Main photo: Isabela Carrari

Four minutes of pure emotion, ascending 147 meters, lead to the top of Monte Serrat by funicular railway, where visitors can find the old casino and the Sanctuary dedicated to Our Lady of Monte Serrat (Nossa Senhora Monte Serrat), patron saint of Santos, built more than 400 years ago. Or, 402 steps with 14 niches reproducing scenes from the Via Dolorosa, inaugurated between 1939 and 1941, lead to a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view of the city, and a partial view of the municipalities of  São Vicente, Cubatão and Guarujá.

Monte Serrat is an important part of the history of Santos, since it used to serve as a refuge for the population when the then village was invaded by pirates. During one of these attacks, in 1614, the invaders were finally buried by an avalanche of earth and stones, and this miracle, attributed to Our Lady, made her the city’s patron saint in 1955.

Top photo: Tadeu Nascimento

Architecturally rich, with its history marked by a  miracle, the Santuário de Santo Antonio do Valongo, built in 1640, was one of the first churches in the country and the second oldest architectural complex in Santos. Baroque in style, its walls are covered in tiled murals from the 1930s and, on the high altar sits one of the few revolving thrones in the country, with the Holy Trinity on one side and on the other, the  monstrance for Perpetual Adoration.  The Chapel of the Venerable Third Order of Saint Francis, built in 1691, is annexed to the Church, and houses the life-size statue of Saint Francis, in Baroque style, praying before a mystic Christ  with Six Wings.

Designed in 1836 and concluded only 30 years later, due to the wars against Uruguay and Paraguay, the Council Chamber and Prison is an architectural monument of great historical and cultural value to Santos. An important cultural center, it has been the headquarters of (Pagu Workshops), run by the São Paulo State Government, since 1994.

With an area of more than 2000m², the historical building has housed over the years: the city council (1870 to 1896), a prison, court, police stations and was the site of the proclamation of the country’s first and only Municipal Constitution, on November 25, 1894,

Top photo: Ronaldo Andrade

The only construction in Neo-Manueline style in São Paulo State and one of the few in Brazil, this building was inaugurated in 1900, still unfinished, after two years’ work – the project by two Portuguese engineers was concluded in the following year. In 1945, the Royal Portuguese Center was renamed the Portuguese Center and in 2006, merging with the Portuguese Social Union, was given the name of Portuguese Cultural Center. The older building is the administrative and cultural headquarters, while the other unit holds social activities.

Top photo: Anderson Bianchi

This building, the first in Santos to be constructed as a theater, was inaugurated in 1882 and destroyed by fire in 1981, with only the external walls left standing. After two decades of neglect, the building was completely restored by City Hall and reopened in 2008. Besides the beauty of the building itself, highlights include two paintings by Paulo Von Poser – one on the ceiling reinterpreting a scene from the novel O Guarany, by José de Alencar, and the other in the second floor foyer, which is a reinterpretation of Benedicto Caixto’s view of Santos from the top of Monte Serrat. The theater hosts presentations and also functions as a municipal school for scenic arts.

Top photo: Tadeu Nascimento

The city’s biggest theater, with seating for an audience of 1000, the Teatro Coliseu has had its current characteristics since 1924. The eclectic style building boasts fine frescos and architectural details, excellent acoustics and refined décor, which have made the theater famous and have classified it as one of the best in the country.

The stage for the premiere of spoken cinema in Santos in 1929, the Teatro Coliseu staged the main musicals, concerts, operas, plays and other spectacles by national and international companies. It fell into disrepair in the 1970 and was closed down in the following decade. Abandoned, it underwent 10 years of renovation work and reopened its doors in 2006. 

Sitting on top of Monte Serrat, 157 meters above sea level, this sanctuary affords a 3600 panorama of the entire city and partial view of the municipalities of São Vicente, Cubatão, Guarujá and Praia Grande. The statue of Nossa Senhora do Monte Serrat, patron saint of Santos, whose saint’s day is celebrated on September 8th, and the stories of her miracles are the big attractions here in the heart of the city. The chapel was built between 1598 and 1603, and access to the sanctuary is by funicular railway or by 415 steps, with 14 niches representing the Way of Sorrows.

Monte Serrrat received its name in 1604, by order of then governor Dom Francisco de Souza, a Spaniard devoted to Our Lady, patron saint of Barcelona, one year after the chapel was built. Up to then, it had been called Morro de São Jerônimo. It is said that in 1614, when Dutch pirate Joris von Spielbergen invaded the settlement, part of the population fled to the top of the hill. While attempting to follow them, the pirates were buried by the avalanche of earth and stones that fell from the mountain. The people considered this a miracle performed by Nossa Senhora do Monte Serrat, and she thus became the city’s patron saint.

The funicular railway opened in 1927 with the inauguration of the function room and restaurant on Monte Serrat. In addition to its terraces and lookout point, the property saw the opening of the Monte Serrat Casino in 1934, hosting such artists as Carmen Miranda, Francisco Alves and Sílvio Caldas until its closure in 1946, when President Gaspar Dutra banned gambling in Brazil. Restored in 1998, the building now offers a café and areas for social and cultural events.

This is the departure point for the various schooner trips around Santos Bay, taking in Barra Fortress; Palmas island; Góes, Cheira Limão, and Sangava beaches, and Urubuqueçaba Island. On the stretch through the Estuary and Bertioga Channel, highlights are the port and warehouses, the old Port Authority (Codesp) buildings, Barnabé Island, the old Santos Air Base, and Diana Island. Genesis, Turismo no Mar and Bravotur tour agencies offer trips lasting betweeen 1hour 30 minutes and 3 hours 45 minutes.

Top photo: Marcelo Martins

Installed in a fine mansion built in early 20th-century neo-classical style, the Benedito Calixto Art Gallery is an important cultural space in the city, with musical happy hour, and a variety of courses and events for children and adults, mainly at the weekend.  

The house, the last one along the Santos shoreline to maintain the characteristics of the coffee boom, was a family residence, care home for the elderly, boarding house for young women and even a slum, before being declared a public utility in 1979, with restoration work commencing seven years later.

The ground floor houses the art book library and a permanent exhibition of works by Calixto, considered one of the major exponents of Brazilian painting from the beginning of the 20th century.  The upper floor functions as a gallery for temporary exhibitions.