SOUTHEAST BRAZIL - Brazil - page 158

São Sebastião 2
* 58,000. @ n Av Doutor Altino
Arantes 174, [phone]. _
Festas do 20 de Janeiro (Jan).
www .saosebastiao.com.br

São Sebastião was founded in
the early 17th century, when
Brazil's coastline was cloaked
in a forest larger than the
Amazon. North of Guanabara
Bay was Tamoio indigenous
country, and São Sebastião
became the northernmost
Portuguese outpost for the
indigenous slave trade. As
it grew, the city became one
of the country's first sugar
growing centers and the
thirst for slave labor became
unquenchable. The city was
also among the first to receive
Africans in the slave trade.
Although most people who
come to São Sebastião do so
merely to pass through on
their way to Ilhabela, the
town has a colonial center
of historical importance
which merits at least a
couple of hours' leisurely
stroll before departing.
São Sebastião's colonial
streets lie in the few blocks
between the shoreline and
the Praça Major João
Fernandes at the heart of the
city, easily recognizable by
the imposing 17th-century
church, the Igreja Matriz ,
which watches over it. This
is largely a 19th-century recon-
struction devoid of much
of its original church art.
However, the refurbished
Museu de Arte Sacra housed
in the 17th-century chapel
of São Gonçalo, a block
to the south of the church,
preserves a number of
beautiful, delicate images

Piçinguaba beach in Ubatuba with Serra do Mar mountains in the distance

Ubatuba 1
* 65,000. ~ @ n Av Iperoigi
306, [phone].

to many endangered endemic
species. Birdlife, too, is pro-
lific in this picturesque moun-
tainous area.

Lying at the northern extreme
of São Paulo state and sitting
at the feet of the Serra do Mar
mountain range, Ubatuba is a
little beach resort with a small
colonial center lined with
terraced houses. Glorious
beaches surround the resort.
The most popular
beaches, especially
those south of the
town center such as
Praia Grande , have
an excellent infra-
structure, including
play areas for child-
ren. Buses running
along the coastal
road pass other nearby
beaches, such as Enseada ,
Piçinguaba , and Flamengo .
Even in high season it is easy
to find a quiet stretch of sand
or lonely cove tucked away
along the coast to the south
of Ubatuba.
The Aquário de Ubatuba
in the center of the town
contains some of the largest
tanks and most diverse range
of tropical marine life in all
of Brazil. The office of the
Projeto Tamar , a Brazil-wide
organization that monitors
and preserves turtle nesting
beaches, is also located in
town. Visitors are permitted
to witness turtle hatchings
under supervision.
The Serra do Mar rises in
a vertiginous green wall
only a short distance north
of Ubatuba and an easy drive
away from the town.
Carpeted in thick primary
forest, the Serra is home

Environs
The twin beaches of
Domingas Dias and Lazaro ,
whose crystal-white sands
curve gently on either side of
a forest-clad promontory, are
located 11 miles (18 km)
south of Ubatuba. The
Peninsula da Ponta
da Fortaleza lies
just south of
Domingas Dias and
is fringed with
dozens of quiet
beaches, including
Praia Vermelha do
Sul . Surfers head to
Praia Vermelha do
Norte , just north of Ubatuba,
which has the best waves on
the Litoral Norte.
Aquário de Ubatuba
Rua Guaraní 859. Tel [phone]
1382. # 10am-8pm Sun-Tue,
10am-10pm Fri & Sat. &
O Projeto Tamar
Rua A. Atanázio 273. Tel [phone]
6202. # 10am-6pm Mon, Tue, Thu
& Sun; 10am-8pm Fri & Sat.

Projeto Tamar
signboard

Façade of Igreja Matriz, São Sebastião

For hotels and restaurants in this region see p375 and p401