Is Sao Paulo, Brazil Safe For Solo Female Travel?😬
Prior to visiting São Paulo, I wondered why Brazilians (from Río and São Paulo) kept saying that São Paulo was a city of work. 🤔
When I arrived, it clicked! 💡 The pace was completely different. It reminded me of other big cities in the U.S., like Chicago or New York, where the energy was high and people were less focused on me and more focused on where they needed to go.
While Río was all about the partying in Lapa, rollerblading half-dressed by the beach and visiting the incredible tourist attractions (Christ the Redeemer and The Steps), São Paulo was all about parks, museums and a never ending skyline of buildings. 😍 Aside from the weird Uber situation at the airport (I’ll talk about this extensively in a future video), I felt safe getting around the city. Ubers were in abundance and super cheap! 🤑
I stayed in an affluent part of the city, Itaim Bibi. I think this made a big difference, because in comparison to the Copacabana or Ipanema neighborhoods of Río, I felt safe walking alone at night. The streets were well lit, I didn’t see any homeless people and restaurants were adhering strictly to covid restrictions (closing around 9PM).
I write all of this with a bit of bias, because overall I was becoming more comfortable with being solo in Brazil. I was catching onto the language and I made some friends in the city - so I didn’t feel 100% alone.
Building community made me feel safer.
Lastly, I think the bigger the city, the more people mind their own business! 😅 I remember when I was adjusting to Dallas and was trying to understand why people in Uptown seemed to be so cold (no eye contact or even a simple good morning👋🏾), I read an article about bigger city mentality. The key point was that psychologically, the more people there are in a space, the less each person connects, because it’s overwhelming. I don’t know the level of truth to that, but I can say that Brazilians are some of the most friendly, genuine people I have ever met in my life - and it’s flooded with people!
In conclusion, I’m sure there are still awful things that happen in São Paulo. But I’m not going to derail and scare myself with the stats only to emerge from a serial killer rabbit hole a few hours from now with an unposted blog. 😆 Instead, I’ll listen to my gut and conclude that São Paulo is safe for a solo female traveler.
Anytime traveling solo, wherever you are - be aware of your surroundings. Don’t be out too late at night unless you are very comfortable with the area and even then, be smart! Don’t wander down dark alleys even if Google says it’s the way to a posh restaurant. And keep in daily contact with your friends and family. It not only helps you to battle loneliness, but it reminds you that you are loved - even if you’re severely lacking in the hugs department for an extended period of time. 🤗
Should I just start asking for hugs from strangers? 😅
Any other tips about safety when you’re alone? Share them below!