Even before you arrive in São Paulo, you can locate Tourist Information Offices (TIOs), download maps, nightlife guides and brochures on City of São Paulo.com, the official guide to Sampa.
Besides offering lots of tips about sightseeing, nightlife, tourism attractions and events, the website has a great download area with the same materials you'll find at the TIOs (Centros de Informações Turísticas - CITs in Portuguese).
Be patient and allow time for your browsing - files are heavy and download slowly. But it's worth the wait.
If I had to choose only one map to download, I'd pick the downtown area (Centro) map. If you plan on going to downtown São Paulo - and I think you should, if nothing else for fantastic views of the São Paulo Skyline, it pays off to do a little homework first.
Downtown São Paulo is a sometimes wide, sometimes maze-like expanse packed with pedestrians - including beggars sitting on the sidewalk, misfits who show up at your shoulder all of a sudden, cars and buses. It's hard to explain why, but it's a fascinating place which, nevertheless, will demand all of your alertness.
On Sunday, Centro has empty streets which will also require that you stay all alert, since you're more exposed.
Either way, you won't want to look lost or disoriented, especially if your physical features single you out as a foreiner, no matter how hard you try to dress to mingle.
