Located in the countryside of São Paulo, just 140 km from the capital, Holambra is a charming city founded in 1948 and known as the “National Capital of Flowers.” Its name is a combination of Holland, America, and Brazil, reflecting the strong Dutch influence present in the city’s culture, cuisine, and architecture. A trip to Holambra feels like a journey to Europe without leaving Brazil. We’ve prepared this Travel Guide with the best things to do in the City of Flowers, such as windmills, Expoflora, parks and flower fields. Discover all the tips for visiting this incredible place.🌻🪻🌹🌷
Where is Holambra
From São Paulo, the trip to Holambra takes about 2 hours. The main route is via the Bandeirantes Highway (SP-348) and then the Adhemar de Barros Highway (SP-340), until you reach the exit to Holambra.
👉 Book Now: Day Trip from São Paulo to the Colorful Flower Fields of Holambra
Moinho Povos Unidos (United Peoples Windmill)
The United Peoples Windmill is one of Holambra’s main attractions and faithfully represents the city’s connection to its Dutch roots.
Inaugurated in 2008, it is a faithful replica of the traditional windmills found in the Netherlands. Its construction aimed to strengthen the city’s cultural identity with Europe.
Standing at an impressive 38.5 meters tall, with blades stretching 29 meters from end to end, the windmill is fully functional and occasionally performs grinding, just like the originals in Holland.
In addition to admiring it from the outside, visitors can pay R$ 16 per person to explore the interior. Inside, you’ll find information about how the windmill works, the history of Dutch immigration to Brazil, and the cultural influence that shaped Holambra.
Climbing the various floors offers a panoramic view of the city and the surrounding flower fields — especially stunning during the Expoflora festival.
The stairs are quite steep, and the descent must even be done backward. Remember to wear comfortable shoes, and keep a close eye on children and elderly visitors.
It’s definitely worth paying to go up and explore inside the windmill. The view from the 4th floor terrace is amazing! We loved chatting with Mr. Gilberto, the “Miller,” who is one of the people responsible for managing the site.
Expoflora
Expoflora is the largest flower and ornamental plant exhibition in Latin America, held annually in Holambra. It usually takes place from late August to late September. The festival is massive, attracting around 400,000 people from across the country. Beyond the flower displays, visitors can enjoy themed parades, traditional dances, Dutch cuisine, and much more.
We had lunch inside the fair at the Martin Holandesa restaurant. We tried the Stamppot Kassler (smoked pork chop with schublig sausage), a traditional and delicious dish, for R$ 78 per individual plate.
During Expoflora, access to the traditional street with Dutch-style houses is restricted to fair visitors only.
When buying tickets, we discovered the “solidarity ticket,” which cost R$ 75 instead of the full price of R$ 130.
The event is pet-friendly; however, due to the high temperatures, we don’t recommend bringing animals. Wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be walking a lot!
Bloemen Park
Inspired by European gardens, Bloemen Park is one of Holambra’s newest attractions. With colorful flower fields, visitors can wander among sunflowers, lavender, and many other varieties.
It’s perfect for photo sessions and also has a great gastronomic structure, offering options for lunch at the restaurant or even a picnic while watching the sunset! For those not driving, there are even sparkling wine options.
Macena Flores
Macena Flores offers a huge variety of plants and flowers, with vast fields of sunflowers, lavender, and much more.
You can take self-guided walks or opt for guided tours through the greenhouses. Opening hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with visitors allowed to stay until 6 p.m.
It’s also possible to buy seedlings and flowers to take home. There is also a snack bar on-site.
Entrance costs R$ 30 per person, or R$ 50 for couples.
Personally, we enjoyed Macena Flores more than Bloemen Park because of the larger flower fields, although Bloemen Park has better infrastructure. The sunset among the flowers here is stunning and perfect for photos — even with a drone.
Final Tips
Don’t miss the chance to try traditional foods such as Bitterballen, Stamppot, Dutch fries in a cone, and Stroopwafels.
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