Greater São Paulo

Several far-flung sights are worth a taxi ride to see. West of Centro is the Universidade de São Paulo (USP), which has two interesting museums: a branch of the Museu de Arte Contemporânea and the Instituto Butantan, with its collection of creatures that slither and crawl. Close by, Parque Villa-Lobos is a smaller but still significant alternative to Ibirapuera for sporty locals. Head southwest of Centro to the Fundação Maria Luisa e Oscar Americano, a museum with a forest and garden in the residential neighborhood of Morumbi. In the Parque do Estado, southeast of Centro, are the Jardim Botânico and the Parque Zoológico de São Paulo.