São Paulo – The city of Santos is famous for having originated two football stars: Pelé and Neymar. It is also known for being home to the main port in Latin America, through which a significant share of Brazilian food passes. But there is more than that to Santos, which presents itself to visitors as a history-rich city boasting beautiful landscapes and brimming with restaurants that pay tribute to quality cuisine. And all of that is less than 70 kilometres away from São Paulo.
A tour of the city could start on José Menino Beach, by the neighbouring city of São Vicente. There, Municipal Park Roberto Mário Santini is a hangout for skaters, bikers, tourists… and surfers! The ocean in Santos is calmer than in nearby cities, but this is where waves are highest and you will find the most surfers. Want to surf? This is it! The park also features a sculpture by fine artist Tomie Ohtake that was inaugurated in 2008. A good choice for those who want to hit the waves or just watch duels between man and wave.
Taking a slow stroll or pedalling along the bike track on the ocean-front gardens, visitors will find handicraft at a typical fair on Boqueirão Beach, and a bit further on, at Aparecida Beach, they will find the Minor Basilica of Santo Antonio do Embaré. The current church was built in 1945 at the site of a chapel erected in 1875 by the Count of Embaré. The Neo-Gothic style building stands out for its 18-metre-high ceiling and the frescoes done by the fine artist Pedro Gentili in 1946.
Shortly before the end of the beach, the municipal aquarium features penguins, turtles, freshwater and saltwater fish, sharks and even a sea lion. The nearby Museu da Pesca (Fishing Museum) showcases a 23-metre-long whale skeleton. Museu do Mar (Museum of the Sea), in turn, harbours a vast collection of seashells, the six-metre-long skeleton of a whale shark, and an adult Spined Pygmy Shark measuring only 24 centimetres.
Past the museums and the aquarium, at the end of the beach you can watch the sunset. Those who are not content to just watch have other options: joining the fishermen who look for bass and porcupine fish late every afternoon on the fishermen’s deck, take a schooner ride or go to Praia do Góes. To get there, you must board a boat on Ponte dos Práticos , a bridge near the fishermen’s deck, and cross the Port’s canal.
In addition to the gorgeous sight of the Santos coastline, Praia do Góes, located in Guarujá, is home to Fortaleza Santo Amaro da Barra Grande, a fortress built in 1584. The fortress used to protect the coast from attacks. Until this day, cannons that fought the enemies are on display there.
Santos, Brazil
Santos played a key role in Brazilian history. The territory that now comprises the city started being occupied in 1534, after São Vicente, the first Brazilian city, was founded by Martim Afonso de Souza. In 1540, bandeirante (scout) Brás Cubas started planting staple foods in Santos. He also transferred the Port from the beach end to the Centre of the village. By 1867 the Port of Santos was already used to ship out the coffee grown in the country. In that year, businessman Irineu Evangelista de Souza, aka the Baron of Mauá, inaugurated The São Paulo Railway & Co. to carry the coffee from the interior to Santos.
By the early 20th century, booming exports and production led the Port of Santos to become the main gateway for foreign immigrants who regarded Brazil and the United States as the lands of opportunity. The mostly Italian newcomers arrived at the port to work the coffee farms.
The importance of Santos to the coffee production cycle was such that the city got a stock exchange solely for trading on the product: Bolsa do Café de Santos (the Santos Coffee Stock Exchange), which is now open to the public as part of Museu do Café. It was built in an eclectic style – which combines other architectural designs – and stands out for the colourful stained glass windows, the marble columns and copper dome, elements that represented the wealth generated by coffee as of the stock exchange’s inauguration, in 1922.
Currently, the Bolsa do Café building combines history and flavour. The history is narrated in historical and temporary exhibitions, as well as during visits to the building. The flavour, in turn… well, the flavour comes from the espressos at the café by Museu do Café, featuring grain grown above volcanoes at the cerrado (savannah) region of the state of Minas Gerais, in the states of São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. Some options, however, always vary. In between coffee cups, do not be surprised if you hear different languages and get to share the counter with a foreigner. After all, the passenger terminal for the cruise ships arriving at the Port of Santos is nearby.
The historical tour does not end at Museu do Café. It just starts there and continues along the Centre, where some of the streets are still brick-paved. Five trams leave at set times from Praça Mauá (Mauá Square) and pass through approximately 40 tourist spots over a 5-kilometre area. Tour guides show the ground zero, named Outeiro de Santa Catarina, where the Chapel of Saint Catherine of Alexandria was built in 1543. The tram also stops at Saturnino de Brito Palace, from where one can climb to Complexo Turístico Monte Serrat (Montserrat Tourist Complex) to see Santos from above.
Soccer land
Not only does Santos recount some of the history of Brazil through monuments, historical buildings, beaches and museums. The city also holds two treasures of national soccer: the Vila Belmiro stadium and Memorial das Conquistas (Memorial of Conquests), belonging to Santos Football Club, aka Peixe (Fish). And Peixe fans are not the only ones who pilgrimage to the city looking to revisit the team’s glory days. After all, a club that spawned Pelé and a stadium that staged his spectacles so many times does not belong only to the team’s fans.
Monitored visits are available to the club’s memorial, which holds trophies, shirts, the balls used in historical matches (some played by teams other than the home team), pictures, documents, uniforms and a special collection of objects that were used by the King Pelé. The Memorial also features monitors showing images of matches, goals and unforgettable plays.
So many tours will get you hungry. And Santos never disappoints the lovers of good food. There are countless seafood restaurants, bars specializing in cod cakes, great pizzerias and inviting bakeries… but there are also restaurants specializing in Arab food and in making crêpes, as well as places to taste a great coffee. After all, the city that introduced the grain to the world cannot let down an “espresso” enthusiast.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
