Stand on Praça Bento Quirino and you are standing where Campinas began. The square, also known as Largo do Carmo, holds the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, the old school buildings and the grave of the opera composer Carlos Gomes, all within a few steps of each other.
Campinas suits travellers who like their history mixed with everyday city life. The centre is dense with 19th-century mansions and churches from the coffee era, while the districts to the north hold large parks, a planetarium and a lake. This guide covers the sights named in the source material, with practical notes on how to fit them together.
Top things to do in Campinas
1. Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception
Inaugurated in 1883 after more than seventy years of construction and finished by the local architect Ramos de Azevedo, the cathedral has a Neoclassical façade and a Baroque interior. It is unusual among Brazilian churches in being entirely sculpted and carved in dark jacaranda wood.
It sits on Praça José Bonifácio, so pair it with a walk through the surrounding downtown streets. Check ahead for the times it is open to visitors.
2. Praça Bento Quirino
This public square, also called Largo do Carmo, is where Campinas was founded in 1773. It contains the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Colégio Bento Quirino, the Jóquei Clube Campineiro, a monument to the politician Bento Quirino, and the graveyard and monument of the composer Carlos Gomes.
Some of these sit in the adjacent Praça Antonio Pompeo, so allow time to cross between the two rather than treating the square as a single stop.
3. Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo
The former central church of Campinas, inaugurated at the foundation of the city, though much of the building was reconstructed in 1939, which gave it its current neo-Gothic appearance. The interior is decorated and open to visitors seven days a week.
Entry is free. Check the website for the timetable before you go, since opening hours vary.
4. Parque do Taquaral (Parque Portugal)
A large park on Avenida Dr. Heitor Penteado, popular with locals for running, walking and cycling, and well suited to families with children. It holds several attractions in one place: the Lagoa do Taquaral, also known as Lagoa Isaura Teles Alves de Lima; three kilometres of track carrying four historic electric trams that served the city from 1912 to 1968; the conch-shaped Beethoven Amphitheater; and the Campinas Planetarium, in a pyramid-shaped building.
The planetarium is open Monday to Friday 08:30–12:00 and 13:00–17:30, and Sunday 15:30–17:00. Combine the park with Largo do Café next door.
5. Largo do Café and Museu do Café
A wooded park beside Parque do Taquaral, good for birdspotting, a relaxed stroll or a quiet read. It contains the Museu do Café at Avenida Dr. Heitor Penteado, 2145.
The museum covers the history of the city and São Paulo State, the products cultivated here and their effect on the state and national economy and politics, and especially the people who made it possible: slaves, immigrants and their descendants. Visit it in the same outing as the park.
6. Bosque dos Jequitibás
A public park and Atlantic rainforest reserve just adjacent to downtown, installed in 1881. It contains several attractions in one visit: the Campinas Aquarium, the Casa do Caboclo (a historical rural house), the Campinas Natural History Museum, a theatre for children and a minizoo.
Because it sits next to the centre, it works well as a green break between downtown sights rather than a separate trip.
7. Campinas Central Station (Estação Cultura - Prefeito Antonio da Costa Santos)
The city's central train station, inaugurated in 1872 and deactivated in 2001, and one of the main postcards of Campinas. It now hosts a cultural centre that is used sporadically.
It stands on Praça Marechal Floriano Peixoto. Pair it with the Palácio da Mogiana, which together keep the memory of rail transport in the region alive.
8. Palácio da Mogiana
An eclectic-style palace built in 1910 as the headquarters of the Companhia Mogiana de Estradas de Ferro. The company ended its activities in 1972, and the building now stands with the central station as a reminder of the region's rail history.
It is on Avenida Dr. Campos Sales, so it fits naturally into the same downtown walk as the station.
9. Museu da Cidade
Campinas' city museum, occupying the old Lidgerwood Manufacturing factory, built in 1868 and deactivated in 1922. It is dedicated to the history and culture of the city, including the native-Brazilian communities that inhabited the area.
It is on Avenida Andrade Neves and opens Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00 and Saturday 09:00–15:30.
10. Museu de Imagem e Som de Campinas (Palácio dos Azulejos)
The city's image and sound museum, housed in a colonial-style mansion on Rua Regente Feijó. It contains one of the few cinemas in the city where you can watch non-mainstream films.
It is open 09:00–20:00. A good option for the evening if you want to end a day of sightseeing with a film.
11. Igreja de São Benedito
A church built in 1885 in neoromantic style, intended as a Catholic temple for Afro-Brazilian slaves and finished shortly before the end of slavery in Brazil. In front of it stands the "Mãe-Preta" statue, constructed by freed Afro-Brazilians.
It is on Rua Cônego Cipião in the centre, and the statue in front is easy to miss if you only look at the façade.
12. Solar do Visconde de Indaiatuba
Built in 1846 in colonial style as the residence of a well-known aristocrat, on Rua Barão de Jaguara. It now functions as a public notary.
Because it is a working office, treat it as a building to see from the street as part of a downtown walk rather than a site to tour inside.
13. Solar do Barão de Itapura
A mansion built in 1883 in Renaissance style for a local aristocrat, on Rua Marechal Deodoro. It now hosts a private university.
Like the other solar buildings in the centre, it is best appreciated as part of a route through the streets that hold the coffee-era architecture.
14. Jóquei Clube Campineiro
The social quarters of the Campinas Jockey Club, built in 1925 in eclectic style with art nouveau and neo-Renaissance elements. The building maintains its original function.
It stands on Praça Antonio Pompeo, next to Praça Bento Quirino, so it can be seen in the same stop as the square where the city was founded.
15. Monsenhor Emílio José Salim Ecological Park
A park on Rodovia Heitor Penteado that used to be part of an old coffee farm called "Mato Dentro", landscaped by the Brazilian landscape designer Burle Marx. It contains the "Casa Grande" museum, housed in what was the farm owners' residence, where you can see the contrast between the lifestyles of the owners and the workers, as well as the local environment and ecology.
There are several walking routes through the park, so set aside more time here than for a downtown stop.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Praça Bento Quirino, where Campinas was founded, and see the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo and the Jóquei Clube Campineiro on and around the square. Walk from there to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Conception on Praça José Bonifácio, then continue through the centre to the Solar do Visconde de Indaiatuba and the Solar do Barão de Itapura.
Afternoon: Visit the Museu da Cidade, then walk to the Campinas Central Station and the Palácio da Mogiana for the rail history of the region. Finish the afternoon at the Bosque dos Jequitibás, next to downtown, where you can see the aquarium, the Casa do Caboclo, the natural history museum and the minizoo.
Evening: Head to Parque do Taquaral for the Lagoa do Taquaral and the Beethoven Amphitheater, and check the Campinas Planetarium timetable if a session falls on your day. If you would rather end indoors, the Museu de Imagem e Som de Campinas is open until 20:00 and shows non-mainstream films.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year to visit Campinas?
The wet season runs from mid-October to mid-April, with heavier rain in December, January, February and early March. The dry season runs from mid-May to mid-September, and August is the driest month. Winters are generally dry and mild, while summers are rainy and warm to hot.
Do I need to book ahead for any of these sights?
Visiting the interior of EsPCEx is only possible by appointment, though visiting the annex church does not require one. For the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo, check the website for the timetable, as opening hours vary.
Which sights are close enough to combine in one walk?
Praça Bento Quirino, the Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Carmo and the Jóquei Clube Campineiro sit together, with some features in the adjacent Praça Antonio Pompeo. The Campinas Central Station and the Palácio da Mogiana also pair naturally. Parque do Taquaral and Largo do Café, with the Museu do Café, are next to each other.
What can I do in Campinas with children?
Parque do Taquaral is well recommended for kids and is a favourite with families, and it holds the electric trams, the Beethoven Amphitheater and the planetarium. The Bosque dos Jequitibás adds an aquarium, a minizoo and a theatre for children.
Use this list to sketch your route, check the timetables for the places that need them, and start planning your days in Campinas.