Santos

Just to the southeast of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Santos has traditionally been a run-down riverside area of factories and warehouses where people only ventured after dark because of its well-known nightclubs, whose revelries would not disturb anyone. Now it is being promoted as “the district of design” with some of the city’s coolest shops and bars and a new Norman Foster hotel, which will be opening in a couple of years. Its squares and streets are not particularly alluring, but over the years, artists and designers have moved into the inexpensive and expansive warehouse spaces and you can see many of the country’s top designers showcasing their products, especially around Largo de Santos where you’ll find fashionable stores such as Armani Casa at #15c and Paris Sete at #14d. Hip bars and restaurants have followed in their wake, though much of the district remains fairly run-down – and the area around the Museu da Marioneta retains an earthy, villagey feel to its cobbled backstreets.