Itanhaém

Saint Anne Church

Itanhaém is a city in the South Coast of São Paulo state.

Understand

One of the oldest municipalities in Brazil, Itanhaém was founded in 1532. Its name comes from the Tupi-Guarani language, meaning either "plate of rock" or "crying rock", depending on who you ask.

Get in

The city has intercity bus lines from São Vicente, Santos and Peruíbe.

See

• Saint Anne Church

A Cama de Anchieta is a rock formation carved by the wind in the "Playa de los Sueños", which according to legend, was the favorite place of the Blessed Jesuit José de Anchieta , to spend hours of rest or mediation and find inspiration to compose verses and poems. The site attracts thousands of visitors and draws attention for its natural beauty and for the dazzling view towards the sea, from the coast and the surrounding hills.

Do

The principal beaches in Itanhaém are:

• Centro (Boca da Barra). 
• Dream Beach (Praia do Sonha). 
• Fishermen's Beach (Praia dos Pescadores). 
• Indians' Well Beach (Poço dos Índios). 
• Peruíbe Beach (Praia do Peruíbe). 
• Seagull Beach (Praia da Gaivota). 

Further attractions are:

• Clean rivers, used for bathing and fishing
• Upstream or offshore boat trips
• Waterfalls of clean water coming from the mountains of the region
• The Atlantic Forest (which earned the city the nickname "Amazônia Paulista"):
• Take a trail descending from the Engenheiro Marsilac region , in the extreme south of the City of São Paulo , crossing the untouched Atlantic Forest of Serra do Mar, until reaching the valley of the Rio Branquinho, already in Baixada Santista, in Itanhaém;
• Take a trail descending from the Embu Guaçu region , passing by Cachoeira do Funil and the Mambu River, until you reach Fazenda Mambu, in Itanhaém
• The Old Center with Beco de Sant'Anna, with a gastronomic variety in restaurants, bars and nightclubs
• The Chamber and Jail House (probably the oldest existing jail and Legislative Chamber building in Brazil)
• The Igreja Matriz de Sant'Anna, dating from the 18th century and the Ruins of the Convent Nossa Senhora da Conceição
• The seaside hills of Sapucaitava, Costão and Paranambuco, with lookouts that provide a beautiful view of the sea, beaches, the city and the maritime islands
• You can go to the maritime islands of Queimada Pequena and Queimada Grande
• The "Cama de Anchieta", a beautiful natural rock formation, located on a rocky shore by the sea. According to legend, São José de Anchieta used it several times to sleep, during his various passages through the region. There is a wooden walkway leading to the site
• The monument "Mulheres de Areia" at Praia dos Pescadores, one of the city's postcards, was built in homage to the homonymous soap opera, recorded in the region and shown in 1973, by the extinct Rede Tupi.
• The Itanhaém Rodeo , considered the largest rodeo in the country in a coastal city, held annually since 2005 , always with the participation of singers of great national success
• Shows, promoted by the City Hall, with singers and musical groups of great national success during the high summer season.

Stay healthy

As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Itanhaém are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change from day to day. On the day of your visit, check the map of the latest weekly beach quality bulletin (in Portuguese, boletim de qualidade das praias) of the state's Environment Department (CETESB).

Go next

• Peruíbe
• Praia Grande (São Paulo)
• Santos
• Guarujá
• São Paulo

Routes through Itanhaém

Registro ← becomes SP-344 ← Peruíbe ←

S  N

→ Mongaguá → Santos