The Nice Guy’s Guide to Meeting Women in Sao Paulo (Brazil)

Sao Paulo (Brazil) is not the most touristic city, but it’s a huge transport hub. Connecting flights pass through Guarulhos Airport daily. Moreover, it’s the largest city in Brazil, and one of the largest in the world. There’s a confluence of many different cultures. It can be hard to get bored in Sao Paulo – if you know where the fun neighborhoods are. Still, nightlife is seasonal, and around Christmas, locals leaves the city as it gets empty. To summarize: It’s a more dangerous version of London or New York, at cheaper prices, with better weather. And of course it’s Portuguese – not English.

Sao Paulo Women

Sao Paulo has a lot of different types of women. There are especially a lot of Italian descendants in Sao Paulo (more than in any other Brazilian city). These are generally warm-blooded girls. Passionate, sexual and free-spirited.  Then there are the third generation Japanese girls, whose grandparents immigrated from Japan. These women see themselves as Brazilian instead of Japanese. They don’t speak Japanese, never visit Japan, and their personalities are similar to Brazilian women. I recently met a girl with one Italian parent and one Japanese parent – an attractive genetic specimen.

Sao Paulo also has a lot of women of Portuguese descent (since this is Brazil). They usually have slightly darker hair than the more blonde (or light-brunette) Italians. But, in Sao Paulo’s “dating marketplace” (both on- and offline), they are a little scarcer than the Italian girls. Next, there are plenty of Mestizas (mixed) and a lot of indigenous Brazilian girls as well. Mestiza could mean Portuguese mixed with Japanese or Indigenous Brazilian mixed with Italian. But not Portuguese mixed with Italian – since all the ancestors are still from Europe.

In Sampa (nickname of Sao Paulo) the girls are not the tallest, nor the shortest women in the world. Moreover, they’re generally built in an attractive way. Every second girl you meet in this city will be friendly to your cold approach numbers game (+- 50% of approaches). While in Belo Horizonte, it can be 90% of women (at night). In addition, Sao Paulo has a better nightlife compared to Rio de Janeiro. Rio doesn’t have a (relatively upmarket) Vila Madalena where you can go party every weekend, do street game, and meet cute girls without paying entrance fees.

Sao Paulo Women Languages

Girls often pretend they don’t speak English. However, if you can say a few sentences in Portuguese, they may open up, and start conversing in broken English. Yet, if the girl says she doesn’t speak English, it’s often a way of blowing you off. Most educated Sao Paulo women are capable of (at the very least) a broken form of English. On the other hand, some young cute shop assistants genuinely couldn’t help me in English – even if it meant they lost the sale. This may be due to the fact that public schools in Brazil are of low quality. They barely teach kids any English. To get a good bilingual education, your parents would have to put you in an expensive private school. Thus you’ll find the educated girls mostly in upscale neighborhoods like Itaim Bibi and Vila Madalena.

Sao Paulo (Brazilian) Sexual Culture

The sexual culture is more open than in a lot of other countries. In general, Brazilian girls are much less prudish, and first date sex is very normal. But at the same time, apart from thongs at the beach, Brazilians don’t embrace non-sexual nudity with strangers (as they do e.g. in Germany). The vibe is more like: You can be naked with anyone you like, but only in the context of sex. Don’t draw the conclusion that you can simply walk up to a Brazilian girl and say: “let’s go f#ck”. But once you get them out on a date, it is often smooth sailing. These observations definitely apply to Sao Paulo, as well as further up north in the country. However, in the South, cities like Curitiba are more subdued.

Sao Paulo Nightlife

I stayed in Pinheiros this time around since it’s in-between the two most interesting areas, Vila Madalena (for nightlife), and Rua Augusta (for street food) / Av. Paulista (busiest day-life).

Close to my Airbnb, there was Lar Mar (translated: Sea Home). A modern bar, with a seated and standing section. Part of the standing section is a cool fake beach with sand. On a Thursday at 9 pm, it had a typical after-work party vibe. It has good potential, but since it’s still relatively small inside, you should have a wing to keep you entertained in between approaches. Otherwise, you may exhaust all your approach options too quickly. Moreover, there was a lot of 2-sets (two girls standing together & socializing).

Vila Madalena

If you are not happy with nightgame in Vila Madalena then you won’t be happy with Sao Paulo’s nightlife. It’s as good as it gets over here. Girls were not that bitchy in Vila Madalena, apart from the beginning of the night when you are still stifled and warming up.

The best part of Vila Madalena is the fun streetgame. For this, the best area is Rua Aspicuelta. Especially where you find bars such as Seus Domingos. Right outside this bar is a nice place to mellow out. Then walk down to the other bars e.g. Boteco Todos Os Santos, while meeting a few girls along the way. It’s worth mentioning that the streetgame is not as cool in the middle of Winter (around June), as it is in Summer. When it’s cold outside at night, women are less keen on standing outside and drinking.

Vila Madalena is more chilled and down to earth than Itaim Bibi (the most upmarket party area). Feel free to wear relaxed clothing, like tank-tops in summer, and shorts (but keep the shoes on).

The main shortcoming of Vila Madalena is the lack of streetfood if you get hungry at night. This is the only way in which Rua Augusta beats Vila Madalena.

Rua Augusta

Unlike in Vila Madalena, in Rua Augusta you could pretty much wear your worst clothes, and still fit in. But Augusta street has a bad gender ratio, and the women aren’t as attractive. Both my Airbnb host and a comment on my Rio post, suggest it’s a gay neighborhood at night. It does have the best street food in Sao Paulo, e.g. at Boardwalk Urbanoid. Here you can also get a drink and take a Tinder date when it’s not too busy. Furthermore, the side-streets have more date-night bar options, places to get to know someone in a fun environment, without spending a lot.

Itaim Bibi

Itaim Bibi is the most expensive nightlife neighborhood. Similarly, Vila Olimpia is sometimes mentioned for its bars, but it’s simply a part of Itaim Bibi.  This area is very posh and upmarket. If you wanna let loose and have a lot of fun, you may have to spend a lot of money. This includes entrance fees which can, at times, be between 60 Reals and 100 Reals. However, many bars there do have free entry.

A lot of rich companies are headquartered in Itaim Bibi, thus it’s mostly a working crowd at night. More men than women were out, when I visited on a busy Thursday night. The gender ratio is of course still much better than Rua Augusta… And everyone is more well-dressed (e.g. long jeans and shirt). At Itaim Bibi the fact that there are more men than women out is more a Sao Paulo cultural thing. Men prefer to drink beer outside in rowdy bars, while women would prefer to sit inside or pay entrance fees to go to classy venues for a fruity Caipirinha. Weekends may be better.

Of course, in São Paulo there are isolated clubs dispersed through the city as well, outside of the traditional nightlife areas, such as:

• D.Edge: Famous large dance nightclub – can get very crowded. Not cheap to go inside (around 80 Reals or more).
• Lions Club: Upscale EDM club with dance floor and lounges. Close to Liberdade Metro.
• Tokyo Club: Close to Rua Augusta. Long line on weekends (late at night). Mostly a young crowd. More than one floor with Karaoke, Lounge Bar and Dance music.

 

São Paulo Daygame

Sao Paulo isn’t a Daygame city. Avenida Paulista is the most obvious daygame choice. It’s surrounded by shopping centers, historic buildings, and even a park where the original jungle vegetation of Sao Paulo can still be found. The downside is women walk briskly in this street because there are beggars and pickpockets. Thus chicks have their defences up. You’ll still number-close, but comparatively it’s not the best place in the world for daygame, at all. On Sundays, Avenida Paulista is closed for cars, and only open to pedestrians. Problem is, that it’s not the hottest girls that hang out there. It also depends on what time of the year you visit. On some Sundays, quality can be higher than others. With bad weather (e.g. summer rains), don’t bother.

I prefer the shopping malls instead of Avenida Paulista. Partly because it wouldn’t only be about picking up girls. I can maybe buy something interesting, and co-incidentally meet a cute girl or a hot shop assistant. While the other option is walking at least 10 to 15 minutes in Av. Paulista, before I see one or two attractive women (if I’m lucky).

Also, check Liberdade’s Japanese market (at Liberdade Metro) for daygame opportunities during weekends. In this neighborhood, you can meet a few cute Asian Brazilian girls.

Plus, apparently Ibirapuera Park is busy weekends. It was quiet during the week when I visited, but I still got an approach in. This park reminds of the “Englischer Garten” in Munich, Germany (without the swimming).

Rua Augusta, a hipster food street in the daytime, has some vagrants, and here and there a cute girl, but the women still have their guards up due to petty crimes in this area.

Talking about tourist activities, Beco do Batman is a famous alley in Vila Madalena, full of graffiti. But in the daytime, Vila Madalena is neither touristic nor great for daygame.

In conclusion, for daygame, see the sights and activities that you want to do, and then do some approaches as a natural part of your excursion.

Online game

Online Dating is something else in Sao Paulo. Being one of the world’s largest cities, there’s an endless supply of single girls on dating apps. The hookup culture is very strong. There’s gotta be some catch? The city gets boring after a while, and secondly, warnings like these, clearly spelled out in Portuguese, are normal in Sao Paulo’s Airbnbs:

“No Online Dating App Visitors Allowed in this Airbnb”

Or in Portuguese: “Não é permitido trazer visitantes / convidados” 

(Often adding the word “aplicativos” – to spell out that they are referring to online dating app visitors).

The Anti-Online Dating visitor sentiment in Sao Paulo’s Airbnb’s is stronger than anywhere else in the world. Hosts obviously don’t like guests having sex with a different girl every other day in the guest room. Thus read the fine print when you reserve an apartment. Usually, if you reserve the entire place for yourself, and not only a room, you can bring guests over. Yet, inexplicably, in Sao Paulo, many hosts would have a problem with this even if you rent the whole apartment. Avoid these hosts. Who knows why… There are probably security concerns.

Which Dating App Should You Use?

I’ve had the most success in Sao Paulo with Tinder and Bumble. You could also try Happn (which was popular in Rio). These are the best choices in Sao Paulo – you can install them for free on your smartphone.

For more website-oriented dating, you may also enjoy Victoria Milan Dating. Register a free profile to see if you like it, then set up a few dates before you even arrive in Sao Paulo.

To avoid fake profiles (this applies to all apps, including Tinder), look for profiles with more than only 1 photo. If a profile has only 1 pic, don’t waste time. Plus, another good sign of a genuine profile is if one of the girl’s photos was taken in the city, or country, you are swiping her in. Unless she’s a tourist like you.

Accommodation in Sao Paulo

Rua Augusta is better for your wallet and budget. Plus the food has the best taste and value in Sao Paulo. But nightlife is generally not good.

Pinheiros or Vila Madalena has much better nightlife, but in the daytime, restaurants are more expensive. If you have a kitchen, you can cook. But it’s not really much cheaper to make your own food. Gyms are more expensive here than in Rua Augusta.

Liberdade is the Japanese neighborhood. If you are only after Asian girls and Asian food, this is a good place to stay, otherwise its a little far out from Vila Madalena and Avenida Paulista.

Itaim Bibi: This upmarket neighborhood is too far from Vila Madalena, Avenida Paulista, and Rua Augusta. And it’s not touristic. I’ll stay here if you are a rich millionaire and you want to go to the top-end clubs and bars every night. Also, if it’s not a problem continuously paying taxis to go to the city center.

 

Field Report Sao Paulo: The Brazilian Japanese Girl

 

The Culture of Arriving Late

This cute Brazilian Japanese girl warmed up in the texting (on the Bumble App), e.g. sending kiss-emojis. The Friday night, we agree to meet at 7 pm at a Rua Augusta bar. Yet, she makes me wait until 8h10pm due to traffic delays. So, while waiting I tell her to come directly to my apartment, I’m not going to wait at the bar.

Around this time, I got thoughts like: “Is this girl a catfish f#ckin with me…?” Why is she more than 1 hour late? But apparently, Sao Paulo’s traffic can be really bad Friday nights (with a shortage of taxis). 1 hour was actually still O.K. Another Brazilian Japanese girl made me wait 2 hours recently. In most other countries, this would be a definite flake (or catfish). But in Sao Paulo, being late is part of the local culture (at least with regards to the Brazilian Japanese girls).

Make a Small Effort

So, she shows up at my Airbnb. I suggest she comes in immediately, but she wants to get a drink at a bar first. I go with it, to help her relax and wind down. I tend to date upper-class and highly educated women. These girls like to see you make a small effort to get to know them before they have sex.

We find a bar in a side-street of Rua Augusta, close to my Airbnb room. The only seats available were face to face with her, outside on the sidewalk. I enjoy the low-budget romantic Paris vibe you sometimes feel in the slightly more upscale bars close to Av. Paulista. She orders a Japanese Sake Wine Caipirinha, while I grab a beer. After a flirty conversation, I decide to pay the (relatively inexpensive) drinks as she doesn’t immediately look too eager to pay. She did pay her own taxi fare back and forth.

Who Should Pay? If a girl has a nice warm vibe and wants you to pay for the drinks, it’s not a bad sign. She knows you’re going to have fun later in the night, thus it shouldn’t matter who pays. But, if you get a cold vibe on the date, then don’t pay. She wants to take advantage of you.

I now invite her to drink wine in my Airbnb, and she feels its a good idea.

The Awkwardness of Bad Logistics

As we are about to go inside, I cross fingers and hope I won’t awkwardly stumble upon the Airbnb Host. He didn’t declare the “no-visitor rules” up front on the listing – thus I’m not really doing anything wrong.

I take the girl inside anyway and lead her to my room. She goes to sit inside on a chair, out of direct view of the door. Shortly afterward, I hear the host’s footsteps in the hall. He is probably investigating who came inside his house. I say “hello” through the partially open door, act normal, and then close the door. Meanwhile, the Japanese girl, out of view, saw the Airbnb rules plastered against the wall, in the same place I noticed it the first time earlier that day – “no guests allowed”. I tell her that it’s not applicable to me, but only to the short-term guests who come for two or three days.

Tight …Consummated …The End

We listen to some music on my laptop, becoming more comfortable with each other. She doesn’t give me any LMR. I escalate physically and we take all our clothes off. My bladder was feeling full, but it was more important to close, with the Airbnb host potentially hovering outside in the hallway… She’s probably the tightest girl I’ve ever been with. Thus she asks me to slow down because my size was hurting her.

So, we consummate the relationship. After, I go to the shared bathroom down the hall. Next, she goes to the bathroom as well, while I stand on guard keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of the host. Eventually, we end the night and she gets a taxi home.

Although my logistics was less than optimal, it was still 50 to 100% better than a hostel – which is usually a no-go zone for your online dates.

Conclusion

You can have the time of your life in Sao Paulo, especially if you have decent online game. The reason is, there are so many cute girls of Western European descent. At the same time, they have the feisty and warm latina attitude towards hooking up (= sex-positivity). A great mix of values and looks. If you stay in Sampa a little longer than only 4 or 5 days, you’ll also notice the nightgame potential. And since women work during the daytime in this industrious city, weekends will be your best bet for daygame.

Appendix: Crime in Sao Paulo

Watch your pockets, and be careful of the dangerous neighborhoods around the city center (“Centro”). Don’t go to shady places for Online Dates. Have I experienced any crime? Luckily no, except a few dumbass cashiers trying to short-change me. Moreover, I saw mob-justice in action at Avenida Paulista. A girl was confronting a guy who tried to pick-pocket her, or otherwise, maybe he grabbed her ass. Next, a group of guys storm towards the scene and start beating him up. This sorta thing won’t (easily) happen unprovoked, but use caution, this ain’t the first world.

Have you ever visited Sao Paulo (Brazil)? Do you have any further tips for visitors to this city? Or Questions? Comment below!

For up-to-date, fresh August 2021 info about dating, mating and traveling in Brazil – buy my e-book, which complements the website content: The Nice Guy’s Guide To Meeting Brazilian Women (2nd edition).