Located in São Paulo state, this riverside city has a 13-meter waterfall in its center and is known for its fishing culture and fresh fish restaurants.
Piracicaba in São Paulo state attracts visitors with sugarcane fields, the Piracicaba River, and annual festivals like the Festa das Nações. From April to June, you can watch fish like dourado swim upstream near the city’s waterfalls, a behavior that inspired its Tupi-guarani name meaning "place where the fish stops." The Festa das Nações fills streets with Japanese takoyaki, Lebanese kibbeh, and Italian gelato each May. At the Salão Internacional do Humor, see over 2,000 political cartoons from artists in countries like Argentina and South Korea. Temperatures rarely drop below 15°C, making it easy to explore cachaça distilleries or attend football matches at Barão de Serra Negra Stadium, which seats 25,000 spectators.
Festivals and Cultural Activities
Each May, the Festa das Nações takes over the city with food stalls from Japan, Lebanon, Italy, and more. Try Brazilian pastel stuffed with shrimp alongside Ukrainian borscht while musicians play samba or forró nearby. The Salão Internacional do Humor displays satirical artwork in the Engenho Central, a red-brick building that once processed sugarcane. Since 1974, this event has collected cartoons critiquing global politics, with categories for digital art and traditional sketches. The Engenho Central, a 19th-century sugar mill, now hosts theater workshops and open-air concerts under its arched walkways.
Sugarcane Farming and Distillery Tours
Sugarcane covers much of Piracicaba’s countryside, supporting factories that make sugar, ethanol, and cachaça. At distilleries like Engenho d’Água, watch workers grind cane juice and ferment it in open vats for three days. Many producers age cachaça in amburana wood barrels, which give the spirit a spicy, cinnamon-like flavor. The Agricultural College of Luiz de Queiroz, founded in 1901, tests crop rotation methods to reduce soil erosion in nearby fields. Students here study how to grow sugarcane using 30% less water than traditional methods.
River Areas and Parks
Walk along the Piracicaba River’s paved path to see the Curupira waterfall and the Mirante viewpoint, which overlooks rocky rapids. Between November and March, a concrete fish ladder helps species like pintado bypass the dam to reach spawning grounds upstream. Tanquinho Ecological Park has short trails under jequitibá and ipê trees, some over 100 years old. Pedro Morganti Airport, 8 kilometers from downtown, lets pilots rent Cessna planes for aerial views of the region’s checkerboard farms. Light rain falls about 120 days a year, keeping grass green even in July.
Sports and Local Recreation
Join 10,000 fans at Barão de Serra Negra Stadium during the Paulista Championship to watch Piracicaba’s team play rivals like Ponte Preta. In November, the Piracicaba Tennis Challenger tournament draws players from Europe and South America to compete on red clay courts. Public sports centers provide free swimming pools and basketball courts, often busy on weekends. Pedro Morganti Airport hosts occasional fly-ins where pilots park vintage planes like the 1940s T-6 Texan for public viewing. Gyms in the city center teach capoeira, mixing martial arts with Afro-Brazilian drumming rhythms.
Travel Tips and Transportation
Fly into Viracopos-Campinas International Airport, 70 kilometers away, then take a bus or taxi to Piracicaba. While Portuguese dominates, you’ll find English menus at restaurants near Engenho Central and the riverwalk. Pedro Morganti Airport requires advance notice for private flights; its 1,200-meter runway accommodates turboprops like the King Air 350. Buses to São Paulo leave hourly from the terminal on Avenida Armando de Salles Oliveira, taking three hours. Check event calendars before your trip, as hotels fill up quickly during the Festa das Nações in May and the Humor Exhibition in August.
