Piracicaba

Campinas is undoubtedly the largest city and economic powerhouse of the Campinas Region, but hardly any city of the region beats Piracicaba in terms of cultural vibrancy. The city has several cultural centers, annual traditions from both caipira and immigrant origins, and is the birthplace of the caipirinha.
Founded in 1776 at the shores of the Piracicaba river, the so-called Vila Nova da Constituição grew with sugarcane production, unlike most of the São Paulo state which grew with coffee farming. Thanks to city council member Prudente de Moraes, who would later become the first civil president of Brazil, in 1881 Vila Nova da Constituição changed its name to Piracicaba. Sugarcane remains very important to the city's economy, as Piracicaba is a major producer of ethanol.

Riverside

• Rua do PortoThe pedestrianized street in the front of the Piracicaba river, containing old, colorful fisherman houses, is not only a place with excellent bars and restaurants, but also where the city was first settled.

• Casarão do Turismo

  phone: +55 19 3403-1270, +55 19 3422-5115
  address: Rua do Porto, 1433
  This 19th-century house is used as tourist information center, and hosts some cultural expositions. Not open on Monday.

Salto do Rio Piracicaba

address: Av. Beira Rio, s/n

A small segmented waterfall in the Piracicaba River that gives the name to the city.

Parque do Mirante

phone: +55 19 3417-9494

address: Av. Maurice Allain, s/n

Park by the Piracicaba river, that provides some nice views of the segmented waterfall, the Rua do Porto, and the city center.

Engenho Central

phone: +55 19 3403-2600

address: Av. Maurice Allain, 454

With an area of 85 thousand square meters, the "Barão de Rezende" sugar mill, constructed in a 1881, is a valuable historical heritage. It hosts several cultural events.

Museu da Água

phone: +55 19 3432-8063

address: Av. Beira Rio, 448

Built in 1887, the old water catchment station is now an educational museum and offers some nice views of the Piracicaba river.

Casa do Povoador

phone: +55 19 3434-8605

address: Av. Beira Rio, 800

Rammed-earth house constructed between the 18th and 19th centuries, used to host small expositions.

Alto Mirante

address: Ponte “Caio Tabajara Esteves de Lima

Tourist elevator on the bridge above the Piracicaba waterfall. Good view of downtown and river.

Downtown

• Centro Cultural Martha Watts

  phone: +55 19 3124-1889
  address: Rua Boa Morte, 1257 - Centro
  Former school founded in 1881 by an American missionary, nowadays a cultural center.

• Museu Prudente de Morais

  phone: +55 19 3432-2148
  address: Rua Santo Antônio, 641 - Centro
  Museum dedicated to the history of Piracicaba and Brazil's first civil president, Prudente de Moraes, who lived in the same construction during the XIX century. Built in an eclectic style, it is a national heritage site.

• Igreja Metodista de Piracicaba

  address: R. Dom Pedro x R. Gov. Pedro de Toledo
  The Methodist church in Piracicaba started with American missionaries, the same ones who founded the Colégio Piracicabano and the Universidade Metodista de Piracicaba (UNIMEP). The current construction is from 1922.

• Pinacoteca Municipal

  phone: +55 19 3433-4930
  address: Rua Moraes Barros, 233 - Centro
  The contemporary-style building hosts temporary art expositions.

• Igreja Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte

  address: Rua Boa Morte, 1835 - Centro
  The church and the annex school (former Colégio Assunção) were founded in 1893 by Salesian nuns, intended to compete with the Methodist Colégico Piracicabano. Colégio Assunção (nowadays Colégio Dom Bosco Assunção) used to be a girls-only school, where women of some of the wealthiest families in the region have studied.

• E. E. Barão de Geraldo

  address: Rua Ipiranga, 924 - Centro
  Historical public school, founded in 1897. Its charming facade illustrates the high quality of Brazilian public schools at the end of the XIX century.

• E. E. Moraes Barros

  address: R. Treze de Maio x R. do Rosário - Centro
  Another fancy-looking public school, founded in 1900.

• Igreja dos Frades

  address: Rua São Francisco de Assis, 640 - Centro
  Church founded in 1897 by Capuchin friars from Trento, also to contain the expansion of the Methodist church in the city.

• Estação da Paulista

  phone: +55 19 3402-7373
  address: Av. Dr. Paulo de Moraes, 1540 - Paulista
  Piracicaba's train station, inaugurated in 1922 and deactivated in 1970. Now it hosts a cultural center.

• Praça José Bonifácio

  address: Centro
  Piracicaba's central square, where the city's cathedral, built in 1959 in Romantic style, is located. Hosts a handcrafts fair in the first week of each month.

• Mercado Municipal

  address: Rua Governador Pedro de Toledo, between R. Dom Pedro I and R. Dom Pedro II
  Market with individual stalls: fruit/veg, meat, pastaleria.

Other neighborhoods

• ESALQ

  phone: +55 19 3429-4198
  address: Av. Pádua Dias, 11 - Agronomia
  The University of São Paulo's agriculture school, founded in 1901, is also one of the Piracicaba's main postcards. Its attractions are its beautiful, early 20th century buildings and surrounding green areas.

• E. E. Sud Mennucci

  address: Rua São João 1121 - Cidade Alta
  This impressive construction, from 1917, hosts a public school founded by the Italian educator Sud Mennuci. It was used in the past for preparing teachers, hence the sign "Escola Normal".

• Colégio Dom Bosco Cidade Alta

  address: Rua Alfredo Guedes, 1199 – Cidade Alta
  The "other" Dom Bosco Catholic school, located in a beautiful eclectic structure, inaugurated in 1950.

• Igreja Bom Jesus do Monte

  address: Rua Bom Jesus x Rua Morais Barros - Cidade Alta
  Beautiful Catholic church decorated with angels and a Christ the Redeemer statue.

• Monte Alegre neighborhoodA historical neighborhood built around the "Monte Alegre" sugarcane mill, founded in 1824 and deactivated in 1980. Along with the mill, it also contains a church, constructed in 1936, and several worker houses previously inhabited by Italian immigrants. Many constructions are in poor state, although a revitalization process has been started recently.

• Santa Olímpia neighborhoodSanta Olímpia is a rural Tyrolese neighborhood that maintains strong traditions. It is best visited during a cultural event such as the Festival da Polenta.

• Piracicaba river boat ride

  phone: +55 19 9747-4545
  15-minute boat rides along the Piracicaba river, departing at Rua do Porto. Day trips to other municipalities (like Barra Bonita) are also available by reservation.

• Rua do Porto Handcrafts Fair

  address: Rua do Porto
  Handcrafts fair that typically happens in Rua do Porto during Saturdays and sundays. Check the website for exact dates.

• Centro Handcrafts Fair

  address: Praça José Bonifácio - Centro
  Handcrafts fair that happens in the city center, starting in the first Tuesday of each month and ending on Saturdays. Check the website for exact dates.

Piracicaba's most famous local dish is the peixe no tambor ("fish in the drum"), served on Rua do Porto. Piracicaba is also famous for its pamonha, a dessert made of mashed corn, milk (or coconut milk), sugar, cinnamon, butter and fennel, produced in the rural neighborhood of Tanquinho. The restaurants of the Santa Olímpia neighborhood also offer dishes of Tyrolese origin, like polenta with chicken, canederli and polenta brustolada.

• Municipal Market

  address: Rua Governador Pedro de Toledo, 1336
  Founded in 1888, Piracicaba's municipal market is a great place to eat pamonha.

• Remador

  phone: +55 19 3371-7374
  address: Rua Remador 1689 - Parque do Porto
  Fish restaurant decorated with caipira handcrafts and sculptures.

• Dezoitos

  phone: +55 19 3434-6225
  address: Rua Alidor Pecorari, 1917 - Parque do Porto
  A traditional and popular restaurant that serves peixe no tambor. Pay per kilogram of fish.

• Antonio´s Palace Hotel

  phone: +55 19 3417-6000
  address: Av. Independência, 2805 - Cidade Alta

• Colina Park Hotel

  phone: +55 19 3422 1555
  address: Avenida Doutor Paulo de Moraes, 460 - Castelinho

• Hotel Beira Rio

  phone: +55 19 3401-1000
  address: Rua Luiz Curiacos, 51 - Centro

• Hotel Ibis

  address: Av Armando Dedini,125

• Hotel Nacional

  phone: +55 19 3428-4000
  address: Rua do Rosário, 1358

• Hotel Saint Paul

  phone: +55 19 3414-4115
  address: Av. Dr. Cássio Pascoal Padovani, 1615 - Santa Cecília

• Princeton Hotel

  phone: +55 19 3433-5790
  address: Rua Prudente de Moraes, 543 - Centro

• Royal Park Hotel

  phone: +55 19 3434-5091
  address: Rua Saldanha Marinho, 555 - Cidade Jardim

• Águas de São Pedro - A prosperous and charming mineral spring resort town.