We’ve made another update in Accommodation in Brazil, with three new blog posts with full listings of accommodation in Barra do Sahy and Barra do Una in the state of São Paulo and Praia do Forte in the state of Bahia.

You might remember this blog’s entry on our top 10: beaches, published quite a while ago. This new entry is a reworking of the original list, to which we have added satellite images of the beaches. Sweet dreams of crystal water beaches!

1. Praia do Sancho, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco.

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2. Praia dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco.

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3. Ilha do Campeche, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina.

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4. Praia do Forno, Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro.

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5. Praia do Cachadaço, Trindade, Rio de Janeiro.

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6. Praia da Conceição, Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco.

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7. Praia de Domingas Dias, Ubatuba, São Paulo.

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8. Baía dos Golfinhos, Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte.

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9. Praia de Paraty-Mirim, Paraty, Rio de Janeiro.

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10. Praia de Barra do Sahy, Barra do Sahy, São Paulo.

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I have recently published a series of posts on my Blog de São Paulo (in Spanish) on the Costa dos Alcatrazes, a stretch of coast on the state of São Paulo that contains some really wonderful beaches (see map next).

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The Costa dos Alcatrazes is a couple of hours away from São Paulo. For that reason, it is an excepcional alternative for a weekend getaway. Unfortunately, being so close to São Paulo also means the coast is usually overcrowded during the weekend and bank holidays. Go there during the week and you will find absolute peace and quiet.

The region combines destinations appropriated for families and those seeking rest (Barra do Una, Barra do Sahy, Juquehy) with destinations for those eager for action and nightlife (Camburi, Maresias).

INFORMATION ON THE INTERNET

The website Costa dos Alcatrazes contains a basic introduction to the region (in Portuguese only). Praias Online and Guia do Litoral are good sources as well.

TRANSPORTATION

The advantage of reaching the area on your own car is that you able to hop from one beach to another at your own pace. However, it is not impossible to get by using the public transportation system. There are frequent buses linking all the beaches on the region. As it is often the case in Brazil, you will not find their schedules on the Internet, you’ll have to ask when you get to the region.

ACCOMMODATION

Do not be surprised when you find out that prices on the region are considerably higher than the Brazilian average.

There are two youth hostels on the region: one in Camburi and the other one in Maresías. Both have websites filled with information and a clear explanation of their price structure.

ENTRIES PUBLISHED IN THE BLOG DE SÃO PAULO (in Spanish):

- Juquehy
- Camburi
- Maresias
- Barra do Sahy
- Barra do Una

PHOTO ALBUM:

At my Flickr page I have several photo albums of the different beaches along the Coast:

- Barra do Sahy
- Barra do Una
- Camburi
- Juquehy
- Maresias

One thing that makes the beaches of the northern coast of São Paulo (and the southern coast of Rio, and other bits further south) unique is that they are found right by the Atlantic rainforest. The biodiversity of the Mata Atlántica, as the forest is known in Portuguese, is unrivalled. The scenery too. The sequence of water, sand, forest and mountains can’t be found anywhere else in Brazil.

The contact with the tropical forest brings the visitor in close contact with different bird species. You only have to sit and rest and wait for the birds to appear. The birds that appear on this entry where all photographed within the space of an hour on the little village of Barra do Sahy, state of São Paulo.

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The distance from the city of São Paulo to the shore is relatively short, and there is no shortage of beaches along the coastline.

The coast of the state of São Paulo is divided in two large regions:

• the north coast (litoral norte), from Ubatuba, on the border with the state of Rio de Janeiro, to Bertioga. It includes the towns of Ubatuba, Caraguatatuba, São Sebastião and Bertioga, as well as the island of Ilhabela.
• the south coast (litoral sur), from Guarujá to the Ilha do Cardoso, on the border with the state of Paraná. It includes the cities and towns of Guarujá, Santos, Praia Grande, Mongaguá, Itanhaém, Peruibe and Cananéia.

The nearest beaches to the city of São Paulo are Santos and Guarujá. They are urban beaches, with high rises right by the sand. The kind of beaches unlikely to make foreigners fall in love with.

Going north, as soon as we pass Bertioga, the first beautiful beaches appear: Juquehy, Barra do Saí, Camburí, Maresías. The jewels on the crown are found in the town of Ubatuba.

Going south, the beaches are not so interesting. Santos has a few interesting places, but its beaches do not feature among them. Further south, you will find long open beaches, some of them polluted. In the southermost point of the coast of the state there is an Atlantic Forest reserve: the Ilha do Cardoso, an eco paradise turned into State Park. It is quite far from São Paulo and access is done through a notorious road: the rodovia Régis Bittencourt.

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RELATED POSTS:
destination: Maresias
Hotels and pousadas in Ubatuba

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1. Praia do SANCHO (Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco)
2. Praia dos PORCOS (Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco)
3. Praia da ILHA DO CAMPECHE (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina)
4. Praia do Forno (Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro)
5. Praia do CACHADAÇO (Trindade, Rio de Janeiro)
6. Praia da Conceição (Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco)
7. Praia de Domingas Dias (Ubatuba, São Paulo)
8. Baía dos Golfinhos (Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte)
9. Praia de Paraty-Mirim (Paraty, Rio de Janeiro)
10. Barra do Sahy (São Paulo)

Honourable mentions:

• praia de Pitinga (Arraial d’Ajuda, Bahia)
• Caçimba do Padre (Fernando de Noronha)
• praia dos Coqueiros (Trancoso, Bahia)
• praia do Félix (Ubatuba)
• praia de Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro)
• praia de Ipanema (Rio de Janeiro)
• praia de São Conrado (Rio de Janeiro)
• praia Azeda (Búzios, Rio de Janeiro)
• praia Azedinha (Búzios, Rio de Janeiro)
• praia do Amor (Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte)

Special mentions from my Brazilian other half (places I haven’t been to yet):

• praia de Lopes Mendes (Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro)
• Bombinhas (Santa Catarina)
• fourth beach at Morro de São Paulo (Bahia)
• praia dos Dois Rios (Ilha Grande)

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