3 Best Sights in São Sebastião, Side Trips from São Paulo

Families with young children favor small, quiet Barra do Sahy. Its narrow strip of sand (with a bay and a river on one side and rocks on the other) is steep but smooth, and the water is clean and calm. Kayakers paddle about, and divers are drawn to the nearby Ilha das Couves. Area restaurants serve mostly basic fish dishes with rice and salad, as well as sharing platters of snacks, seafood, and fries. Note that Barra do Sahy's entrance is atop a slope and appears suddenly—be on the lookout around marker km 174. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; limited parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunrise.

While Camburizinho is more secluded and also where the families head to, the latter, on the other side of the river Camburi, is where the action is, with night owls heading here to play guitar by the moonlight. At the center of the beaches is a cluster of cafés, ice-cream shops, bars, and restaurants. The two beaches are located just north of Barra do Sahy. If you're coming from the south, take the second entrance, which is usually in better shape than the first entrance at km 166. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee). Best for: partiers; sunset; surfing.

Maresias is a 4-km (2-mile) stretch of white and soft sand with clean, green waters that are good for swimming and surfing. Maresias is popular with a young crowd and compared with the others along the North Coast, its beach village is large and has a good infrastructure, with banks, supermarkets, and a wide choice of nightlife entertainment. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee); toilets. Best for: partiers; surfing; windsurfing.