from the motorway, such as favelas on the sides of hills and dirt football pitches humming with activity, not to mention the occasional buskers and serenaders wandering up and down the carriage looking for money. The Jundiaí train station is about 1.7 km from the city center proper, and approximately the same distance to Museu da Companhia Paulista.

• Jundiaí railway station

  address: Praça Mauá

By bus

Getting to Jundiaí by bus is a far more comfortable option than the CPTM train. The intercity bus terminal of Jundiaí is Terminal Rodoviário José Alves , located at Av. 9 de Julho, 4000. A local bus or a taxi is necessary to reach the city center from the terminal.

• Buses from São Paulo (departing from the Tietê terminal) are provided byViação Cometa, and cost about R$17.50
• Buses from Campinas are provided by LiraBus or VB Transportes and cost about R$14

Buses from both São Paulo and Campinas are quite frequent and seldom require reservation.

The city center and its attractions can be easily explored on foot. To explore the countryside and the nature around the city, however, you will need an uber lift, share a blablacar ride, or hire one of the tour agencies that operate in the city.

• Companhia Paulista Museum

  phone: +55 11 4522-4727
  address: Av. União dos Ferroviários, 1760
  The imponent construction, although looking centenary, was actually built in 1979 to pay homage to the ferroviary history of the São Paulo state. It contains an extensive amounts of artifacts from the glorious times of rails during the coffee farming era, plus replicas of trains and interiors of train stations

• Catedral da Nossa Senhora do Desterro

  phone: +55 11 4586-0248
  address: Praça Governador Pedro de Toledo, s/n – Centro
  Splendid Neogothic style cathedral that is one of the main postcards of Jundiaí. The exact date of building is unknown, but it was reformed from Baroque to Neogothic style in 1886, and sits in the same place of the original chapel of Jundiaí (from 1651).

• Solar do Barão

  phone: +55 11 4521-6259
  address: R. Barão de Jundiaí, 762 – Centro
  A 1862 mansion that was used by Antônio de Queiróz Telles, a local aristocrat known as the "Jundiaí Baron". Hosts a permanent exposition about the "Jundiaí Baron" and other relevant figures in the history of the city, plus temporary expositions and cultural activities.

• Jundiaí Station

  address: Praça Mauá - Vila Arens e Vila Progresso
  Jundiaí train station, inaugurated in 1867 and operating ever since. Alongside its history, it belonged to four companies: São Paulo Railway, E.F. Santos-Jundiaí, RFFSA and CPTM (its current owner).

• Railroad villageThe collection of colorful, similar houses in front of the Jundiaí stations belonged to workers of São Paulo Railway and is a national heritage site.

• Botanical Gardens

• Parque da Cidade

  A nice local park with a small place at one end to fly remote control airplanes. You can also rent a bicycle for a small fee to ride for an hour.

• Parque de Currupira

• Serra do JapiThis state park just south of town has the largest forest preserve in the state, with opportunities for extreme sports.

There are many trails through preserved mata atlântica (Atlantic Forest), with several waterfalls to see.

Open farms

As part of the Circuito das Frutas (Fruit Circuit), Jundiaí contains several farms open to visitors, allowing them to experience the Paulista countryside environment, plus taste and buy wine, fruits and other food.

• Adega Beraldo di Cale

  phone: +55 11 4584-4330
  address: Estrada Municipal de Jarinu Km 12 - Caxambu
  Italian Winery that produces different types of wine, vinegar, cold cuts, cheese and sweets.

• Adega Castanho

  phone: +55 11 4537-1502
  address: Travessa dos Patos, 1050 - Castanhos
  Winer specialized in red wines.

• Fazenda Montanhas do Japi

  phone: +55 11 4599-9072
  address: Estrada de Santa Clara, 5650 - Santa Clara
  A former Italian grape form from 1915, now offering gardens, forest trails in the Serra do Japi, horse riding and other relaxing activities.

Theatre and culture

• Theatro Polytheama

  phone: +55 11 4586-2472
  address: R. Barão de Jundiaí, 176 - Centro
  Inaugurated in 1911, it is one of the 6 centenary theatres of the country, being for some time the largest theatre of the state. Closed during the 1960s, it was reformed and reactivated in 1996. Check the municipality cultural agenda for presentations in the theatre .

• Calçadão

  address: Rua Barão Jundiaí - Centro
  The pedestrianized street and its surroundings form Jundiaí's central shopping area.

• Maxi Shopping Jundiaí

  address: Av. Antônio Frederico Ozanan, 6000 - Vila Rio Branco
  Modern shopping mall with 230 stores and 7 movie screens.

• Shopping Paineras

  address: Av. 9 de Julho, 1155 - Chácara Urbana
  Small shopping mall with around 60 shops. Close to the city center.

• Adega Beraldo di Cale

  phone: +55 11 4584-4330
  address: Estrada Municipal de Jarinu Km 12 - Caxambu
  The restaurant of the winery serves rural Italian food.

• Fazenda Montanhas do Japi

  phone: +55 11 4599-9072
  address: Estrada de Santa Clara, 5650 - Santa Clara
  Restaurant with cooking in wood stoves, serving food with locally produced ingredients and wines.

• Graffiti Palace Hotel

  phone: +55 11 4521-0133
  address: Rua do Rosário, 433 - Centro

• Hotel Center Park

  phone: +55 11 4586-2000
  address: Avenida Jundiaí, 300 - Anhangabau
  Fitness center, restaurant, bar, and travel center.

• Travel Inn Saint Charles

  phone: +55 11 5081-8822
  address: Rua Vital Brasil, 60 - Anhnagabaú