Raposo Tavares is a city located in the São Paulo region of Brazil. It is named after António Raposo Tavares (1598–1658), a Portuguese bandeirante known as "the Elder."
Tavares was a significant historical figure who explored mainland eastern South America to claim territory for Portugal, extending the colony's reach beyond the Treaty of Tordesillas. He is noted for leading one of the largest expeditions in the Americas, covering over 10,000 kilometers and unifying the two large South American river basins and the Andes in a single voyage.
His travels originated from São Paulo toward the rivers of the Río de la Plata Basin and the Andean slopes, eventually reaching Belém at the mouth of the Amazon. Historical accounts suggest that Tavares was partly of Jewish origin.