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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Caraguatatuba
Give Caraguatatuba 2 nights as a north-shore base: beach day, Morro de Santo Antônio at opening, then move on to Ubatuba or Ilhabela.
Caraguatatuba (Caraguá) is the largest town on São Paulo's north coast, about 3 hours by bus from São Paulo and 1 hour from São José dos Campos. It is a summer beach base for Paulistas, with a long line of beaches, a hill viewpoint over the channel to Ilhabela, and easy road links to Ubatuba and São Sebastião. Two nights covers the town; most travellers pair it with the neighbours.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (crowds, peak prices), Carnival
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$180–300 excl. bed · Mid R$300–550 excl. bed · High R$550+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire brigade 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | R$6–12 |
| Per-kilo lunch buffet | R$45–80 |
| Beer: draught at a kiosk / can at a shop | R$10–18 / R$5–8 |
| Fried tainha or shrimp plate | R$60–120 |
| 5 km app ride3.1 mi app ride | R$15–30 |
| Beach kiosk chair and umbrella | R$20–40 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$40–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRU · São Paulo–Guarulhos International
- About 3–4 h by road via the Tamoios highway; bus from Tietê terminal instead
- SJK · São José dos Campos
- About 1.5 h by road; the closest useful air gateway
Typical fares
- Bus São Paulo Tietê → Caraguatatuba
- about R$90, 3 h (check)
- Bus São José dos Campos → Caraguatatuba
- about R$50, hourly (check)
- App ride centre → Martim de Sá
- R$15–25 (check)
Get around
The town is spread along BR-101 and the coast, so a car or app ride is the practical way to reach beaches. Local buses run along the main road but are slow and infrequent. Uber and 99 work in the centre; agree the fare or use the app. Walking works only within the centre.
See and do
Known for
- Long beach line from Tabatinga to Porto Novo
- Morro de Santo Antônio viewpoint and free-flight ramp
- Festa da Tainha and Festa do Camarão
- Praça Dr. Cândido Motta and the Calçadão
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ubatuba | BR-101 north by car, or Litorânea/Praiamar bus from the rodoviária | About 1–1.5 h |
| Ilhabela | BR-101 south to São Sebastião, then the ferry | About 1.5–2 h |
| São Sebastião | BR-101 south by car or bus | About 40–60 min |
| São Luiz do Paraitinga | Car via the Tamoios highway and inland roads | About 2 h |
| São José dos Campos | Litorânea bus from the rodoviária, or car via Tamoios | About 1.5–2 h |
Sleep
- Centro / Praia do Centro
- Walkable to the Calçadão, crafts fair and restaurants; best for a car-free stay.
- Martim de Sá and Indaiá
- Beachfront hotels and pousadas, 5–10 min by car from the centre.
- Massaguaçu and Cocanha (north)
- Quieter beaches toward Ubatuba; you need a car.
- Prainha and Porto Novo (south)
- Near the São Sebastião road; good for onward travel.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabom JEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / -dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KON-tah por fah-VOR |
| Where is the beach? | Onde fica a praia?ON-jee FEE-kah ah PRY-ah |
| Help | Socorrosoh-KOH-hoo |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Do not walk on the beach or unlit streets at night; use an app car.
- Rented summer houses are targeted by break-ins: check locks and alarms, or stay in a hotel.
- Do not enter lower-income neighbourhoods, day or night.
- Summer and Carnival fill every bed: book weeks ahead.
- The Morro de Santo Antônio access road limits cars (about 18 at a time, 15-minute stay): walk up or go early.
Caraguatatuba has a rough reputation, but violence is mostly drug-related; for visitors the real risks are night walks on the beach, break-ins at rented summer houses and unlit streets. Stay central, use app cars after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Caraguatatuba yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Long beach line from Tabatinga to Porto Novo
- Morro de Santo Antônio viewpoint and free-flight ramp
- Festa da Tainha and Festa do Camarão
- Praça Dr. Cândido Motta and the Calçadão
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Caraguatatuba, revision 5029300 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5029300
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Caraguatatuba
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies here; the US, UK and other consulates are in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro.
Print this card before you leave; mobile signal is patchy on the beaches.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/caraguatatuba). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.