CEASA

Av. Dr. Gastao Vidigal, 1946

Vila Leopoldina

11-3643-3700

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Past Vila Parque Lobos is the behemoth known as CEASA, which covers 7.5 million square feet of wholesale produce and meat and plant goodness and whose location is marked by a gigantic clock tower. Each day CEASA receives thousands of commercial vehicles spewing exhaust fumes but bringing with them over 10,000 tons of fruit, vegetables, fish and flowers from all over the world, and enticing tens of thousands of visitors per day. This is the trading heart of the city, and street traders, restaurant owners, supermarkets and market-stall holders flock here to bargain over good deals to stock their shelves.

At the center of this commercial complex of warehouses is the MLP Pavilion, an enormous concrete-covered, 215,000-square-foot space where the trading happens. If you're going to trek out this far, you should best skip the raw-fish warehouse and head direct to witness the largest flower and plant market in Brazil, with over a thousand producers selling cut and potted flowers and plants, seedlings, shrubs, trees and other green products on Tuesday and Friday mornings; however, it's up with the early bird to catch the best deals, like a half-dozen sunflowers at R$15 or individual orchids at R$10 a pop. The market kicks off at 5 a.m. and is usually packed away by 10:30 a.m. Bring your barter face. Photos: Crispin Cairns