Bar/fly: Sao Paulo, Brazil

Visitors to Sao Paulo are not left wanting for creativity and dynamic nightlife. Illustration / Rod Emmerson

Sao Paulo's clubbing scene has something for everyone, writes Bella Ann Townes

"Never stop walking. You must make the cars respect you or you will never get anywhere," Ricardo, my local friend and travel companion, tells me on my first day in Sao Paulo while pulling me across a downtown intersection between four lanes of constant traffic.

There are people everywhere. Thousands are walking along bustling footpaths next to tall buildings, while endless cars, buses and trucks battle their way forward along huge highways. Sao Paulo is a monster. As the largest city in Brazil and the Southern Hemisphere, it's vast, intimidating and not very attractive.

But what Sao Paulo lacks in natural beauty, it makes up for with creativity and dynamic nightlife. Its underground bars and 24/7 clubbing scene are among the best in South America.

My first experience of Brazilian beer is at Bar Leo, an old rustic place in the city centre, decorated with German relics and famous for serving chopp, pronounced "shop".

The smooth, light beverage is the most popular way to order beer on tap in Brazil and it quickly becomes my favourite way to drink it, too. However, you must keep an eye on overly attentive waiters. They roam the bar ready to place a new glass in front of you just before you finish your current one, without asking if you want it.

After a few chopps, we head off in search of a good party. Wanting to avoid the chaos of the clubs dotted along Rua Augusta, my Brazilian friends take me to Trackers, on the third floor of a former office. From the outside, it looks as anonymous as any other corporate building.

Once inside, I walk a full loop of the space and am swept into three pulsing dance floors. I discover various grimy graffiti-ridden alcoves and a balcony for fresh air.

Paulistanos are bringing abandoned and alternative spaces to life by pumping them full of electronic music.

While you have to be careful to follow the right DJ to the right venue, going to Trackers is a safe bet for a good underground party. I was pleased to find the drinks, which you purchase with pre-paid tokens, are cheaper here too.

Another afternoon I make a brief stop at a boteco — a small low-key bar selling cheap food and drink. It's not a classy establishment. It looks more like a neighbourhood grocery store, where a mix of retirees and hipsters are enjoying the relaxed atmosphere with a cold beverage.

My friends and I order a garrafa of beer, which comes in a 600ml bottle, and divide it among us. It's custom for everyone to share the same beer in Brazil. They do this because they're very friendly but also because they're crazy about keeping drinks cold in the tropical climate.

Afterwards we head for a party inside a highway tunnel at Franklin Roosevelt Square.

There are people dressed in full costumes while others are wearing the minimum you can get away with in the hot and congested conditions. Everybody is dancing.

The party feels edgy and improvised. Portable sound systems are blasting music above the rumble of generators needed to power the DJ's equipment. A group sells cheap drinks in coolers to help cover the cost of electricity.

My friends and I spend a couple of hours dancing and people-watching as punks, hippies and unconventional characters jump and spin around us. The tunnel lights are hypnotic.

This venue is unlocking a new form of DIY nightlife in Sao Paulo. It shows the willingness of Paulistanos to create their own fun and make use of every bit of their city.

CHECKLIST

Getting there: Air New Zealand offers non-stop flights from Auckland to Buenos Aires, with onward connections to Sao Paulo with partner airline Aerolineas Argentinas.

Accommodation: Vila Madalena Hostel is a clean stylish hostel located in a safe, bohemian neighbourhood.

Further information: If you don't know a local, Viator has a four-hour English tour to discover Sao Paulo's nightlife.

- AAP