Brazil’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan metropolis hides a fascinating world beneath its bustling streets. This is because São Paulo’s underground is a labyrinth of tunnels, crypts and galleries (secret or not) that hold many stories.
The idea of going underground always causes curiosity, doesn’t it? So, if you’re an urban explorer looking for a unique adventure, how about exploring the secrets that lie beneath the city? After all, apart from the underground Aquarium in the Jardim da Luz (currently under maintenance), there are several attractions that are even open to visitors.
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Places underground in São Paulo
Jardim da Luz Underground Aquarium (under maintenance)
According to Municipal Environment Department in 2020, while transplanting trees, they found the passage that leads to the São Paulo Underground Aquarium. It was then discovered that this was the oldest aquarium in the city and that it operated until recently, with seven species of fish native to the Tietê and Paraíba do Sul rivers. However, during the pandemic, the space was abandoned and had to be closed for repairs.
📅 Closed for maintenance indefinitely
🎫 Free
📍 Jardim da Luz, s/n – Luz
Sé Cathedral Crypt
The crypt of the Cathedral is a veritable time capsule dating back to the city’s beginnings. After all, this underground space houses the remains of bishops, archbishops and other important figures in the history of São Paulo. In addition to ornate tombs, the crypt is both a place of veneration and a space that, today.., hosts incredible candlelit concerts.
📅 Monday to Saturday, from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, from 12 noon
🎫 R$ 10
📍 Praça da Sé, s/n – Sé
Consolação Literary Passage
The underground connection between the sidewalks of the Petra Belas Artes cinema and the Riviera Bar it may even go unnoticed by many. After all, who would have thought that a pedestrian shortcut would also be an aesthetic and cultural experience in the heart of São Paulo? With its walls lined with books, art exhibitions and live performances, the passage is transformed into a multifaceted space that celebrates literature, art and urban life amidst the hustle and bustle of the city.
📅 Monday to Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m
🎫 Free
📍 Avenida Paulista x Rua da Consolação
Bar dos Arcos
In the underground corridors of the Theatro Municipal de São Paulo, visitors can enjoy a unique bar with bright counters and exposed brick walls to preserve the history of the venue. Bar dos Arcos is famous for its labyrinthine atmosphere and inspiration from Kubrick’s movie The Sh ining. It also has a variety of signature drinks and cocktail classics, as well as a menu that appeals to both vegans and carnivores.
📅 Tuesday and Wednesday, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.; Thursday and Friday, 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Saturday, 6 p.m. to 3 a.m
🎫 Check out the menus here
📍 Praça Ramos de Azevedo, s/n – República
Center of the Earth
The Theater at the Center of the Earth is 12 meters underground. To get there, you have to go down many staircases and come across a surprise: a view! Yes, because despite being in the underground part of São Paulo, the theater is in Perdizes – known for being a neighborhood full of hills. In other words, when you reach the basement, you have an unmissable view of the lower part of the neighborhood.
📅 According to the time of the show
🎫 Check out the schedule and tickets here.
📍Rua Piracuama, 19 – Perdizes
SubAstor Vault Bar
An exclusive destination that blends history and sophistication, the bar is in the basement of the former bank where the Santander Lighthouse now stands. For this reason, it preserves the original charm of the space, including the imposing vault that gives the establishment its name. In an intimate and elegant atmosphere, customers can enjoy handcrafted cocktails made with premium ingredients, as well as a refined selection of snacks.
📅 Tuesday, from 4pm to 11pm; Wednesday and Thursday, from 4pm to midnight; Friday and Saturday, from 12pm to 1am; Sunday, from 12pm to 8pm
🎫 Check out the menus here
📍 Rua João Brícola, 24 – Historic Center of São Paulo
Route Tunnel
The Luz Barracks, also known as the Rota Mansion, is famous for its extensive tunnels in São Paulo’s underground that connected the barracks to other locations in the region, including the Luz Station. Although most of these roads are closed due to the instability of the walls, approximately one hundred meters have been transformed into a museum open to the public. During guided tours, participants have the opportunity to explore the site and learn about its legends and history.
📅 Friday at 10am (you need to arrive 15 minutes early)
🎫 Free
Avenida Tiradentes, 440 – Luz
Municipal Historical Archive
The basement of the Ramos de Azevedo Building is not just a functional space, but a vital center for the preservation of São Paulo’s historical memory. After all, this place houses part of the documentary collection of the Municipal Historical Archive. In addition, the public can take part in heritage visits and visit the ‘Minutes of the Chamber’ exhibition, which brings together some of the oldest documents in Latin America.
📅 Heritage visits on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m
🎫 Free upon prior reservation here
📍Praça Coronel Fernando Prestes, 152 – Bom Retiro
Boiler House
Located in the Água Branca neighborhood, Casa das Caldeiras was built in the 1920s as part of a large factory complex. Underground are the tunnels through which the smoke passed to the chimneys, and since the industries were shut down, the space has become a cultural center with exhibitions and artistic workshops.
📅 Guided tours on Sundays at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m
🎫 Free upon prior reservation here
📍Avenida Francisco Matarazzo, 2000 – Água Branca
Obelisk Mausoleum to the Heroes of ’32
Finally on our list of underground tours, we have the Mausoleum of Combatants. The space is under the Obelisco Ibirapuera and holds the remains of more than 800 combatants who died in the Constitutionalist Revolution.
📅 Every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m
🎫 Free
📍 Praça Ibrahim Nobre, s/nº – Vila Mariana
Imperial Crypt
A crypt was built in 1922 beneath Independence Park in Ipiranga. This is where the remains of Dom Pedro I and the empresses Leopoldina and Amélia are kept. The site was opened to the public in 2000, almost five decades after it was built.
📅 Temporarily closed to visitors
🎫 Free
📍Praça do Monumento, s/n – Ipiranga
Hospital das Clínicas Tunnel
Finally, below the famous Hospital das Clínicas, there is a 103-meter tunnel that connects it to the Death Verification Service. Known as the “Tunnel of the Dead”, it is used approximately twelve times a day for the discreet transportation of corpses. The tunnel gained notoriety for having been traversed by the bodies of personalities such as Elis Regina and Raul Seixas.
📅 Even with all the curiosity surrounding the site, it is not open to the public for visits.
📍 Avenida Doutor Enéas Carvalho de Aguiar, 255 – Cerqueira César
