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.
