Planning a trip to Brazil isn’t an easy task, right?
Dealing with seasonality is tricky, being a large country there are many different cultures, ecosystems and destinations that offer amazing nature and beach landscapes, but how to choose among so many options?
There’s nothing better than starting the week with good news and we have a great one to share with you: Matueté is now part of the selected list of Wendy Perrins Trusted Travel Experts – the Wow List!
For those who doesn’t know, Wendy Perrins became one of the most influential travel consultants of the planet after 20 years as a consumer news expert for Conde Nast Traveler magazine. After this, she also collaborated with Trip Advisor and developed a solo project – in order to save the world from mediocre trips – and became an icon for the travel industry, with the most authentic and respected advices.
It may appear that Sao Paulo has become the Street Artists’ “sweet heart” from day to overnight, but this recognition is the result of persistence and audacity of many urban enthusiasts that, for years, have been investing in creative art, promoting awesome artists and really cool galleries, comparable to the ones in Berlin, Tokyo or L.A.
Jardins and Pinheiros are renowned neighborhoods wich still dominate the scene, but if you walk around unusual areas like Cambuci, Glicério or the city center itself, you’ll see more and more venues appearing and constantly renewing its programs with workshops, lectures, soirees and even pocket shows, to become even more attractive and complete for the general public.
We love this topic so much that we decided to list 11 must-see galleries in the city, to enjoy and inspire!
A7MA (pronounced A-setima), is located at a very strategic point of Vila Madalena’s neighborhood, just in front of Beco do Batman (the best spot in the city to check graffitis) and had become a reference amongst artists/connoisseurs, filled with works of emerging artists, friendly staff and honest prices. On Wednesdays, they promote a famous Soiree with great performances, and on Saturdays there’s always nice exhibitions and interesting fuss!
King Cap started as a graffiti shop (the first one based out of the city center), selling spray cans, marker pens, sneakers and t-shirts. Nowadays, it has an area on the top floor which houses some of the best exhibitions in town, always top quality! It’s worth the visit and a look at the cool books and magazines they have there. We suggest you also check out King Cap’s Instagram 🙂
Located in the historic city center, Tag Gallery derives from the old Tag and Juice, wich used to be a mix of gallery and bike shop. Curated by Billy Castilho, the space promotes the development of Street Art and connects artists from all over the globe. The vernissages are always fun, with beautiful people and an incredible view of the city, a real portrait of São Paulo!
Not far from Pinacoteca de São Paulo (one of the city’s most famous museums/art centre), Overground is a creative studio in which the concept is to present daring artists and taggers veterans. Under the supervision of Zezão (celebrated artist who draws in the sewers of worldwide urban centers), the gallery has a very avant-garde underground language. If you feel like getting out the obvious, this is the spot …
In the mezzanine of Copan building (projected by master Oscar Niemeyer), the PIVÔ is a cultural non-profit association that promotes experimental activities using art, architecture, urban planning and other contemporary manifestations. The program includes exhibitions, speeches and workshops, alternating design projects and self-made productions. For those who like to photograph, the location is very appealing!
Founded in 1998, this rustic little house started with the intention of showing the historical and contemporary engraving in all its diversity, with temporary exhibitions and a precious collection. The gallery claims to be the only exhibition space in the country dedicated solely to engraving, with over one hundred exhibitions held in the past 10 years. A real classic!
Choque Cultural was the pioneer of this Street Art frenesi in SP, with epic exhibitions in the late 90’s, with artists like OsGemeos,Bijari Collective and Speto. The casting of artists represented by the gallery is still one of the most powerful in the country. Be sure to stop by and check out the facade which is renovated every season. Maximum respect!
Branch of the famous gallery with the same name in London, White Cube landed in São Paulo to expand the contemporary art scene in mid-2012 and still remains fresh and original. Lodged in a converted warehouse, brings many international artists to exhibit frequently. Avant Garde!
This one is especially for photo lovers, like us! (and we’re not talking about Instagram). The gallery, which also works as an office, is focused on what is sensed by other people’s lenses, with incredible proposals. In addition to the expos, the space also organises workshops and meetings to discuss Photographic Art.
Since 1988, Casa Triangulo is one of the most important and respected Brazilian galleries of contemporary art, and plays a crucial role in the consolidation of relevant artist’s careers in the recent history of Brazilian art, like graffiti artist Nunca, for example. A must see!
And, as it should be, we have a definite urban representative: Museu aberto (or open museum), consists of 66 pillars of the subway’s support, painted by 58 different graffiti artists. The initiative of the project came when 11 of them were trying to paint these same pilasters and ended up arrested by the police. After solving this, they matured the idea and even won the support of the Ministry of Culture, which paid for all spray cans used for the project!
We always say how great Brazil is and show you amazing pictures of our country. But now is the time to read about the real Matueté experience, written by one of our clients – The Curcio family, who chose Brazil as the first stop for their round the world trip!
They have a very interesting blog, in which each member of the family writes about their personal impressions of each place, like a travel diary. Their pictures are also very inspiring and totally worth a look!
So far they have been to Rio, Salvador and Natal, and have just arrived in Fernando de Noronha Island. This is some of their thoughts about the places they’ve been:
Rio by Sheryl – “Art is everywhere in the streets with nameless graffiti artists speaking out with color and intricate designs along main thoroughfares, on neighborhood corners and on school walls. I wish we could know the stories behind each.”
Brian about the food: “Although it’s become apparent that Brazil has an obsession with rice and beans (most likely due to the fact that protein is simply more expensive) the one thing we can’t knock is the food.”
Natal, by Brian: “by far the sunniest and warmest place we’ve been yet; surprisingly, it’s quite clean too. Located 4 degrees of the equator, Natal seems to be as close to a touristy paradise as you can get – even the girls here seem to have a certain ‘sparkle’ to them. “
Check out their blog to learn more about their experiences and perceptions about Brazil so far!
Think about a luxury resort exclusively for you and your family for the New Year ‘s Eve celebration. Now imagine that it is settle in one of the most authentic part of the Brazilian coast, by Salvador, in the beautiful Bay of All Saints with all its mysticism and good energies for this special date. If you liked the idea, Ilha das Canas is still available!
Ilha das Canas is a private island and one of the most exclusive properties available for rent in Brazil.
Groups of up to 26 people can have this entire small island for themselves, with a 30 person staff at disposal. They are always ready to produce special events to make your experience unique, just like having a whole resort only for you and your family and friends. The island has a wide range of water ‘toys’, such as kayaks, sailing dingy, motor boats and a 46ft yacht, that are available to bring even more fun to the experience. Take a look at these pictures to have a better idea of what we are talking about.
We also have a wide range of incredible beach properties available for New Year’s. Consult us for more details!
Brazil is home to some of the most spectacular beaches in the world. Some of them have good hotels around, but others are so exclusive that have only private properties. We have specialized ourselves in producing seamless experiences in the most spectacular privately owned villas located in different areas of the country´s 7.000 kilometre coastline.
Very often the villas are owned by clients of ours, so you will be guests at our friends´ homes. To guarantee your comfort, every villa has a host that acts as a personal concierge during your stay, supervising the staff, coordinating shopping, planning day trips and nights in town for you, minimizing the frustrations you could have in places where you do not know the region and cannot communicate fully in Portuguese.
Angra dos Reis is one of the regions where we have the most amazing villas, and its proximity to Rio makes it an ideal destination for quick escapades from the city. It is a haven for sea-lovers who appreciate privacy and boats, with its bay of emerald-green waters that clad with islands surrounded by rainforest-covered hills. Angra is definitely one of the trendiest and most striking spots on the southeast coast of Brazil, and your experience here can be as intense or laid back as you choose it to be. Also the setting for memorable summer parties in private homes, quaint island restaurants and bars, it represents the perfect balance between a happening destination and a private hideaway.
We have many villas in the region, but there is a special one on Gipóia Island that we love – it spent some time out of our portfolio, but it is back, completely redecorated and with an excellent staff. The house has 6 bedrooms apart from the master suite and sleeps up to 16 guests and has many charming indoor and outdoor social areas, what makes it an excellent option for a family or a group of friend holidays. In addition to the villa, guests will have kayaks, a banana boat and small boats with its crew available for use. To have a better idea, take a look at these pictures.
Our private villas can also be rented for New Year’s, but their minimum stay goes up from one week to 10 days. If you wish for a shorter rental, a good idea is to rent it a little before Christmas, so minimum stay is shorter and prices aren´t as inflated also.
For more information about our Villas, contact us or check our website!
One of the most desired destinations in Brazil, the Amazon, is entering its prime season as of August until the beginning of January. It is unveiling its white sandy beaches that were submerged by the large amount of rain that caused some trouble in the region this year during the months of May and June with records of high water level and flooded lands.
Of course there are many ways to discover the jungle, but one of our favourites is navigating through the blue waters of the Tapajós River that was once described by the French explorer Jaques Cousteau as the Caribbean of the Amazon, due to its amazing beaches and rare crystal clear waters.
We love this destination not only for its natural beauty, but also because it is still undiscovered by mass tourism and we have a very charming regional boat that gives the travelers the opportunity to reach distant and secluded places. The boat is equipped with a professional crew, cooking and cleaning staff, a local guide and a host that will be at your disposal to guarantee the perfect travel experience. A private chef that knows all about the Amazon cuisine can also be included to complete your cultural experience.
The Amazon is not known to be a new year’s destination, what makes it an excellent cost-benefit at that time of the year, since prices are not inflated as in other Brazilian destinations.
The most exclusive way to experience the richest fauna and flora in Brazil with your family or friends is by taking a private villa in the wilderness of the Pantanal and forgetting what lies beyond its sun-tinted and flooded horizons. Read the rest of this entry »
