Although it's also the location of the Latin America's largest seaport, Santos isn't just a boring port town. The city of 420,000, just 75 kilometers from São Paulo, features a seven-kilometer stretch of beach divided into just as many social cliques as you'd find on Ipanema. A verdant promenade separates the beach from the seafront condos and hotels, along which families and friends... More

Although it's also the location of the Latin America's largest seaport, Santos isn't just a boring port town. The city of 420,000, just 75 kilometers from São Paulo, features a seven-kilometer stretch of beach divided into just as many social cliques as you'd find on Ipanema. A verdant promenade separates the beach from the seafront condos and hotels, along which families and friends walk, amble, bike, skate, rollerblade, throw frisbees, you name it. Less sandy points of interest include the Museu do Café Brasileiro (Brazilian Coffee Museum), the Aquário Municipal (City Aquarium), the Orquidário Municipal (City Orchid Garden) and the Neo-Gothic Santos Cathedral. Less

Perched on an island a mere 95 kilometers from the city of São Paulo, this bustling beach town seems a world away from the gargantuan urbanity of the state capital. Among its charms, Guarujá counts 23 separate, stunning beaches, all ripe for swimming, sunning and surfing. Families head to the beach at Enseada; singles, it's all about you at Pernambuco.

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A rustic artist enclave since the 1960s, with a history rooted in Afro-Brazilian spiritualism, São Paulo suburb Embu das Artes even has art in its name. The historic center of town is dotted with art galleries and artisanal eateries while the quaint Capela São Lazaro and Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art) speak to the strong Catholic influence in Embu's history. The weekend... More

A rustic artist enclave since the 1960s, with a history rooted in Afro-Brazilian spiritualism, São Paulo suburb Embu das Artes even has art in its name. The historic center of town is dotted with art galleries and artisanal eateries while the quaint Capela São Lazaro and Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art) speak to the strong Catholic influence in Embu's history. The weekend crafts fair is worth the hour long journey, if only for souvenir hunting and a breath of fresh air. Less

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Situated on the breathtaking Litoral Norte (north shore) of São Paulo state and straddling the Tropic of Capricorn, the town of Ubatuba is a beachcombers' and surfers' paradise. In fact, the city of 78,000 (225 kilometers northeast of the state capital) is known as the Surf Capital of São Paulo, as well as being a major sailing center. Visitors and locals have more than 100 beaches to... More

Situated on the breathtaking Litoral Norte (north shore) of São Paulo state and straddling the Tropic of Capricorn, the town of Ubatuba is a beachcombers' and surfers' paradise. In fact, the city of 78,000 (225 kilometers northeast of the state capital) is known as the Surf Capital of São Paulo, as well as being a major sailing center. Visitors and locals have more than 100 beaches to choose from, so you've got no reason to go home without tan lines. Well, unless... Less

The largest island along Brazil's coast and, literally, a “beautiful island,” Ilhabela offers visitors almost 40 kilometers of pristine beaches and a tropical island's worth of hiking trails, waterfalls and even a nascent party scene. At 207 kilometers from the city of São Paulo, Ilhabela can get crowded, so try to get your beach time in during the work week.