Traveling east from Santos and Guarujá along the coast towards São Sebastião, after about 65 kilometers (40 miles) you’ll reach Barra da Una, the first beach of interest and a major nautical center. From here, you can go sailing, hire a launch to take you diving off nearby islands, or go paddling up the nearby Rio Una in a kayak.

Only 3 kilometers (2 miles) west of Barra da Una is the gorgeously secluded Juréia, backed by exuberant vegetation and blessed with a bewitchingly green sea. Farther along, Juqueí’s wide sandy beaches and calm waters are popular with families, as is the horseshoe-shaped Praia da Barra do Sai. The super-trendy, beautiful beaches of Camburi and Camburizinho are magnets for a toned and tanned crowd who surf (the waves are rougher here) and sun by day and mellow out at night at the many rustic-chic bars and restaurants.

If you’re young, on the loose, and looking for even more action, avoid the excessively overdeveloped Boiçucanga and continue east until you hit Maresias, a gathering point for movers and groovers from all over the state of São Paulo. Big swells attract surfers, but a dangerous current makes bathing risky (although the blue-green sea is certainly seductive). As wild as the ocean is Maresias’s nightlife with its multiple bars and discos.

Another 5 kilometers (3 miles) east, Santiago is much more tranquil, as are neighboring Toque-Toque Pequeno, a quiet little fishing town with a relaxed vibe and a privileged view of the setting sun, and Toque-Toque Grande. Both Toque-Toques offer beckoning sands and good snorkeling. Hidden between them is the beautifully wild and quite deserted tiny Praia de Calhetas.