Be Safe in Sao Paulo

Unfortunately, Sao Paulo has a deserved reputation for crime, although the most serious kind takes place in the suburbs. Tourists are often a target for petty crime, so you should take extra precautions to ensure your safety.

Safety

Sao Paulo is more dangerous than many European cities, but for tourists, the main dangers are bag-snatchers, pickpockets and muggers. You reduce the likelihood of encountering violence or serious problems as long as you are sensible. The main business and nightlife streets are the safest places, but you need to be more careful when wandering around areas further away.

Leave jewellery and excess cash in your hotel safe and only carry what is necessary. If you are faced with a mugger, always comply with their demands and leave quickly. If you value your safety, don't even consider resisting or running away.

Traffic can also be a problem in the city, as drivers do not always obey the red lights or one-way signs. Motorbike drivers, in particular, are a hazard, as they weave through traffic and often mount the pavement looking for a shortcut.

Police: 147 or 190

Health

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is required from travellers arriving from infected regions, and vaccination against this disease is recommended for those travelling to the more rural areas. Typhoid and hepatitis A immunisation is also recommended. Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever and malaria are common and Chagas disease, caused by a parasite, is widespread in rural areas. There has also been an increase recently in the contagious Rotavirus, which causes vomiting, fever and diarrhoea.

Water used for drinking, brushing teeth or making ice should be boiled first or otherwise sterilised. Bottled water is widely available. Pasteurised milk and cheese are considered safe, while vegetables should be cooked and fruit peeled.

Ambulance: 192