Bandeirantes’ Monument, Ibirapuera Park
I think I’ve said this before, Paulistas like to run and they have some very nice options to choose from for running. In some of the nicer neighborhoods you will see some people running on the streets after work or early morning. I’ve had the opportunity to run in Parque Trianon a few times. After dealing with the very old and squeaky treadmill in my hotel, I had to branch out and find a good running path. Parque Trianon (Trianon Park) is very shady and dark, even when the sun is out. I kept running into or by very large spider webs throughout the park. It has a very tropical feel, probably because it has some of the remaining trees from the tropical forest that once stood in its place.
Here’s one of the spiders:
But this blog isn’t about Trianon Park, it’s about the bigger one. The one that Paulistas flock to on the weekend for the rest and relaxation. While I have yet to run in the park, I did spend a few weekend afternoon strolling thought the park.
The park was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and Roberto Burle Marx. There are plenty of attractions in the park such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Japanese Pavilion and plenty others. According to some, the park receives somewhere between 20,000 to 30,000 during the week and up to about 130,000 on the weekends. Many of the visitors can be found running loops in the park in the morning and after work. If you know anything about Sao Paolo in the evening having a place to run amongst nature beats running through the rush hour traffic any day.
It really is a beautiful place and if you time your run right on the weekends, you will be thoroughly entertained. From park performers, to teens doing skateboarding and bicycle tricks along with the people watching, you will not be bored.
There are running tours offered in Sao Paolo which includes the park, but you don’t need a guide to run around in a circle. But If you want to learn more about the park and what’s there, it is worth checking out.
At the end of your run, why not enjoy some Guarana (I prefer the non diet variety):
Girl Runs World 
