Guaruja - Praia de Pitangueiras

Praia de Pitangueiras is the main urban beach of Guaruja, a resort town on the south coast of São Paulo state that has drawn wealthy paulistanos since the early twentieth century. The sand is fine and light-colored, backed for most of its length by a dense wall of high-rise apartment towers and hotels facing Av. Miguel Estefno. Water clarity is moderate rather than clear, typical of the sheltered Baixada Santista coastline, and the sea stays calm because the beach sits in a broad, gently curving bay rather than facing open ocean swell. The stretch runs for roughly three kilometers and is fully urbanized, with a paved beachfront promenade separating the sand from the road. Amenities are the most complete of any beach on this list: rows of numbered beach kiosks rent sunbeds and umbrellas, sell food and drinks, and provide showers and public restrooms along the entire length. Watersports operators offer jet ski and banana boat rides in the busier summer months, and lifeguard posts are staffed on weekends and holidays. The vibe shifts through the day, from families and older visitors in the morning to a livelier bar and beachfront scene in the late afternoon and evening, particularly near the central kiosks. Because it is close to the ferry terminal linking Guaruja to Santos, and connected directly to São Paulo by bus and by car via the Anchieta or Imigrantes highway and the Piaçaguera-Guaruja bridge, Pitangueiras functions as the default first stop for visitors arriving from the capital. Parking is available in paid lots and street spaces behind the beachfront buildings, though spaces fill quickly on summer weekends. The beach is walkable from most hotels in the surrounding neighborhood, and taxis and ride-hailing services operate throughout the town.