O Ibirapuera’s Park turns 70 in August 2024. Gift given to the city of São Paulo for its 400th anniversary, the space has become an emblematic tourist spot in São Paulo, and is the most visited park in Latin America.
Did you know that there is a square where trees from the 5 continents of the world were planted? Did you also imagine that more than 300 species of animals could be found in the area? And that the Park has a bench coming from Central Park, a gift given by the mayor of New York in 2011? So it is!
Behind so many years there are many stories and curiosities that many people don’t know, but can discover! They are counted in a guided tour carried out since 2021, when Urbia Parques started to manage the place after the concession. Lasting between 45 minutes and 1h15 (on weekends), the tour is done in electric carts from Sunday to Sunday and departs from gate 4, on Avenida Pedro Álvares Cabral.
“We have bilingual guides and we think of an inclusive tour that everyone can enjoy. Our employees are prepared to make this route interesting for everyone, adapting the explanations to each group that passes through there”, emphasizes Gustavo Cunha, Urbia’s operations manager.
The tour encompasses all the buildings and areas of the park, passing through cultural, architectural and environmental curiosities. In it, impressive numbers are revealed and facts that many people do not even imagine, such as the function of the Marquise, designed by the architect Oscar Niemeyer .
“A lot of people don’t realize it, but it’s the connection point for all the park’s buildings: it was with that in mind that Niemeyer designed it”, says Cunha.
Visitors also find an interactive map of the place, which traces intelligent routes to get faster from one point of the park to another. Bienal Pavilion, Japanese, Oca, Museum of Modern Art, Afro Brasil, School of Astrophysics and Planetarium are some of them.
Another projection by Niemeyer and a postcard of the park is the Ibirapuera Auditorium. The curiosity is that it was designed thinking about receiving an audience in its external area precisely for its architecture to be observed. The capacity is 16 thousand people.
The expressive numbers and more curiosities
Along its 1.5km² area, it is possible to find 532 species of plants, trees, shrubs and herbs. In Ibirapuera there is also a clone of the oldest tree in São Paulo, known as Figueira-das-Lágrimas. The tour, of course, goes through it.
When the cart arrives at Praça da Paz, visitors discover that the name was given in honor of the celebrations related to world peace in the 60s. At the time, to represent the integration between the peoples of the planet, plant species of the five continents of the world.
With regard to fauna, since 1992 a record has been made of the species that inhabit and use the Park during migratory periods. Altogether there are more than 352, 45 of butterflies, 12 of fish, 14 of reptiles and amphibians, 17 of mammals and 229 of birds.
Another curiosity of the Park concerns the stalls that sell food and drinks, which can be found throughout the place. In a recent survey, the management of Ibirapuera found that 80% of registered sellers have ‘Maria’ in their name and are heads of families. On average, 300 tons of coconut are sold per month among all the kiosks.
How to do the Ibirapuera Park tour?
O Ibira Tour happens daily. The first tour starts at 9am and the last group leaves at 5pm. There is no exact number of trips per day. Carts are filled as long as there is demand, regardless of the number of people interested. Tickets cost BRL 25 full and BRL 15 half-price, and can be purchased at Gate 4, located on Avenida Pedro Álvares Cabral.
More than 15,000 people have already taken the tour – 30% of them coming from outside São Paulo.
In addition to the Ibira: Horto Florestal also offers a guided tour
Also managed by Urbia Parques, the Forest Garden , in the North Zone of the city, also offers a tour. Similar to the Ibirapuera tour, it takes place daily and costs R$15 per person. There, there is the option for the visitor to visit on foot.
Led by an environmental educator, the route addresses various aspects of the history of the creation of the park, highlighting its importance as a conservation site for several species of flora and fauna. The visit also focuses on exploring various historical aspects of the place, such as the Forestry Museum, internationally recognized for having the largest collection of wood in Latin America. Opening hours are from 9am to 5pm.
48-hour itinerary: culture and gastronomy in the Center and on Avenida Paulista in SP
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
