When we talk about trees full of pink blossoms, we immediately think of Japan. But did you know that Carmo Park has the second-largest cherry grove outside of Japan?
Located in Itaquera, in the East Zone, the park spans over 1.5 million square meters of nature and is also the second-largest green space in São Paulo. Discover how a rural area was transformed into the metropolis’s green heritage, offering beauty and recreation to the public!
From private farm to São Paulo heritage: learn the history of Parque do Carmo
Before becoming the favorite green space of São Paulo residents, the land was private property. In the 1940s, Oscar Americano de Caldas Filho purchased the area and began shaping the landscape we know today. The engineer planted many of the eucalyptus and pine trees on the site and built an artificial lake for water sports.
The large farm served as a retreat for his friends and family. But with the engineer’s death in 1974, his heirs sold the land to the city government, which transformed it into public heritage.
On September 19, 1976, Parque do Carmo was officially inaugurated. The former Americano family mansion became the Museum of the Environment, and the lake became home to geese, swans, ducks, and fish.
Today, the park is home to one of the largest planetariums in Latin America, bike paths, sports courts, and running tracks. In addition to its comprehensive infrastructure, São Paulo’s second-largest park preserves a rich wildlife population— —that includes squirrels, monkeys, and woodpeckers.
Cherry Blossom Festival beautifies the East Zone
The main highlight of Carmo Park, however, is its jaw-dropping flora! Its cherry tree grove is home to an impressive 2,300 trees, second only to Japanese groves and the one in Washington, D.C. (the largest outside of Japan).
The planting of sakura (the Japanese word for cherry trees) began in 1918 with Hisayoshi Kataoka. The immigrant brought 1,500 saplings from his country and, with support from the City of São Paulo, replanted them in Carmo Park to celebrate the Japanese community. Since then, the site has become a symbol of Japanese culture in São Paulo.
Traditionally in August, the park hosts the Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri), which celebrates the blooming of the trees. Each year, the celebration attracts thousands of people to admire nature, reinforcing this age-old tradition in the capital of São Paulo.
