Santos

Santos is the largest port in Latin America and it grew on coffee - the Bolsa Oficial de Cafe of 1922, where the crop was traded and graded, is now a museum with its trading floor, stained glass ceiling and the auction desk intact, and you can drink a decent cup in the building. The historic centre around it has been partly restored, with a heritage tram running a circuit through it. The seafront is the other half: a garden strip running about seven kilometres between the promenade and the road, planted continuously and often cited as the longest beachfront garden in the world. Vila Belmiro, the small stadium where Pele played for two decades, is inland and runs tours, with the club museum attached.

What you actually see

• The 1922 coffee exchange - trading floor, stained glass and auction desk.
• A seven-kilometre beach garden - the planted strip along the seafront.
• A heritage tram - circling the restored historic centre.
• Vila Belmiro - Pele's stadium, with tours and the club museum.

When to go

All year. Two days.

Honest expectations

The sea at Santos is not clean and swimming is not the reason to come. The port dominates the city and industrial views are unavoidable. The historic centre is restored in patches and quiet after dark. The road from Sao Paulo jams at weekends.

Nearby

Sao Vicente is adjoining; Guaruja is across the channel by ferry.