Shhh this park is secret, well almost. This park reminds me an American neighbourhood's park, about…read more7km all around, fenced jungle which is pretty neat and well maintained, water fountains, public restrooms, security within the park, and there are even some free classes you may want to attend: Lian Gong classes: M 7:00-8:00, T: 7:30-8, Q 7:00-8:00, Th: 7:30-8:00 Tai Chi Pai Lin: T, Th, & F: 7:00-7:30, W: 7:00-8:00 Jam Session: Every last Sunday of the month, 11:00-01:00 Besides all these activities, there are plenty of parking on the streets, great for running training or just to get rid of stress.

Parque Severo Gomes is a moderately-sized park in the Santo Amaro neighborhood of São Paulo. It…read morereminded me of a suburban neighborhood park in the US but with a little Amazonian jungle flair. The park is surrounded on all sides by homes and neighborhood streets, and there are several entrances that pedestrians can use to access the park. There are three major sections in the park. The first is a larger open field that can be used for lounging and picnics. When my friend and I stopped by we saw a lot of dogs in this area running around and playing with their owners and other dogs. The second section is on the opposite side of the open field and has children's play equipment and a park information area. The third section, between the play equipment and open field, has a nature walk that makes you feel like you're in a forest! Lots of different plants and trees, and there are signs pointing out the different species. There is also a small stream running through the park and its very pretty when you stop and remember that you're in the middle of the largest city in South America! Near the park entrance at the play equipment as my friend and I were about to leave, we noticed a small group of people around a few trees and holding their arms out as if calling something. As curious tourists, we went to see what was going on...and to our surprise, we saw a tiny group of sagui monkeys amongst the branches! This was by far our favorite part of visiting Parque Severo Gomes, and we stayed to watch the monkeys jump through the trees even after the other people had left. It was amazing to see that the monkeys were just hanging out in a public park, since we definitely don't get monkeys that freely in Hawaii or on the mainland! TL;DR - suburban park, lots of different landscapes, and keep your eyes open for monkey sightings!

This park is a great alternative to Ibirapuera if you are looking for a place to run and workout…read morewith a little less of a crowd. It's not nearly as large, but it's very well kept with lovely landscaping and well thought out areas for play, congregating and training. There are futbal courts, a bike path that connects to the river trail (the gate is sometimes closed and you have to go under the bridge at the back of the park, not super well marked), jungle gyms, tons of workout equipment, picnic areas, two huge restrooms, a free no card library, art installations, lots of open space, and a wide variety of plants and vegetation. On a weekday morning, the running path is full of locals fitting in their daily jog or taking their pups out for a walk - also notice some of the maids in uniform walking dogs to get a sense of the irony of where "people's park" has been placed. I found an old map that showed that a favela once stood where the multi-billion dollar mall across the street now does! Many commuters cross through the park from the train station to get to work often cutting across the giant grass fields to get there on time. In the afternoons it's fairly quiet with a few moms and nannies, sometimes nearby workers picnic and often it gets super hot as there is not tons of shade. You may get a few stinky whiffs from the nearby giant sewer aka Pinheiros River but they generally pass by quickly. Sometimes office workers take out the Itau or Bradesco city bikes to take a trip around the park for inspiration and exercise - always fun to see them sweat in uniform. At night the place lights up with crazy workouts. Not just runners but now groups with personal trainers who set up obstacle courses and bring boxing equipment stake out their patch on the big lawns. It's got a great buzz and stays open till 10pm with nice lighting and serious security circling about the grounds. This is one of my favorite spots to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city (even though it's bordered on one side by a highway) and just enjoy laying on the grass. Just don't ruin it by sharing the secret with too many people or it will get over crowded like so many other parks in the city.

This park is fun because it is on a good area of Itaim Bibi and its friendly and spacious,…read morespecially for kids with a playing area or those wanting to run or jog. I enjoyed the park a lot. It is really green and overlooking a part of the city. You can take the metro to Cidade Jardim and its walking distance. I highly recommend it if you are near and are yelping to find out a place to jog or run during your stay.

Higienopolis might have the best dog amenities in all of the city. For one, the Tryp hotel is dog…read morefriendly and just around the corner, you'll find Parque Buenos Aires, one of the few parks in the city that has a fenced-in dog area where your pup can frolic and socialize with other canines. The larger park is really lovely and while it's not massive, it's big enough to offer a needed respite from the city hustle. While not big enough to dedicate an entire jog (contrary to Ibirapuera park), it's great for an afternoon stroll and during opening hours, you'll find lovers cuddling on park benches, loners on the grass with a book, and kids on their daytime outing. As for the dog park, it's a decent size and while there's plenty of room to run, you won't find any grass here. It's mostly a packed dirt surface, so on rainy days, this might not be the best "clean" play option. Then again, there's almost always dogs there so it's nice for a quick powwow amongst pups.

Very pretty park located on Angelina Avenue, right before you get to Avenue Paulista. There are…read moreseveral restaurants, grocery stores, and street food options nearby, so grab a snack (or maybe a cold coconut water from the vendor that's usually near the entrance to the park, by the bus stop) and sit down to relax amongst the hustle and bustle of São Paulo. A beautiful green space inside the city, with a children's play area and a dog run! There are many interesting sculptures within the park that are worth checking out as well. It's a small park but still a very relaxing place. Park staff does a great job of keeping it clean, so be sure to help them out by placing any of your trash in the receptacles, which are conveniently located.