From Wikitravel

Campinas is a city and county in São Paulo state, Brazil. It's the third biggest city in the state, just after São Paulo itself and Guarulhos.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By plane

• VCP - Viracopos Airport - This is an international airport but mostly with domestic flights and cargo, located about 45 minutes by car from Campinas through SP-75 road. There is shuttle bus service to campinas or option to go by taxi.

• Aeroporto dos Amarais - General aviation airfield, for those of you with a Cessna Citation or a Bonanza.

• GRU - Guarulhos Airport - Is located about 1:40 by car or bus Unless you can squeeze yourself into a FedEX or UPS box (if you can, then you might be able to sneak through in VCP), it's the only choice if you're coming in from the USA, as is the biggest airport in Brazil. Cab travels are somehow expensive but there are two shuttle bus options: AirportBusServices that connects to São Paulo bus stations or Caprioli that has direct buses to Campinas. Caprioli costs about R$32 (32 Reais in Brazilian Money) and is by far one of the nicest bus services in the state, and will deposit you one block from Hotel Ibis.

• CGH - Congonhas Airport - Is located about 1:40 by car or bus It's a good choice for domestic flights. Cab travels are somehow expensive but there are two bus options: AirportBusServices that connects to São Paulo bus stations or Caprioli that has direct buses to Campinas.

[edit] By car

• From São Paulo, via the SP-330 Anhangüera or SP-348 Bandeirantes highways.
• From Vale do Paraíba, via SP-65,Dom Pedro I highway.
• From the Macro region of Mogi-guaçu, via SP-340, Adhemar de Barros Highway.
• From South (Valinhos and Vinhedo), via SP-91 (Campinas - Valinhos)
• From the Macro region of Sorocaba, via SP-75, Santos Dumont Highway)
• From the Monte-mor, via SP-101 (Campinas - Monte-mor)
• From Valinhos, via SP-83, Anel Viário Magalhães Teixeira
• From Indaiatuba, via SP-73, Lix da Cunha Highway (access for the Royal Palm Plaza)
• From Morungaba, via SP-81, Estrada das Cabras
• From Vinhedo, via SP-324, Miguel Melhado Campos Highway
• From Paulínia/Arthur Nogueira, via SP-332, General Milton Tavares de Souza Highway

[edit] By bus

In Brazil inter-cities bus services is the main means of travel. Bus services are good and reasonably cheap and a good option to go from/to cities not well served by airports. Campinas has a bus station located in the city where you can get a taxi or an urban bus.

Bus tickets can even be reserved and purchased by Internet for the main bus companies. You would need to check on the bus station which company serves to a certain destination in particular.

[edit] By train

This is currently not an option for transport. Train services to Campinas are just for cargo and the only passenger train available is an old touristic train.

There is a project of a bullet-train from Campinas to São Paulo and Rio but probably won't be available before 2014.

[edit] Get around

Campinas is well served by urban bus services. Although it is not easy to find where are the bus stops and which bus to catch, people on the street will be glad to help if they can understand you. There are several main bus terminals where you can commute from one line into another. Some urban buses even go to neighbor cities as Jaguariúna and Paulínia.

If driving a car, be aware that some avenues have been converted to one-way streets to form a ring around downtown. Sometimes it can be tricky to find your way back and be careful not to get into the wrong way on one of those avenues.

After 22:00 until 06:00 some semaphores are turned off and just blink yellow. Don't be scared, this is not effect of a martian invasion. For safety reasons, you are not supposed to be stopped at red lights late at night.

But be aware that during normal hours there is semaphore and speed enforcement by cameras everywhere in the city, so stick to the speed limits and don't cross red lights.

As in any large city anywhere in the world, pay attention to your surroundings and don't act like a tourist. Campinas is relatively safe during the day time, but at night you'd best be served taking a cab or driving yourself. Downtown cambuí is relatively safe at night, but again, pay attention and use your head.

[edit][add listing] See

• Lagoa do Taquaral - Located inside the Parque Portugal park. Excellent place for exercising, it is a favourite local spot for running, walking or ridding a bike. The park have some attractions such as a lake, a planetarium, a cable car and a replica of a "caravela". It is a very popular place among families and well recommended for kids.

• Lago do Café - This park is located near the Lagoa do Taquaral, and in the XVIII century it's lands were part of a farm. The owner of this farm, Barreto Leme, was also the founder of the small village from where Campinas originated. From visiting this park it is possible to learn about the City and Sao Paulo State history, the products that were cultivated and how they impact the state (and nation) economy and politics, and specially, about the people who made it possible: slaves, immigrants and their descendants.

The forest is well preserved in the park, what makes a great spot for bird sighting, and is a great place for a relaxed walk, to enjoy the company of the loved ones and for reading.

• Parque Ecológico - The region of this park also used to be part of an old coffee farm, called "Matto Dentro". The total area of the park is of 247 acres, and its landscaping was done by the renowned Brazilian landscape designer Burle Marx. Inside the area of the park it is located a Museum, based on what used the be the farm owners residency, called in Portuguese as "Casa Grande", which literal translation would be "Big House". Besides visiting the museum where the visitant can see the disparities of the life style of the farm owners and their workers, it is possible learn about environment and ecology in the museum and to walk in one of the many trails inside the park. There are also sport facilities, such as courts, fields and playgrounds. A good call for visitors of all ages.

• Bosque dos Jequitibás - This is a zoo.

• Teatro Castro Mendes

• Largo do Pará - Square located downtown, is a nice sightseeing.

• Bosque dos Alemães

• Shopping Parque D. Pedro - Biggest mall in constructed area in Latin America. It is a very popular mall, not only for Campinas's citizens but in the whole region and sighing tour buses arriving with visitors from neighbour cities is not uncommon.

You can be sure to find anything you need in there in the almost 400 stores, just come prepared to walk! And, with more than 40 options of places to eat, 15 movie theatre rooms, theatre, bowling place, gym and night clubs you can be sure to always find something to do in there. If you are not inclined to crowds, try to avoid visiting it during weekends and holidays. The kids love visiting this mall, where they can play in the thematic resting places.

Curiosity and writer's personal note: The area where the mall was constructed was part of the Santa Genebra forest and some of the centenary trees that were cut down or found dead during the construction time were preserved through chemical processes and are now exhibited inside the mall. It is routine to see people taking pictures using the dead trees as background, since the artist that worked on them really did an amazing job. But everytime I see them I can't help but think of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi song: "They took all the trees, and put em in a tree museum. And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them".

• Shopping Galleria - Few Stores, focus on Services, Restaurant and Cinema. The landscaping of this mall with plenty of vegetation, makes it very pleasant.

• Moisés Lucarelli Stadium - Ponte Preta's Stadium.

• Brinco de Ouro de Princesa Stadium Guarani's Stadium.

• Shopping Iguatemi - Lots of stores, also great restaurants and cinemas.

• Shopping Unimart - Convenience mall

• Bosque da Paz

• Central Market (Mercadão) - Nice place to find exotic food and to feel the charm that Campinas had in its past. It is located downtown, close to two main bus station, what takes some of this beauty away, but makes the local easily accessible. It is a great spot for people watching.

• Museum of the Old Railway Station

• Metropolitan Catedral - Located downtown.

• Castle Tower (Torre do Castelo - Praça 23 de outubro) - Place with many options of music bars and restaurants.

• ESPCeX (Military High School, close to Castelo) - A nice sightseeing from outside but no visits allowed inside. It is possible to enter the nearby military area by car or can be a pleasant walking, where some tanks are exposed at the side of the road.

• Arena Theatre

• Unicamp - State University of Campinas is one of the best Universities in Brazil. The campus is big and has lots of activities. Worth visiting is the IMECC building. On the neighborhood there are some restaurants and bars.

• Hopi Hari, Rodovia dos Bandeirantes, km 72, Vinhedo-SP, about 15 minutes by road from Campinas. It is a very famous Amusement park. Check also Wet'n Wild water park that is just at side. There is a hotel and a small mall over the road on the same complex.

• Observatório de Capricórnio Located in Joaquim Egídio, near Campinas is a sky observatory open to visitors some days a week for lectures and stars observations.

• Municipal Park of Joaquim Egídio

• Sousas

[edit][add listing] Do

• Shop at Treze de Maio. An old street shopping destination.  edit
• Visit the Art and crafts fair at Centro de Convivencia. An old street shopping destination. The art crafts fair now is officially called "Feira de Arte, Artesanato, Antiguidades, Esotéricos e Quitutes de Campinas" but with such a long name, all the locals still call it by its old and charming name: Feira Hippie (Hippie Fair). The fair started on the 70's and since them a lot change: it's location, size, offer of products and today hippie vendors are rare. But visiting this fair is a MUST DO in Campinas. There it is possible to buy all kinds of art and crafts: paintings, jewellery, clothes, house articles, shoes, bags, etc. The food section is an amazing trip through local and Brazilian cuisine: pasteis (fried dumplings), empanadas, pies shared space with regional food and food brought by immigrants and fully adopted by the Brazilians, such as yakisoba and sushi. The fair happens all Saturdays, from 6 am until 3 pm, at the Centro de Convivencia.  edit
• Go to one of the many Farmers Market. Farmers market are erverywhere in Brazil, it will be difficult to walk in the morning in a city and not find yourself inside one. Besides buying local and fresh products, it is a fun and cultural activity. In most farmers market you can find veggies, meat, chicken, fish, dairy products, clothes, house utensils, herbs, fruits, kitchen gadgets, bread, biscuits, nuts, honey, jellies and what else the imagination of the vendors might allow. All farmers market MUST have a booth selling sugar cane juice and other selling pasteis, or fried dumplings. Well, it is not a written rule, but they are extremely popular and highly recomended.  edit
• Visit Sousas and Joaquim Egidio. Driving the road connecting Sousas and Joaquim Edigio is another must do in Campinas. An optional drive to the Morro das Cabras where the Observatory is located is also recommended, but since the road up the to top is unpaved and you might not want to put your car in harsh conditions, it is an optional. Anyway, just following the paved road you can have amazing views, sights of old farm houses, and a feeling of how Campinas used to look. The area is full of activities: fishing, mountain biking, cycling, hiking trails are some options. If you feel tired of so much activity, you can sit, rest, eat and drink at one of the many restaurants in the region, some of them among the best of the city and attracting crowds from the State capital, Sao Paulo. You can also visit the old farms, the churches and the local stores. Or just sit in a bench in one of the squares and watch the time passing slowly. This tour can be as nostalgic or agitated as you wish.  edit

[edit][add listing] Buy

There are 7 major malls in Campinas, which are usually called "Shoppings" in Brazil: - Shopping Parque Dom Pedro - Shopping Galleria - Shopping Iguatemi - Shopping Unimart - Campinas Shopping - Shopping Jaraguá

However, Campinas's downtown can be considered the center of shopping in Campinas. There is possible to find thousands of stores and small malls.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Campinas has hundreds of good restaurants:

• Chef Teo
• Pizzaria Braz
• Bar do Alemão Restaurant that started in the nearby city of Itu, which is famous for the extra size of everything, the restaurant follows the pattern of the city where it was created. Be sure to ask for the "Parmegiana" the most famous dish in the house: deep fried breaded beef, taken to the oven covered with cheese and tomato sauce, served with rice and french fries.
• Feijão com Tranqueira Restaurant elected several times as "The Best of the City" for typical brazilian food. It is located in the Joaquim Egidio Road, and eating there brings the whole experience of country side Brazil. The house speciality, as the name sugests, is Feijao com Tranqueira: Bean soup cooked with bacon, sausages, sun dried meat and other delicious things. On their backward, there is a mini-farm, and kids love to see the animals, walk around the lake and play on the playground.
• Almanara
• Papai Salim
• Rosário
• Bar do Eden
• Kilimanjaro
• Red Angus
• Via Castello, Av. Sarmento, Bairro Castelo, Campinas-SP. Have good choices of pizzas and it is cooked in a big wooden oven.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Giovannetti: the most famous beer in the town.
• City Bar: "the best cod dumpling in the world"
• Emporio do Nono
• Ponto 1
• Cervejaria Universitaria
• Bar Joseph's

[edit][add listing] Sleep

There are hundreds of hotels in Campinas, even options to stay in family houses nearby Unicamp.

• Sleep Inn Galleria - Located at side of Galleria mall, near Dão Pedro road.
• The Royal Palm Plaza - Luxury hotel located in the entrance of Campinas through SP-75.
• Victoria's Hotel - Luxury hotel located in a nice neighbourhood. Somehow hard to locate if you are driving by your own.
• Ibis - Located in front of Largo do Pará square, downtown.
• Mercury Hotel - Just at side of Ibis.
• Village Residence Hotel, R. Dr. Salvador Penteado, 176, Bairro Castelo, Campinas/SP - CEP: 13070-270, ☎ +55-19-3243-0844, [1]. checkin: 1200H; checkout: 1200H. One of the cheapest hotel in Campinas. If you want to have a quite place to stay this is the best place. It is simple but a descent place to stay. Check out the website for more information. R$70.  edit
• Mariano Palace Hoteis, Av. Andrade Neves, 832, Rua Saldanha Marinho, 1165, 13013-081, Campinas-SP, ☎ +55-19-3232-8344, [2]. checkin: 1200H; checkout: 1200H. Very near to the main bus station terminal. Located at the outskirts of downtown area. Have good breakfast and it is included in the rent. R$87.  edit

[edit] Get out

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