Peruíbe


Peruíbe is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista. The population is 65,226 in an area of. Peruíbe is located to the southwest of the city of São Paulo and west of Santos.

Location

Peruíbe's urban area is entirely along the Atlantic Ocean fronting its famous beach which is one of the longest in the state. The urban area covers a small part of the municipality, with population growing steadily. Most of the area north of downtown Peruíbe is forested with trees, and is hilly or mountainous as part of the Serra do Mar. An Indian Reservation named Terra Indígena Piaçagüera which is home to the Guaraní tribe named Nhandhevá covers an area of with a perimeter of 38 km.
The municipality contains part of the Tupiniquins Ecological Station.
It contains the Ilha do Ameixal Area of Relevant Ecological Interest created in 1985.
It also contains a small part of the Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, a strictly protected area of well-preserved Atlantic Forest created in 1986.
It contains the Itinguçu State Park, created in 2006.
It contains 91% of the Barra do Una Sustainable Development Reserve, also created in 2006.
The municipality contains the Ilhas Queimada Pequena e Queimada Grande Area of Relevant Ecological Interest, created in 1985 to protect two islands off the coast.
The Ilhas do Abrigo e Guararitama Wildlife Refuge protects two other islands in the Atlantic Ocean to the east of the town.

History

Peruíbe in the Tupi language means river of the shark. Originally as the region of Mongaguá, Peruibe belonged to the Itanhaém territory that stretched from São Vicente to Cananéia, both Portuguese villages founded during the colonial times. As Mongagua, Peruibe, as a municipality, was created back in the 20th century for administrative convenience. Back in the 16th century, the region of Peruibe would have had a bad reputation since most Tupiniquim Indians living there were put into slavery by the Portuguese, working in sugarcane plantations around São Vicente Island. The Abarebebe as the Indigenous peoples called Father Leonardo Nunes, or "the priest that flies" – since he was seen frequently walking on foot all around the long beach between Itanhaem and Peruibe, was the one who fought against this practice that hurt so many Indian families. He even converted an Indian Chaser who was then killed by the Indians, dying as a martyr. It was there, on the rock of Abarebebe that the Jesuits built the first church of that part of the coast, named Church of Saint John Baptist that served also as a school and refuge against the Indian attacks. The sacred objects were taken to Itanhaem when its first church was finished a little later.
Nowadays Peruibe is a modern city presenting many luxury boroughs and restaurants. The public interest for the city is rising since there is a nature reserve named Parque da Juréia, featuring pristine beaches, which is also a "local caiçara" community of fishermen, sheltering also an immense diversity of flora and fauna. The city is surrounded by the Sea Mountain Range the south end of which, near Barra do Una, is called the Juréia Massif.

Tourism

Peruíbe attracts many tourists throughout the year. In Peruibe there are two areas of tourist interest: urban and ecological. The principal urban attractions are the Tower of TV and Mirante, Ruins of the Abarebebe, Flórida square, New Commercial Center-Padre Anchieta Avenue, Old Commercial Center-region of the Estação, Ambrósio Baldin Square and Portinho.
Ecological tourist spots include the Rio Preto Bridge, Costão Beach, Mountain range of the Itatins, Quarter of the Guaraú, Guaraú River, Guaraú Beach, Prainha, Bar of Una, Una River and Una Beach.