São Mateus: Beaches, Culture and Mangroves

São Mateus combines long sandy beaches and mangrove landscapes with a historic center, archaeological finds and a vibrant culture. When planning your holiday, it makes a difference whether you mainly want to experience the beach and nature or also include historic sites and events. These priorities can help you tailor your search for a holiday rental to the experiences that matter to you.

Beaches and Nature Around São Mateus

Praia de Guriri has a 42-kilometer stretch of beach with light-colored sand. Natural pools form there at certain times. If these pools are part of what you’re looking for in a beach, you can take this feature into account when planning; they don’t form all the time. The length of the beach also gives you a sense of its scale compared with a single beach access point: Guriri shapes the experience of nature in São Mateus with an expansive stretch of coastline.

Bosque da Praia offers a different landscape, with native vegetation and clear, shallow water. The area is well suited to relaxing with the family, making it a good option for travelers who want to include nature and shallow water in their stay. Compared with Guriri, it offers a different kind of experience, without requiring you to commit to just one type of beach day.

Barra Seca has its own distinct appeal: within the municipality of São Mateus, the beach is designated as an official nudist beach. This information is especially relevant when choosing where to stay if you’re specifically looking for a nudist beach. Praia de Barra Seca is also accessible by boats that cross the Rio Ipiranga. The boat crossing is a practical option to consider when planning your trip.

If you’re interested in mangroves, the Barra Nova mangrove area is nearby, 30 kilometers from the center of São Mateus. Dark waterways and several channels run through the lush mangroves. They shelter crabs, goiamuns and other shellfish. The landscape is markedly different from Guriri’s light sandy shores, adding a distinct natural setting to the area’s beach destinations.

Historic Sites and Culture

The ground-floor exhibition at the Museu Municipal, which opened on May 21, 2015, features archaeological objects recovered from various neighborhoods in São Mateus. These include burial urns belonging to the Tupi, Guarani and Aratu peoples. The exhibition offers a tangible way to explore the town’s history through archaeological finds. For families seeking cultural discoveries alongside days by the water, the museum offers a different focus from the municipality’s natural landscapes.

The Centro Histórico de São Mateus includes colonial mansions, centuries-old churches and historic buildings. These buildings add a cultural dimension to a stay that differs from the beach and mangroves. Local cultural life is also enriched by Lira Mateense, an orchestra that also performs as a marching band. It was founded on September 21, 1909.

Events and Local Cuisine

The Festival Nacional de Teatro (FENATE) traditionally takes place in July. Its program includes street theater performances and performing arts workshops. The mix offers different ways to engage with theater: you can enjoy the performances or include the workshops as a separate activity. Since July is the festival’s traditional time, it’s a seasonal event to keep in mind when planning your holiday.

Cuisine takes center stage at the Festival do Camarão de Barra Nova. The food festival takes place at the Barra Nova lagoon, where visitors join fishermen and the local community for a shrimp tasting. The festival connects a dish with the people who are part of local life.

Getting There and Choosing Your Holiday Focus

The main road connection from Vitória to São Mateus is via the BR-101. Within the municipality, Praia de Barra Seca is also accessible by the boats that cross the Rio Ipiranga. The places and experiences described here offer different reasons to discover São Mateus; there’s no single kind of holiday that suits everyone.

Discover more destinations: Serra, Linhares, Viana, Alfredo Chaves, Ibatiba, Itaipava, Guarapari, Ibiraçu.

For the broader travel overview: Espírito Santo.