The south of the state of São Paulo

Not developed as the northern coast of the state, because the Paulistanos prefer to go to the north, the southern part of the state offers many unique places to visit.

PETAR (Parque Estadual Turístico Alta Ribeira) is a national park with famous caves and a wonderful nature. Not highly developed there are only pousadas to stay, but you will be in direct contact with nature.

The island Ilha Compida and the city of Iguape at the coast are also some rather unknown but very exciting places for tourism with its unique nature and history.

Santos is the largest city at the coast of São Paulo, famous for its harbor, but also has lots of historic places and of course a beach.

Santos

Santos, only 70 kms from São Paulo, it is the most important harbor and largest in Southern America.

The city is one of the oldest in Brazil, it was founded in in 1546 by Portuguese and today it has more than 400,000 habitants, the metroplitan area has nearly 1.5 million. The city of Santos is on the island São Vicente and divides the area together with the city of São Vicente. Before the urbanization there were mangroves and Mata Atlântica (atlantic rain forest) reaching to the beaches. Today there is only vegetation left on the islands and outside the city (see photos).

From Santos passenger ships leave daily for trips along the Brazilian coast, but also to Argentina and Fireland.

Not only a city of trade, Santos has a lot to offer to tourists: beaches, the historic center with its tram, the coffee museum, the aquarium, the Cathedral de Santos, the botanic garden, the Monte Serrat with a terrific view of Santos and much more. Unfortunately the ocean is not very clean here as in every large city at a coast. But still many people go swimming, surfing or diving, make a tour by a schooner.

There are many small cities with beaches nearby, so Santos is a good place to start discovering the coast, it is the city offering most of history and culture.

São Vicente

São Vicente was the first permanent settlement in the Americas. 1532 the first proper village was established by Martim Afonso de Sousa (the first Royal Governor of Brazil) and the first democratic city council of the Americas was elected. It is called the Mother Cell of Brazil. São Vicente was an important place of trade with slaves, today it lives of tourism.

Since 1914 there exists a bridge to the mainland, leading to the city Praia Grande (“big beach�).

The font Biquinha de Anchieta was one of the main fonts of drinking water for the inhabitants for centuries. Still today people go there for water. Beside it there is a sculpture of the jesuit priest Anchieta who drank its water and christianized the indios.

Santos in Google Maps

Paranapiacaba

Paranapiacaba is a small city in the mountains, actually a little more than a train station.

The trains from Santos to São Paulo and further pass here a steep part (10.7%). There is also a train station constructed by British, opened 01/01/1902.
Each July there takes place a festival of music, people come from all over the country to stay a few days. As there aren´t enough pousadas, inhabitants also offer to stay in their houses.

Paranapiacaba in Google Maps

Link about Paranapiacaba

World Monuments Fund

Guarujá

The next city north of Santos at the coast is Guarujá, which you can reach by a ferry. It is situated at the northern coast of São Paulo. Guarujá on our site…

Hotels

We can arrange everything, the search and booking for a hotel as well as the transfer to and from the region or to other places in Brazil.

Photos

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PETAR, Ilha Comprida and Iguape

PETAR (Parque Estadual Turístico Alta Ribeira)

In the south of the state São Paulo was founded a national park in the year 1958, which is nowadays part of UNESCO – world heritage. It is the largest area of Atlantic Rainforest (Mata Atlântica), with many waterfalls, also Quilombos (settlements of slaves that flew) and about 300 caves, of which twelve can be visited. Some of them have rivers, and the cave Casa de Pedra has the largest entry with a height of 215m. It can be visited, but not entered.

An unique flora and fauna expects the visitor in this region: bromelias, orchidees, fruits, monkees, many other animals and birds. You have the possibility to see everything by foot (as the caves and waterfalls), but also sportive activities await you: swimming in the natural swimming pools under waterfalls, boia-cross (on a river on floating tires), descending waterfalls and tours by bike.

You may not enter the park alone, you do need a guide (called monitor) that accompanies up to eight persons. A booking in time is better as also the daily number of visitors in the caves is limited

The region has cheap and rather simple guest houses, being in the nature. As not highly developed for tourism yet it is better to make a reservation in advance, especially at long weekends or during vacations.

Optimal is a stay of three to four days. You need shoes for walking (tennis shoes for example), trousers and torches would be good, too.

The main attractions are at the road Iporanga – Apiai. Close to PETAR, in the city Apiai are the rests of an old gold mill, which is museum nowadays.

Ilha Compida and Iguape

Also interesting is a tour to Ilha Comprida (Long Islandl) at the south coast of the state of São Paulo, which is about three hours of driving away from PETAR and also Sao Paulo. And, different as at the north coast of São Paulo there are only simple but comfortable guest houses available.

There you have the possibility to watch botos (dolphins), which live in the ocean as well as in rivers.

Iguape is one of the oldest cities of Brazil, it was Spanish in the beginning until the contract of Tordesilhas. Finding gold in the region the city grew very fast, in the 17th century here was produced the first Brazilian money. After the gold rush the city survived by planting a very good rice, which was exported to Europe. It is said that each week ten ships with rice left for Europe. When shortening the way to the sea port by a channel, the river Ribeira left a lot of sand in the harbor, which meant the end of the importance of Iguape. Today, Iguape with its basilica and historic center is a place to relax, life is passing slow there.

Links to the region of Iguape

jureia.com.br

in Google Maps

Hotels

Especially in this region we offer a package with an English speaking guide and a car as it is not very easy without some knowledge of portuguese. We can arrange everything, the search and booking for a hotel as well as the transfer to and from the region or to other places in Brazil.

Gamboa Eco Refugio

Photos

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