Mogi das Cruzes
Introduction
Mogi das Cruzes is a municipality in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, sitting within the metropolitan region of the state capital and about 40 km east of the city of São Paulo. Founded in 1560 by the bandeirantes, it is a sprawling place that takes in many rural areas, forming the easternmost arm of the São Paulo conurbation as seen on satellite images.
The suburban core is generally understood to lie in the César de Souza and Brás Cubas districts, which together read as the center of town and a city within the municipality, arranged in a horizontal line east of the built-up area of Suzano.
Before you go
Mogi das Cruzes sits within the São Paulo metropolitan area and marks the first major city along the Tietê river, the central waterway of São Paulo city itself. The city is wrapped in hills and a large remnant of the Atlantic rainforest, and much of its land is environmentally preserved. If you like spending time outdoors, plan for city parks and natural parks, trails leading to rocky outcrops and on toward neighbouring towns such as Salesópolis, Biritiba Mirim and Guararema, waterfalls, and the Urubu peak, which offers a panoramic view over the region. Fishing is also popular in one of the lakes formed by the hydroelectric dam.
Before you arrive, it helps to know that Mogi's roots reach back to the 16th century, when the bandeirantes used the area as a resting point between expeditions, and that its population has mixed origins. Japanese immigration is commemorated in monuments, and a mosque stands in the city. The surrounding farmland supplies vegetables to São Paulo city, and Mogi is a major mushroom producer. If your visit includes a Sunday, the Producer Market draws buyers from neighbouring cities and even from São Paulo, who come for fresh food and ingredients found only there.
Getting there
You can reach Mogi das Cruzes by car via the SP-66, SP-70, SP-88, or SP-98 highways. By rail, the CPTM coral line (line 11) serves the city, with four stations to choose from depending on where you want to end up.
- Jundiapeba – a simple neighbourhood with some remaining 19th-century train worker houses; public security around the station is not as good as elsewhere in town.
- Braz Cubas – a simple residential district, close to Leon Feffer Park.
- Mogi das Cruzes – the downtown station on Praça Sacadura Cabral; convenient for the Municipal Market, most downtown shops, Asian product shops, the Catedral de Sant'Ana, Carmo Church, and Theatro Vasques.
- Estudantes – the last station on the line, named for the two private universities it sits between and close to the shopping mall; transfer here to the Estudantes bus terminal for city buses, intercity buses to neighbouring towns, or long-distance buses to Guararema, Jacareí, Aparecida, and Bertioga.
Getting around
Mogi das Cruzes is sprawling and includes rural districts, so how you get around depends on whether you're staying in the urban core or heading out into the countryside. The CPTM train line 11 (Coral) is the backbone of public transport, running from São Paulo and stopping at four stations in the city, so you can use it both to arrive from the capital and to move between neighbourhoods. Jundiapeba Station serves the Jundiapeba neighbourhood, a simple area with some remaining 19th-century train-worker houses, though public security around this station is not as good as elsewhere. Braz Cubas Station sits in a simple residential district close to Leon Feffer Park. Mogi das Cruzes Station is the downtown stop, on Praça Sacadura Cabral in the Centro, within walking distance of the Municipal Market, most downtown shops, Asian product shops, the Catedral de Sant'Ana, Carmo Church and Theatro Vasques. Estudantes Station is the last on the line, between two private universities and near the shopping mall; it's the key interchange, where you can transfer to the Estudantes bus terminal for city buses, intercity buses to neighbouring towns, and long-distance buses to Guararema, Jacareí, Aparecida and Bertioga.
Buses are the main way to get around the city itself, and most places can be reached this way. During the week, buses around downtown generally run at 10–20 minute intervals; on weekends frequencies drop significantly, and even in rural areas you may wait at least 90 minutes. Most lines operate between roughly early morning and late night, so consult the bus schedule before setting out. There are two main terminals: Terminal Central, the central bus terminal for city buses, where services from the Sabaúna district and the Serra do Mar near the borders with Bertioga arrive and depart; and Terminal Estudantes, by the long-distance and intercity bus terminals and at the last station of the Coral line, served by buses from urban neighbourhoods and rural areas, including places with trekking trails, waterfalls and the Casarão do Chá, an old tea factory. A circular bus connects the two terminals. If you're driving, several state highways serve the municipality — SP-66, SP-70, SP-88 and SP-98 — and given how spread out the city is and how limited weekend bus service can be, a car is useful for reaching rural districts and outlying attractions. Walking works well in the downtown core, but beyond the centre the city is too sprawling for walking to cover the whole municipality.
Where to stay
For a straightforward stay, base yourself at the ibis Mogi das Cruzes Shopping on Avenida Vereador Narciso Yague Guimarães in Vila Partenio. The location puts you close to Estudantes station and the bus terminal, which makes it convenient if you are arriving or leaving by train or coach, and it sits near a Davo supermarket and a shopping mall for everyday supplies and meals.
Food & drink
Mogi das Cruzes eats somewhat diversely for its size, and the Arab influence stands out compared with neighbouring towns. In the centre you can try Thayb Doces Árabes for authentic Arab cooking and sweets, including shwarma, falafel and halawi, with a different lunch meal set each weekday. Japanese kitchens are represented too: MN Lamen in the centre serves lamen, teishoku and gyoza, and Karin Lámen is over in Jardim Armenia. For carefully prepared Brazilian food, Bisa Maria Gastronomia in Parque Monte Libano is worth knowing about, and lunch combos there cost much less than dinner.
You can eat relatively cheaply downtown and in the residential areas, while prices climb around the shopping mall. Cold treats are easy to find: Goliat Gelato & Coffee in Parque Monte Libano makes good gelato-style ice cream with lactose-free and sugar-free options, Tropical Açaí & Sorvete in Vila Ipiranga is a cozy spot for açaí and ice cream, and Açaí da Barra has a branch on Praça Monsenhor Roque Pinto de Barros in the centre, also with sugar-free choices. On Sundays, the Producer Market on Avenida Pref. Carlos Ferreira Lopes in Vila Mogilar draws a crowd from the neighbouring cities and even São Paulo for fresh vegetables, mushrooms, flowers, plants, fish and seafood, plus processed food and stalls selling pastel, sugarcane juice, hamburgers, baozi, dumplings and paella. For coffee, Cheirin Bão Mogi das Cruzes on Rua Padre João is a Minas Gerais themed coffee shop with different blends and brewing options.
What to see and do
Mogi das Cruzes rewards those who head outdoors. Start in the city itself at the Centennial Park of Japanese Immigration, a sprawling green space with lakes, walking trails and playgrounds, plus a museum and a replica of the Kasato Maru, the ship that brought the first Japanese immigrants to Brazil. The Leon Feffer Park, set beside the Tietê River, offers riverbank forest, kiosks, sports courts, a skate park and a lake, while the Casarão do Chá, a former tea factory turned cultural centre, hosts exhibitions, festivals and plays among its surrounding tea trees. For panoramic views, climb or drive up Urubu Peak, the highest point in the city, where paragliders gather at weekends and clear days reveal the Serra do Mar. If you prefer quieter trails, Pedra do Lagarto is a good alternative to Urubu, with narrower paths, two large rocks at the top and butterflies along the access road from early spring to late autumn. Pedra Grande da Quatinga offers views over the surrounding green areas on the way to Paranapiacaba, and the Trilha da Aranha leads steeply down into the valley on the far side of Urubu. You can also cross the Tietê River to watch birds and capybaras, or hike from the Sabaúna district to neighbouring Guararema along a route that forms part of the Rota da Luz pilgrimage path. The Pedra do Sapo trail, reached from the village of Manoel Ferreira, ends at a curiously shaped rock and connects to several other trails. Further afield, the private Neblinas Park, on the boundary with Bertioga, requires booking and offers guided nature trails, mountain biking and canoeing. In the Sabaúna district itself, a onetime mineral-shipping village, you can visit the deactivated quarry and its small waterfall, see the old train station, and settle in at the bakeries, bars and restaurants for rustic bread or feijoada.Three days in Mogi das Cruzes
Day one: Arrive in Mogi das Cruzes from São Paulo, easily reached by CPTM train, and settle into the city centre. Start at Praça Sacadura Cabral, then visit the Municipal Market and the nearby Asian shops and restaurants that reflect the Japanese community's long presence here. In the afternoon, walk to the Catedral de Sant'Ana and the Carmo Church, and if you have energy left, catch a performance at Theatro Vasques.
Day two: Head out to Leon Feffer Park for a morning among greenery, then continue to the Sunday Producer Market if your visit falls on a Sunday, where local producers sell fresh food and crafts. Later, explore the neighbourhoods of Jundiapeba and Braz Cubas, both on the CPTM line, to see everyday life beyond the centre. Return to Mogi for dinner.
Day three: Take a day trip along the Tietê river towards Salesópolis, Biritiba Mirim or Guararema, all within reach of Mogi. The river's source lies near Salesópolis, and the surrounding Atlantic forest landscape offers a change of pace from the city. If time allows, stop at the Urubu river area for fishing before heading back to São Paulo.