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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 (3.1 mi) app ride3.1 mi (5 km) 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)
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 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.