Eight things about São Sebastião

Tourism - The São Paulo Coastline

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Eight things about São Sebastião

Historic buildings, beautiful beaches, crystalline water, an Indian village, and Maresias, the liveliest beach on the São Paulo coast. These are some of the attractions of São Sebastião, the oldest city in the North Coast

Maresias is for people from São Paulo State what Ipanema is for people from Rio. It is the liveliest beach on the São Paulo coast.  The sand is fine and white, the sea is beautiful and the waves are great for surfing. All this is surrounded by the beauty of the Atlantic Forest [1]. Twenty-six kilometers from the center of São Sebastião, Maresias is home to some of the best bars, restaurants and nightclubs on the North Coast. The most famous nightclub is Sirena, considered to be one of the best inBrazil. With a capacity to hold 3,000 people, it has been played by some of the most famous DJs in the world to get the weekends going [2].  Maresias is just one of the attractions of São Sebastião. See below eight things you need to know about the city.

ONE: DISTANCE – São Sebastião is just over 200 km from São Paulo and

 110 km from São José dos Campos. The main access point to this resort is by the Tamoios highway.

TWO:  HISTORY AND POPULATION – It is the oldest city on theNorth Coast. On March 16^th 1636, São Sebastião became a village, and the city’s anniversary is celebrated on March 16^th. Today the city has a population of about 75,000 people.

THREE: INDIANS – Before being colonized by the Portuguese, the region was inhabited by Indians from the Tupinambá and Tupiniquim tribes. As the centuries went by [3], the Indians remained [4] in the city and now São Sebastião is home to a village of Guarani Indians.

FOUR: MOST FAMOUS BEACHES – The São Sebastião coast is just over 100 km long and has over 30 beaches. In São Sebastião you can find crystalline water, desert beaches and even dolphins[5]. The most famous beaches are Maresias, Camburí and Guaecá (the three favorites amongst tourists), Boiçucanga, Juréia, Calhetas, Juquehy, São Francisco, Barra do Una, Paúba, Baleia and Sahi.

FIVE: SPORTS – If you like sports then São Sebastião is the place for you. There are great places to sail [6], surf, dive [7], canoe [8], rappel, mountain bike and hike along trails [9]. You can also enjoy bathing in waterfalls [10] and take a boat trip [11] to some of the islands around São Sebastião.

SIX:  ISLANDS – The main islands are: Ilha das Couves, Arquipélago de Alcatrazes, Ilhas, Ilha do Gato, Montão de Trigo and  Ilha de Toque-Toque.

SEVEN - PORT – São Sebastião is home to one of the largest ports in Brazil and has a Petrobrás terminal.

EIGHT: HISTORIC CENTER – You will feel as if you are traveling in time as you walk along the streets in the historic center of the city. There are many buildings dating back to the XVII and XVIII centuries, such as the Igreja Matriz, the old Casa de Câmara, the Cadeia Pública, the Capela de São Gonçalo and the Fazenda Santana.

Matéria publicada na edição de número 42 da revista Maganews.

Fotos:  Celso Moraes e Felipe Queiroz (Prefeitura Municipal de São Sebastião).

Vocabulary

 1 Atlantic Forest – Mata Atlântica

2 to get the weekends going – para agitar os finais de semana

3 as the centuries went by  -  os séculos se passaram

4 to remain – permanecer

5 dolphin – golfinho

6 to sail - velejar

7 to dive - mergulhar

8 canoe – canoa / navegar em canoa

9 hike along trails – caminhar em trilhas

10 bathing in waterfalls – banho em cachoeira

11 boat trip – passeio de barco