Littoral Paulista
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Positives
- Fairly consistent clean surf
- Easily accessible
- Good quality facilities
- Urban entertainment
Negatives
- Heavy crowd pressure
- Lack of big waves
- Pollution
- Built up coast, heavy traffic
Littoral Paulista surf travel guide
São Paulo is one of the worlds largest cities and so it is of little surprise to discover that the sub-tropical shores of the Littoral Paulista, (the city beaches), are teeming with hot surfers. This whole zone is basically a long stretch of average sandy beach breaks, located between two peninsulas, dotted with inlets, bays and points. The South Atlantic rarely pushes in swells big enough to make the pointbreaks fire, so most surfing here will be done on fickle reefs or hollow beachbreaks, which are always busy. If you’re a beginner, happy to ride small, mushy waves, then the poorer quality peaks that can be found on the bigger beaches will offer less intense crowds. Another way of avoiding the worst of the crowds is to take a long hike or a boat to some of the spots with harder access that can be found along the more rugged stretches of coastline.
Surf spots in Littoral Paulista
Research the 18 surf breaks in Littoral Paulista and discover what spots suit the current conditions.
Break lowdown
We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 18 breaks in Littoral Paulista.
When to go
Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Littoral Paulista
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Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 6,621,000
- Population
- 212,559,417
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- BRL
- Exchange rate
- $1 = 1.9 BRL BRL
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +55
- Dialing out
- 0014
- Emergencies
- 911
- Language
- Portuguese
Electricity
- Plug Type
- n
Visas
Visa free travel for nearly all nationalities for stays of up to 90 days.
Getting There
Most nationalities need a visa. Brazilian Varig airlines charge $50 board tax. National flights are expensive (buy an air pass before you arrive in Brazil), but charter flights to São Paulo are plentiful. It’s 12 hours by “Leito” (sleeper bus) from São Paulo ($20/o/w). There are plenty of international flights to São Paulo. There are plenty of charter flights from all major Brazilian cities to São Paulo. Brazilian Varig Airlines charges $50 boardtax. The coast is only 30min away from São Paulo’s Congonhas Airport.
Getting Around
Littoral Paulista Rental car rates start at $180/w and fuel is 60¢/l. There is a good road network between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, but it still gets clogged up at rush hours. Roads to the secluded spots may be impossible for anything but a 4WD after rain.
Accommodation
There is the full range of accommodation possibilities in Guaruja. Surf season is the off-season for tourists, although July is still busy. Finding a $20 double in a Pousada or Chales (try the Villa Marini) in Maresias/Trindade is easy. Basic foodstuffs are cheap. When eating out, stick to the “Prato do dia” (dish of the day) or the pay by weight system in order to keep costs down.
Activities
Maresias is a packed beach, where people go to see and be seen. It’s the culmination of “Californian” style beach culture. Ilhabela is a nice place to escape the crowds and enjoy some good scenery. Parati to the N is an enjoyable colonial town.
Hazards & hassles
The worst problems are the crowds in the water and bad pollution. Crime is not as high as in Rio but be careful in the outskirts of São Paulo.
Handy Hints
Boards and other gear are cheap and easily available. Maresias is a good place to pick up a new board (roughly $450-600). There’s a female-only surf school called “Hot Girl.”
Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.