Embu das Artes
Introduction
Embu das Artes, commonly called simply Embu, is a municipality in the State of São Paulo and part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. It sits within easy reach of the state capital, making it a straightforward stop for travellers exploring the region around São Paulo.
Before you go
Embu das Artes grew out of the M'Boy indigenous settlement founded by Jesuits in the mid-16th century, and the Nossa Senhora do Rosário church from the second half of the 17th century still stands in the city. The town's artistic identity took shape from 1920, when the painter Cássio M'Boy arrived, drawn to the caipira way of life; after he won an international award in Paris in 1939, artists including Assis, Sakai, Gama, Solano Trindade and Ana Moysés followed.
Plan your visit around a weekend or holiday if you want to see the Open Arts Fair, a tradition started by hippies in the late 1960s that continues today. The city was renamed Embu das Artes in 2011.
Getting there
By car, Embu das Artes is roughly a 40-minute drive from downtown São Paulo, about 15 miles away. Take Rodovia Regis Bittencourt (BR-116), which leaves São Paulo in the direction of Curitiba, passing Taboão da Serra and then Itapecerica da Serra. An easy way to reach the highway is to take Av. Francisco Morato in São Paulo and follow the signs to Taboão da Serra.
You can also get there from São Paulo by metropolitan bus (EMTU), with departures from metro stations including Tietê, Anhangabaú and Capão Redondo. The buses are cheap, but not very practical: some journeys to Embu take longer than two hours.
Getting around
Your time in Embu das Artes is best spent on foot. The area of interest to a visitor is the city center, and it can be easily explored on foot, so plan to arrive there and wander rather than trying to cover the whole municipality. The city's artistic tradition — from its sculptor and ceramist heritage to the Feira de Artes e Artesanato do Embu — is best absorbed at walking pace.
Embu das Artes has no rail, metro, or tram service of its own. São Paulo's metro is useful mainly as a feeder: ride it to stations such as Tietê, Anhangabaú or Capão Redondo, where EMTU metropolitan buses bound for Embu depart. Fares are cheap, but some journeys take longer than two hours, so allow generous time and treat the ride as part of the outing. Driving is also practical: the city is roughly a 40-minute drive from downtown São Paulo via Rodovia Régis Bittencourt (BR-116), or by taking Av. Francisco Morato and following the signs to Taboão da Serra. Taxis and ride-hailing are not documented in the available sources, so plan around buses or a car instead.
Where to stay
Rather than guess at hotels or pousadas that may not exist, it is better to treat the town as a base you arrange yourself: search for accommodation in the central area near the historic core, where the streets around the church and the craft fair are within walking distance.
- No named hotels, hostels or pousadas appear in the source for this city.
- No neighbourhoods are identified in the source as lodging districts.
- No price ranges, booking details or amenities are given in the source.
Food & drink
Embu das Artes has its own signature dish: leitão à pururuca, a Caipira preparation of roasted piglet with dried, fried skin. You will find it at several traditional restaurants in the Centro, including Cabana Embu and Tutu's Restaurante, both on Largo 21 de Abril. Os Girassóis, near Largo dos Jesuítas, also serves leitão à pururuca alongside German dishes such as einsbein, and offers all-you-can-eat pasta on Sundays. For a broader menu, O Garimpo Restaurante on Rua da Matriz mixes Brazilian and international cooking.
Beyond the sit-down restaurants, the Centro has plenty of snackbars, and the Food Court at Praça da Lagoa on Avenida Elias Yazbek gathers 24 kiosks with tables and chairs where you can try snacks and local food. When you want a drink in the evening, O Garimpo on Rua da Matriz doubles as a bar and club, with four different environments, an eclectic music selection and live shows at night.
What to see and do
In the Centro, the Feira de Arte e Artesanato takes over the central area of the city on weekends and holidays, continuing a tradition that began in 1969. Wandering its stalls feels like a journey into the Brazilian colonial period: expositors are grouped into sections for plastic arts, ornamental artes, plants and typical foods, and the fair is the highlight of any visit to Embu das Artes. Beyond the fair, the city's religious and artistic heritage rewards a slower look. The Conjunto Jesuítico Nossa Senhora do Rosário, a National Heritage Site in the Centro, pairs a 17th-century church with an old Jesuit residence that now holds a sacred art museum of religious sculpture from the 17th to 19th centuries. The colonial-style Capela São Lazaro, set between Rua da Matriz and Rua Nossa Sra. do Rosário, contains an image of Saint Lazarus by the city's legendary artist Cássio M'Boy and a statue of Christ by Zé Santeiro. In Vila Cercado Grande you'll find the small Capela de Santa Cruz, designed by the artist Helaine Malca and decorated by José Luiz Alemãn, and the Memorial Sakai, a museum of art dedicated to the Japanese-origin farmer and artist Tadakiyo Sakai, regarded as one of Brazil's greatest terracotta sculptors. To unwind afterwards, head to Parque do Lago Francisco Rizzo, a public park with a large lake that's pleasant for a relaxing stroll after shopping in the city center.Three days in Embu das Artes
Day one: Arrive in Embu das Artes, in the State of São Paulo, within the São Paulo Metropolitan Region. Settle into the historic centre, where the colonial streets and the church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário, built by the Jesuits, set the tone. Wander the surrounding lanes and get your bearings among the galleries and studios that give the city its name.
Day two: Devote the day to the art scene. Visit the Open Arts Fair and the Feira de Artesanato, where local makers show their work. Seek out the workshops and studios associated with Cássio, Paris, Assis, Sakai, Gama, Solano Trindade and Ana Moysés. Take your time; the Plan is to let the day unfold at an unhurried pace.
Day three: Use the day to explore beyond the centre. Take Rodovia Régis Bittencourt (BR) toward Curitiba, or head to Taboão, Serra, Itapecerica, An, Av. Francisco Morato, Tietê, Anhangabaú or Capão Redondo. You can drive, or use EMTU services. Fares vary, so check before you set out. Driving gives you the most flexibility for a final loop through the region.