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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
São Sebastião
Give São Sebastião 2–3 nights: one for the colonial centre and the Ilhabela ferry, one or two for a beach base such as Maresias, Juquehy or Camburi.
São Sebastião is not one town but about 100 km of coast: a small colonial centre with a 17th-century church and Brazil's busiest ferry crossing to Ilhabela, then a chain of beaches — Maresias, Camburi, Juquehy, Boiçucanga — each with its own pousadas and surf. Buildings are capped in height, so it still feels low and green. Most visitors come from São Paulo for a beach weekend; you need a car or the coastal bus to move between beaches.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (crowds, peak prices, rain), Carnaval
- Stay
- 2–3 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$250–450 excl. bed · Mid R$450–900 excl. bed · High R$900+ 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 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 or coconut water on the beach | R$8–20 |
| Prato feito (rice, beans, meat) at a beach restaurant | R$35–70 |
| Fried fish or moqueca for two | R$120–220 |
| Beer: 600 ml bottle at a bar / can at a shop | R$15–30 / R$6–10 |
| Ride-share, centre to Maresias | R$60–110 |
| Ilhabela ferry, car with driver | R$11–17 each way |
| Beach parking on a busy weekend | R$30–60 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRU · São Paulo–Guarulhos
- About 3–4 h by road via SP-070 and SP-099 (Tamoios); allow more on Friday nights and holidays.
- CGH · São Paulo–Congonhas
- Closer to the city's south side; same road route.
- SJK · São José dos Campos
- Regional airport; about 2 h by road down Tamoios. check
Typical fares
- Ilhabela ferry, foot passenger
- free; car R$11–17 each way, 15 min crossing (check)
- Bus São Paulo (Tietê) → São Sebastião
- about R$70, 3.5–5.5 h depending on the service (check)
- Coastal bus, centre → Maresias
- about R$6, 40–60 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is small enough to walk. Between beaches you need a car, a ride-share or the coastal bus (Ecobus line 51, roughly every 20–30 min, more often at weekends) from the downtown rodoviária to Boracéia. BR-101 (Rio-Santos) is the spine road and jams on holiday weekends. The Ilhabela ferry leaves from the centre, 24 h, every 30 min by day and hourly overnight, about 15 min crossing.
See and do
Known for
- Maresias beach and surf
- Ilhabela ferry crossing
- Colonial centre and Igreja Matriz
- Juquehy, Camburi and Boiçucanga beaches
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ilhabela | Ferry from the centre terminal, about 15 min, every 30 min by day | About 1 h including boarding |
| Caraguatatuba | BR-101 north by car or coastal bus, about 30 km (19 mi)BR-101 north by car or coastal bus, about 19 mi (30 km) | 40–60 min |
| Ubatuba | BR-101 north-east, about 80 km (50 mi)BR-101 north-east, about 50 mi (80 km) | 1.5–2 h |
| São Luiz do Paraitinga | SP-125 inland from Caraguatatuba, by car | 2–2.5 h |
| São José dos Campos | SP-099 (Tamoios) up the Serra, by car or bus | 2–2.5 h |
Sleep
- Centro (historic centre)
- Walkable colonial streets, Igreja Matriz, Rua da Praia restaurants and the Ilhabela ferry terminal. Best for one night or a car-free stop.
- Maresias
- The famous surf beach, busiest nightlife, most pousadas and hotels. Good for surfers and groups; 30–40 min by car from the centre.
- Juquehy
- Best beach infrastructure for families: calm water, restaurants, shops. Mid-range to upscale pousadas.
- Camburi and Camburizinho
- Surf and a young São Paulo crowd; bars and clubs along the road. Choppy water, so weaker for small children.
- Boiçucanga
- Central point on the coast with a small shopping centre and the best sunsets; handy if you want to reach several beaches.
- Barra do Una and Barra do Sahy
- Quieter, greener, family-friendly; fewer restaurants, more need for a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabohn DEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAHN-too KOOS-tah |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KOHN-tah por fah-VOR |
| I don't speak Portuguese | Não falo portuguêsnowng FAH-loo por-too-GAYS |
| Where is the beach? | Onde fica a praia?OHN-jee FEE-kah ah PRY-ah |
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
- Summer (Dec–Feb) brings heavy rain, landslides on the Serra roads and the year's worst traffic.
- Vehicle queues for the Ilhabela ferry can reach an hour in high season; cross on foot if you can.
- Do not leave bags, phones or keys on the sand while you swim; beach theft rises in summer.
- Some beaches have strong surf and rip currents: Maresias, Camburi and Baleia are surf beaches, not swimming pools.
- Book pousadas months ahead for New Year, Carnaval and long weekends; prices can double.
Reasonably safe by Brazilian beach-town standards, but summer crowds bring pickpocketing and car break-ins: keep valuables off the sand, lock the car, and avoid dark side streets at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for São Sebastião yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Maresias beach and surf
- Ilhabela ferry crossing
- Colonial centre and Igreja Matriz
- Juquehy, Camburi and Boiçucanga beaches
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: São Sebastião, revision 5014023 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5014023
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
São Sebastião
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, embassies in Brasília.
Ferry and bus times change with the season: confirm before a late return.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/sao-sebastiao). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.