Discover Guarujá: Beaches, Nature and History

Guarujá offers more than one reason to stay by the sea: the area’s distinctive features include a prominent surf spot, a sandbar visible at low tide, protected areas of the Atlantic Forest and historic buildings. As you plan your trip, you can consider which of these experiences you’d like to focus on—beaches and water sports, nature and trails, or the region’s history.

Beaches with their own character

Praia do Tombo is the only beach in the state of São Paulo with Blue Flag certification. It is also one of Guarujá’s most important surf spots. If you’re especially interested in surfing, this gives you a specific reference point when choosing destinations. The certification and the beach’s importance for surfing each give it a distinct character.

Praia do Pernambuco offers a different focus. It is approximately 1.5 kilometers long. Boards are rented there, stand-up paddleboarding lessons are offered, and banana boat rides are organized. Alongside the beach itself, a variety of water sports are therefore a key attraction. When planning, you can weigh whether you’d rather include the surf spot at Praia do Tombo or the activities described at Praia do Pernambuco in your trip.

A distinctive shoreline configuration forms at low tide: a sandbar then stretches to Ilha do Mar Casado, separating Praia do Pernambuco from the small Praia do Mar Casado. If you’d like to experience this particular change in the coastline, keep the low-tide note in mind. The small Praia do Mar Casado is a distinct part of the landscape described here; the sandbar depends on the tides.

Nature and historic sites

Protected nature is also part of Guarujá’s appeal. Forte dos Andradas is part of an extensive Atlantic Forest conservation area. Its military architecture is complemented by galleries carved into the hillside’s rock. The natural area and the structure represent two different sides of the same place—a compelling contrast for anyone interested in landscape and architecture as well as the coast.

Trilha das Ruínas offers another connection between nature and history. It provides access to the Ruínas da Ermida de Santo Antônio do Guaibê and starts on Rodovia Ariovaldo de Almeida Viana, the road between Guarujá and Bertioga. On the way to the ruins, the trail passes through a protected area of the Atlantic Forest. The ruins are the remains of a chapel built in the 16th century and are part of one of Brazil’s first churches. This clearly connects the trail through the protected area with its historic destination.

Those interested in local history can find the Pavilhão da Maria Fumaça in central Guarujá, on Avenida Leomil. The hundred-year-old Maria Fumaça locomotive is housed there. Ilha dos Arvoredos is also home to a marine animal treatment center—another distinct connection to the marine world.

Which vacation rental suits your travel plans?

When choosing a vacation rental in Guarujá, it helps to first decide what matters most to you: should your stay focus mainly on the beach and the water sports described here, or would you also like to include nature trails and historic sites? The details about Tombo and Pernambuco offer different beach and activity options; Forte dos Andradas, Trilha das Ruínas and Pavilhão da Maria Fumaça add nature and history to the picture. This lets you plan your trip around the experiences that matter most to your family, then look for suitable accommodation in Guarujá.

More places to discover: Ibiúna, Valentim Gentil, Ribeirão Prêto, Pontal, Leme, Embu das Artes, Mogi Das Cruzes and Descalvado.

Go to the main travel overview: São Paulo.