This guide is for you if you are staying in São Paulo and want one day by the sea. Santos and Guarujá sit side by side on the coast, but they are two different outings: a port city with a long coffee history, and a beach town across the channel. The choices to make before you book are the day of the week, how you split the hours between them, and what to pack.
Which day to pick
The day of the week matters more than the month. Roads down to the coast are very busy on summer weekends and public holidays, and so is the ferry between the two cities. A weekday gives you a quicker drive down and a shorter wait at the crossing.
The ferry is run by the São Paulo state government, and its own pages say crossing times can vary with demand and the weather. The crossing itself takes about 20 minutes. The service publishes waiting times and has cameras on each side, so the queue can be checked on the day.
The other thing to check is museum days. The museums in Santos do not open every day of the week, and the Coffee Museum is the one stop on this day that depends on it. We check for your date when you book.
How the day fits together
You leave at 07:00 and are back at your hotel at about 16:00. The drive down the Serra do Mar to Santos takes about an hour and a quarter. The morning is Santos and the afternoon is Guarujá.
Monte Serrat
The funicular climbs 147 metres up the hill in the middle of the city. Work on it started in 1910 but was only finished in June 1927, after the First World War held up imported parts. The ride takes about four minutes, with two cars balancing each other on the line, and departures run every half hour, every day of the week.
At the top you find the chapel of Nossa Senhora do Monte Serrat, the city's patron saint, which dates to the turn of the 17th century. Next to it is the former casino, open from 1927 to 1946 and now used for events, with a café and a viewpoint. From there you see the port, the beaches and across to São Vicente, Cubatão and Guarujá. There is also a stairway of a little over 400 steps, lined with 14 small shrines of the Stations of the Cross, if anyone wants to walk one way. The funicular ticket is not included.
The Coffee Museum
The museum is in the old Coffee Exchange, the building where Brazil's coffee prices were set. It was put up in 1922 for the centenary of Brazilian independence. Entry is paid on the day. Leave time for a cup in the café.
The seafront gardens
The garden along the Santos beachfront runs for almost 5.4 kilometres. Guinness World Records named it the largest beachfront garden in the world in 2001. Work began in 1914 to a plan by the engineer Saturnino de Brito, and six drainage canals cross it on their way to the sea. It holds more than 200 plant species and over 70 monuments. You do not need long here: a walk along one stretch is enough.
Guarujá
After lunch on the seafront you cross the channel on the car ferry and spend the afternoon at Pitangueiras and Enseada, two of Guarujá's town beaches. Beach chairs are not included.
Changing the balance
Because the car is yours alone, the split between history and beach is up to you. The common changes:
- More beach. Drop the gardens or Monte Serrat and stay longer in Guarujá.
- Football. The Pelé Museum is in Santos, near the old centre, and opened in 2014. Tell your driver and it goes into the morning.
- No swim at all. Spend the afternoon in Santos and take a longer lunch.
The drive back up the Serra and the ferry queue are the two things that set the end of the day.
On your own or with a driver
The crossing itself is not the obstacle without a car: the ferry to Guarujá carries foot passengers as well as vehicles.
Putting both cities into one day is harder without one. The funicular, the old centre, the seafront and two beaches across the water are spread out, and the ferry is the link between them. A private car takes you door to door from your hotel, waits while you swim, and keeps your bags dry. The price depends on the size of your group; see it on the tour page.
What to bring
- Swimwear, a towel and sun cream. Wearing the swimwear under your clothes saves looking for somewhere to change.
- A hat and sunglasses for the funicular viewpoint and the beach.
- Comfortable shoes for the old centre, plus sandals for the afternoon.
- A card or local cash for the funicular, the museum entrance, lunch and beach chairs.
- A dry bag or plastic bag for wet things on the way home.
Who it suits, and who should think twice
It suits families and groups who want a mix: an hour of history, a long lunch of seafood and an afternoon in the water. It also suits anyone curious about coffee, since Santos was the port that carried it.
Think twice in these cases:
- You only have one day outside the city and you dislike traffic. On a summer weekend the coast road can be slow. Pick a weekday, or choose the Holambra day trip, which goes inland.
- Someone has limited mobility. The funicular avoids the stairway, but the beaches and old centre involve walking. Tell us when you book.
- You are arriving by cruise ship in Santos. This tour starts and ends in São Paulo.
If you are still choosing between trips, our guide to day trips from São Paulo compares all five.
Questions people ask
How long is the ferry crossing?
About 20 minutes on the water. The wait to board is the part that varies, and it is longest on busy weekends.
Can we cancel?
Yes. Cancel up to 24 hours before pick-up and you get a full refund. Details are on our cancellation page.
Booking the day
Choose a weekday if you can, pack for the beach, and tell us if you would rather swap the gardens for Pelé or more time on the sand. Everything else is on the Santos and Guarujá private day trip page, where you choose the size of your group and book.
