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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Santos
Give Santos 1–2 nights: use it as a beach-and-coffee-history base for São Paulo, not as a beach holiday — the water is not the draw.
Santos is Latin America's biggest port and the beach city São Paulo drives down to on weekends. The centre holds the coffee-trade buildings and the old tram loop; the beach strip runs 5.3 km of front garden. Two nights covers the centre, the beach and one day trip; one night is enough if you only want the historic core.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- check
- Avoid
- check
- Stay
- 1–2 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 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$8–15 |
| Coconut on the beach | R$5–10 |
| Plate of the day (prato feito) or self-service by weight | R$25–50 |
| Draught beer / caipirinha at a bar | R$10–25 |
| City bus ride | R$5–7 |
| 5 km (3.1 mi) taxi or Uber3.1 mi (5 km) taxi or Uber | R$25–45 |
| Museum entry (Coffee Stock Exchange, aquarium) | R$5–30 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRU · São Paulo–Guarulhos
- Bus services to Santos run several times a day; road time varies with traffic (check)
- CGH · São Paulo–Congonhas
- Closer to the Jabaquara bus terminal; transfer time check
Typical fares
- Bus São Paulo Jabaquara → Santos
- about R$40, 1 h 20 min–2 h
- Ferry Santos → Guarujá
- about R$10, 15–20 min
- Tourist tram, centre loop
- about R$5–15
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 and the beach strip are walkable or bikeable; the seafront has a signed cycle lane. Buses are cheap and run all day but thin out at night. Taxis and Uber cover longer hops; check the meter is running before you move. Tourist trams loop the centre from Praça Mauá.
See and do
Known for
- Coffee Stock Exchange and coffee-trade history
- 5.3 km beachfront garden
- Santos FC and Pelé
- Monte Serrat hill views
- Port and dock history
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Guarujá | Ferry or catamaran across the channel from Ponta da Praia, or the road bridge | About 30–60 min |
| São Vicente | Local bus or taxi along the coast | About 30 min |
| Bertioga | Bus or car along the coast road | About 1 h 30 min |
| Itanhaém | Bus or car south-west along the coast | About 1 h 30 min |
| São Paulo | Bus from the Jabaquara terminal or the rodoviário, or car via the Anchieta or Imigrantes highway | 1 h 30 min–2 h 30 min |
Sleep
- Gonzaga / Boqueirão
- Beachfront hotel strip with the widest choice of mid-range rooms; walkable to the front garden and to Ana Costa for food.
- Ponta da Praia
- Quieter end near the aquarium and the ferry to Guarujá; good if you are moving on by boat.
- Centro
- Historic streets, the Coffee Stock Exchange and the tram; cheaper, busier and less pleasant at night — the blocks toward the port are the roughest.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Good morning | Bom diabong DEE-ah |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| The bill, please | A conta, por favorah KON-tah por fah-VOR |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kong kar-TOWNG |
| Is it safe to swim here? | É seguro nadar aqui?eh seh-GOO-roo nah-DAR ah-KEE |
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
- Beach water quality varies by stretch and after rain: check the daily flag or state reports before swimming.
- Petty theft and phone snatching on crowded buses and on the beach; keep bags in front of you.
- Some cheap hotels between the centre and the port are rough — solo travellers may not feel comfortable there.
- Summer downpours flood streets fast; the serra road down from São Paulo can slow to a crawl on holiday weekends.
Santos is a working port city, not a resort: the beach strip is fine by day, the centre and bus stations need normal big-city care, and the blocks between the centre and the port are best avoided at night.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Santos yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Coffee Stock Exchange and coffee-trade history
- 5.3 km beachfront garden
- Santos FC and Pelé
- Monte Serrat hill views
- Port and dock history
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: Santos, revision 5287698 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5287698
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Santos
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Santos; the US, UK, Canadian and Australian missions are in São Paulo or Brasília.
10% service is usually already on the bill; tipping extra is optional.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/santos). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.