Barra do Una, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

5Marcos C 5:00 PM Jun 30, 2014

Mark
Lovely beach where you enjoy the beach, with nature surrounding with a river , many species of birds...the therapy place for body and mind. ..

5John M 5:00 PM Jan 4, 2014

Going swimming mad at Barra do Una beach and surrounds in southern São Paulo state
If you want to get as far as possible from the urban bustle for a couple of days, here's your chance to hang out on some fairly remote beaches in southern São Paulo state. Head south on Manoel da Nobrega highway (SP55/BR101) to Peruíbe and from there about 10 km further on a narrow, winding, sealed road to Guaraú, a distant neighborhood. Several reasonable beachside and other restaurants (I recommend Mão de Pilão a few hundred meters off the main road, a simple place serving local fare) and guest houses around here. Also, canoeing in the mangroves or hire a boat from Sr Toshio Yamauti and pilot yourself up river a few km's to check out the quiet mangroves on the Guaraú river. A good hiking track leads into the same mangrove from the southern end of Rua do Telégrafo, a Main Street crossing the neighborhood. Good swimming at the river mouth and Guaraú beach here. Also a small supermarket on the main road before you head on to Barra do Una, a further 23 km south on a muddy, often steep, unsealed road to the village. About halfway there (12 km) to the right, the entrance to Tocaia restaurant, a simple place about 300 m into the forest. Good fish to eat with other local fare in forest surroundings. You can hire a boat to check out the Una mangroves here. Arriving at Una village and the beach after another half an hour, to the right the road ends at the wide Una river mouth. Good safe swimming in brackish water, tinged a deep tea-color by the tannins in the mangroves and riverine forests. To the left, commercial camping areas and several basic restaurants (good fried fish fillets), ending at a car park. After crossing 200 m of beach to the north (on foot only from here on), take the coastal trail up the rocks (you'll easily spot the footmarks) and make your way for 30 min amongst stunning coastal vegetation (orchids, bromeliads, succulent plants of all sorts) around to Caramboré beach, the first deserted spot here for great swim. Check out the frigate birds and turkey vultures that will be gliding just above your head on the way down to the beach. At the northern end of the beach the trail continues around the rocky coastline. This is tough going in the prickly vegetation. An easier alternative route to the next beach, Deserta or Desertinha, starts about 50 m up the small creek flowing onto the beach from the left. Head to the right up the hill into the forest on a clearly marked trail. 20 min hiking through the pristine forest will take you to the beach, also good swimming. There's a small freshwater outflow 200 m around to the right as you come down the rocky slope onto the beach, good for washing off the salt. There was a Bryde's whale in advanced state of decomposition high on the beach when I was there. The trail heads on another 500 m over the steep rocks to a small waterfall. We didn't go past here. On the way back to Guaraú (if you don't stay at the only guest house at the bottom of the hill coming in), stop off at Paraíso waterfall and Perequê rapids for a freshwater swim. These places can be very crowded and noisy unless you're really early (before 10 AM). You need to pick up a free ticket with the rangers at the Juréia-Itatins reserve entrance for access to Paraíso. Also, about 100 m to the left, just before the waterfall car park, a drivable unsealed road heads 10 km through the forest and mangroves to an arm of the Una river. On the way, lots of birds and insects in a pretty vegetation filled with Heliconia. You can't cross here at the barge, and there is a rangers' station on the other side. It's worth the effort, so give it a shot before all this disappears.