Best Beaches in Baixada Santista by Profile: Family Trips, Calm Waters, Surfing & Dining
Find out which beaches in Santos, Guarujá, São Vicente, and Praia Grande are best suited for children, surfing, scenic walks, or beachfront dining.
- ✓For Surfing & Clean Water: Praia do Tombo (Guarujá) and Itararé (São Vicente)
- ✓For Calm Waters & Families: Guaiúba (Guarujá), Gonzaguinha (São Vicente), and Aparecida (Santos)
- ✓For Urban Boardwalks & Dining: Gonzaga (Santos), Canto do Forte (Praia Grande), and Pitangueiras (Guarujá)
1. Top beaches for surfing and pristine water quality
If you are looking for powerful Atlantic waves and top-tier water purity, Praia do Tombo in Guarujá is the undisputed standout. Awarded the prestigious international Blue Flag certification year after year, Tombo features strict environmental management, crystal-clear water, and a steep sandbank that generates hollow waves ideal for experienced surfers.
For longboarding, beginner-to-intermediate surf, and wind sports, Itararé Beach (straddling the border of São Vicente and Santos) offers an expansive sandy shore, steady ocean breezes, and dramatic views of paragliders descending from Voturuá Hill.
2. Sheltered coves and calm waters for families with children
Travelers with young children or swimmers seeking gentle waters will love Guaiúba Beach in southern Guarujá. Tucked between green Atlantic rainforest hills in a quiet residential neighborhood, Guaiúba is sheltered from heavy open-ocean swells and offers a relaxed, scenic atmosphere.
Further north in Guarujá, Pernambuco Beach is famous for the natural phenomenon known as "Mar Casado" — at low tide, a sandy tombolo emerges to connect the mainland with Mar Casado Island, creating two calm bays. In Santos, Aparecida and Embaré beaches also offer gentle waves alongside lifeguards and shaded park benches.
3. Best urban boardwalks, cycling, and beachfront dining
When you want to pair a morning swim with cycling, shopping, and great seafood, Gonzaga Beach in Santos and Canto do Forte in Praia Grande are unmatched. Gonzaga sits at the center of Santos’s world-famous beachfront gardens, steps away from historic hotels, cafés, and shopping centers.
In Praia Grande, Canto do Forte — nestled at the eastern corner of the shoreline beneath the historic Itaipu Fortress — boasts calmer waters than the rest of the municipality and a thriving culinary avenue filled with modern restaurants and craft breweries.
4. Wide sandy stretches for beach sports and long walks
For beach tennis, footvolley, beach running, or sunset bike rides, Enseada Beach in Guarujá (stretching nearly 7 km) and the Guilhermina–Aviação corridor in Praia Grande provide wide, sun-drenched expanses with plenty of room to spread out.
Use the city and water-status filters on the BaixaData homepage to compare these beaches on the interactive map, bookmark your favorites locally, and inspect the 3-day coastal forecast.