Litoral Sul near Sao Paulo, Brazil

Unlike the Linha Verde, the Litoral Sul between Santos and Cananéia has not been continuously developed. From São Vicente to Itanhaém, the whole coast is completely built up with holiday developments, but beyond Itanhaém the road does not hug the shore and a large area has been left untouched. Some 80% of the region is now under some form of environmental protection. An organization called

, www.sosmatatlantica.org.br

, aims to help preserve what is left of the coastal vegetation but is part owned by a large paper company.

Itanhaém lies 61 km south of Santos. Its pretty colonial church,

(1761) on Praça Narciso de Andrade, and the

(1699-1713, originally founded 1554), on the small hill of Morro de Itaguaçu, are reminders of the Portuguese dedication to converting the

to Catholicism. Also in the town is the

, but the historic buildings are quite lost amid the modern development. The beaches here are attractive, but like those at Mongaguá and Praia Grande, several stretches are prone to pollution. Excursions can be made by boat up the

. Frequent buses run from Santos, an hour away. There are several good seafood restaurants along the beach, hotels and camping.

Some 31 km further down the coast, there are more beaches at Peruíbe, but some fall within the jurisdiction of the Estação Ecológica Juréia-Itatins . While the beach culture has been well developed here with surfing, windsurfing, fishing and so on, a number of 'alternative' options have recently flourished. The climate is said to be unusually healthy owing to a high concentration of ozone, which helps to filter out harmful ultraviolet rays from the sun. UFO watchers and other esoterics claim that it is a very mystical place. Local rivers have water and black mud proven to contain medicinal properties. And the neighbouring ecological station is a major draw now that ecotourism has become big business in São Paulo state. Peruíbe's history dates back to 1530 when the village of Abarebebê was founded; about 9 km northeast of here, the ruins can be visited, with its church built of stone and shells. There is a

.

Buses connect the town with Santos, for São Paulo. For information, contact the

.

Peruíbe marks the northernmost point of the Estação Ecológico Juréia-Itatins, 820 sq km of protected

. The four main ecosystems are

, mangrove forest,

and the vegetation at about 900 m on the Juréia mountains. Its wildlife includes many endangered species including rare flowers and other plants. There are deer, jaguar, monkeys, dolphins, alligators and birds, including the yellow-headed woodpecker and toucans. Human occupation of the area has included sambaqui, builders,

and present-day fishing communities who preserve an isolated way of life.

The ecological station was founded in 1986. Tourism is very carefully monitored and only certain areas are open to the public. These are: the

, 18 km from Peruíbe, which contains the Cachoeira do Paraíso (Paradise Falls) and other pools and waterfalls;

, a fishing village with a 2-km beach, camping and places to eat, 25 km from Peruíbe; and

at the extreme southern end, 38 km from Iguape, with 7 km of beach and all the coastal ecosystems.

Hikers can walk the 4-km

and the 5-km

, but both need prior reservation and numbers are limited; similarly for the

. Trips can be made, with authorization, up the

(8 km from Peruíbe) and the

(25 km from Peruíbe). Other places of interest are

, which was a stop on the Imperial São Vicente-Iguape post route (electric light was only installed in 1995), and the

, where manioc flour is made, 28 km from Iguape.

At the southern end of the ecological station is the town of Iguape, founded in 1538. In the early days of its existence, ownership of the town was disputed between Spain and Portugal because it was close to the line drawn by the Pope marking their respective territories in the 'New World'. Typical of Portuguese architecture, the small

, is a mid-19th-century construction. Information is available from

.

The main attractions for tourists are yachting, fishing and half a dozen beaches. Excursions include the ruined

of

. Handicrafts include items made from wood and clay, basketware and musical instruments.

Opposite Iguape is the northern end of the

with 86 km of beaches, some of which are disappointing. This

is not much higher than sea level and is divided from the mainland by the Canal do Mar Pequeno. The northern end is the busiest and on the island there are hotels, a supermarket and some good restaurants; the fresh fish is excellent.

This cave system, 40 km from Eldorado, west of the BR-116, forms one of the largest concentrations of caverns in the world. Among the best known is the 8-km Gruta da Tapagem or

(Devil's Cave)

Some 43 km north of the Caverna do Diabo is the

(

), www.petaronline.com.br, which includes three groups of caves. The Núcleo Santana, contains the Cavernas de Santana (5.6 km of subterranean passages and three levels of galleries), Morro Preto and Água Suja, plus a 3.6-km ecological trail to the waterfalls in the Rio Bethary, and the Núcleo Ouro Grosso. This section of the park is 4 km from the town of Iporanga. Iporanga is the most convenient town for visiting all the caves; it is 64 km west of Eldorado Paulista, 42 km east of Apiaí, on the SP-165, 257 km southwest of São Paulo. The third group, Núcleo Caboclos, near the town of Apiaí.

A suitable stopping place for visiting the caves area is Registro on the BR-116, in the heart of the tea-growing region, populated mainly by Japanese-Brazilians. There are a number of cheap hotels around the corner from the

The 18th-century façades of the little port town of

stand, gradually decaying, at the heart of the wildest region in southeastern Brazil. Extensive mangrove wetlands, lowland forests and porpoise-filled estuaries surround the town on all sides. Rising up behind them are the rugged, rainforest-covered mountains of the Serra do Mar, which stretch all the way into neighbouring Paraná. The white sands of

are accessible by boat, and the long broad beaches of

, southern Ilha Comprida, are just five minutes by ferry across the little brackish river that fronts the town.

Although this is one of the country's oldest cities (it was one of Martim Afonso de Souza's landfalls), Cananéia lacks the twee charm and tourist facilities of its cousins, Morretes to the south and Paraty to the north. The 17th-century

has plants growing out of its belltower and the façades of its colonial buildings are crumbling in the humidity. The only time of year that sees many visitors is Carnaval and New Year. This is a town with an

atmosphere; it feels like the end of the line.

open their doors at whim. Restaurants are limited to fish, beans and rice served on plastic tables by friendly waiters. However, for those seeking out-of-the-way places, herein lies its appeal.

The densely wooded Ilha do Cardoso is a Reserva Florestal e Biológica.

, the only village on the island, is tiny and has no electricity. There are some very rustic

and restaurants and camping is allowed at designated places, but the island is otherwise uninhabited. There are lots of idyllic beaches, where spectacled caiman can be spotted lazing on the virtually untouched white sand. The best place for surfing is

.

There are three daily ferry services from Cananéia, the journey takes four hours. Boats run tours from the docks in high season and at weekends. Launches can be hired for a full day at other times. Alternatively, drive 70 km along an unpaved road, impassable when wet, to

, from where the island is 10 minutes by boat.