Campinas Attractions

Agricultural Institute

Agricultural Research Center

To the north of the city center, in the district of Guanabara, is the Agricultural Institute, which carries out important agricultural research (guided tours by appointment). On Avenida Brasil is the Agricultural Research Center (Fazenda Santa Eliza).

Also in the city center, in Praça Bento Quirino, are a monument to the Campinas-born composer Carlos Gomes (1836-96) and his tomb.

Avenida Dr Costa Aguiar runs through the city center to Praça José Bonifácio. On this square is the Cathedral, built in 1883, with a classical-style façade and a neo-Baroque interior.

Cultural Center

Avenida General Osório leads to Praças Carlos Gomes and Imprensa Fluminense, in which craft and antiques markets are held. In the later square is the Cultural Center (Centro de Convivància), with a theatre and an art gallery; this is also the home of the Municipal Symphony Orchestra.

Avenidas Campos Salles and General Osório and Rua Bernardino de Campos run north-west parallel to Avenida Costa Aguiar. On Avenida Campos Salles is the Museu Histórico Campos Salles, in Rua Bernardino de Campos the Museu Carlos Gomes.

Museum of Contemporary Art

On Avenida Benjamin Constant, which cuts diagonally across the city, are the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Market Hall of 1908.

Parque Portugal

In the Bairro Parque Taquaral, in the north of the city (entrance in Avenida Heitor Penteado), is the Parque Portugal, with Lake Taquaral, the largest in Campinas. Here pedalos can be hired, and there are also a small tramway system, a carting track, a swimming pool, a roller-skating rink, a gymnasium and a planetarium.

Prefecture Palácio dos Azulejos

The Prefecture lies just beyond the intersection of Avenida Benjamin Constant with Avenida Anchieta, which runs north-south. The former Prefecture, the Palácio dos Azulejos (1870), in Rua Regente Feijó, is one of the most handsome buildings in the city.

Sights in Campinas

The FEPASA (São Paulo State Railways) station (1887) is south-west of the city center on Praça Marechal Floriano Peixoto, near the access road to the Anhanguera and Bandeirantes expressways.

Recantos dos Pássaros

Around Praças Carlos Gomes and Imprensa Fluminense are six recantos dos pássaros ("bird corners") - gardens frequented by song thrushes, goldfinches, coal tits and other wild birds.

There are other similar gardens in Largo de Pará (on Via Norte-Sul), Chácara da Barra and the Jardim dos Chapadões.

Observatory

The Rio Atibaia flows through the district of Souzas, 12km/7.5mi north-east of Campinas. 20km/12.4mi beyond this, in the district of Joaquim Egídio, is the Capricórnio Observatory.

Holambra

Holambra is a farming and stock-rearing co-operative whose land, with a total area of 15,000 hectares/37,500 acres, extends over the communes of Jaguariúna, Cosmópolis, Artur Nogueira and Santo Antìnio da Posse. It was founded by Dutch immigrants who settled in Brazil in 1948. Combining hundreds of production units under a single roof, the co-operative was able to grow into the largest exporter of plants in Brazil. It also rears sheep, cattle and pigs, and grows citrus fruits and grain.

Jaguariúna

A very popular weekend outing is a trip with the old steam engine "Maria-Fumaça" ("Smoky Mary") from Campinas to Jaguariúna, a town of 20,000 inhabitants 31km/19mi north-east of Campinas.

Mata Santa Genebra

In the Mata Santa Genebra (area 250 hectares/625 acres), the green lung of Campinas, live many species of animals which are threatened with extinction. Some parts of the forest are open only to scientists and students.