The story
Welcome to one of the most controversial and captivating stretches of concrete in South America. You are standing on—or perhaps beneath—the Elevado Costa e Silva, though if you ask any local for directions, they will call it by its true name: the Minhocão, or the Big Earthworm. This three-and-a-half-kilometer elevated highway is a winding, gray artery that cuts through the very heart of São Paulo, connecting the East and West zones while telling a story of a city that refuses to stop evolving.
Completed in 1970 during the height of Brazil's military dictatorship, the Minhocão was meant to be a symbol of progress, a way to whisk cars over the congested streets of Santa Cecília and Vila Buarque. It was named after General Costa e Silva, but the city’s relationship with it has always been complicated. Look at how the road hugs the apartment buildings.
In some sections, the concrete is less than five meters from people’s bedroom windows. For decades, residents lived with the constant roar of engines and the film of soot on their curtains. It was often called an urban scar, a brutalist mistake that shadowed the streets below.
But listen closely. Depending on when you are visiting, the soundscape changes entirely. On weeknights and all through the weekend, the Minhocão transforms.
The gates close to cars, and the "Earthworm" becomes a massive, floating park. The roar of traffic is replaced by the rhythmic clicking of bicycle gears, the bounce of basketballs, and the chatter of Paulistanos enjoying a rare breeze above the street level. As you walk along the top, keep your eyes on the "empenas ciegas"—the giant, windowless side walls of the surrounding skyscrapers.
These have become some of the world’s most impressive vertical galleries. You’ll see towering murals by legendary street artists, some spanning fifteen stories, depicting everything from indigenous faces to surrealist dreamscapes. These splashes of color are the city’s way of reclaiming the gray.
Below the structure, the vibe is different—grittier, but filled with the life of the Santa Cecília neighborhood. You’ll find hidden bars, flower shops, and the famous Amaral Gurgel street market. The Minhocão remains a site of fierce debate: some want it demolished to let the sun back down to the street, while others want it turned into a permanent high-line park.
For now, it remains a strange, beautiful contradiction—a highway by day, a playground by night, and an undeniable icon of São Paulo’s resilient spirit. Take a moment to feel the vibration of the city around you; you are standing in the middle of a living experiment in urban survival.