Ubatuba is a Brazilian
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
, located on the southeast coast, in the state of
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
. It is part of the
Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte
Metropolitan may refer to:
* Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories
* Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England
* Metropolitan county, a typ ...
. The population is 92,819 (2021 est.) in an area of 723.88 km²,
[Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística]
/ref> of which 83% is located in the Serra do Mar State Park
The Serra do Mar State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar) is a state park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It covers of the Serra do Mar mountain range, and is one of the largest remaining areas of continuous Atlantic Forest. The State ...
.
Ubatuba is one of fifteen municipalities in São Paulo that the state considers to be coastal resorts because they satisfy specific standards set by state legislation. This classification entitles these communities more money from the state for the development of regional tourism. In addition, the municipality gains the right to add the title of seaside resort to its name, a word used both in the official municipal file and in state references.
Toponymy
Its name is of Tupi Tupi may refer to:
* Tupi people of Brazil
* Tupi or Tupian languages, spoken in South America
** Tupi language, an extinct Tupian language spoken by the Tupi people
* Tupi oil field off the coast of Brazil
* Tupi Paulista, a Brazilian municipalit ...
origin, and it has at least two meanings. ''Ubá'' means canoe
A canoe is a lightweight narrow water vessel, typically pointed at both ends and open on top, propelled by one or more seated or kneeling paddlers facing the direction of travel and using a single-bladed paddle.
In British English, the term ...
in Tupi, whereas ''u'ubá'' means river cane, which is a grass utilized by the indigenous people to make arrows. Because ''tyba'' means "gathering", the city's name might refer to either "gathering of river reeds" or "gathering of boats."
Location
Ubatuba is linked with the Rodovia Longitudinal or the BR-101
The BR-101 (also called ''Translitorânea'' (transcoastal), officially named ''Rodovia Governador Mário Covas''.[São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...](_blank)
and east-northeast of Santos and west of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. At latitude 23°26'21, 45", it is bounded to the north by Paraty
Paraty (or Parati, ) is a preserved Portuguese colonial (1500–1822) and Brazilian Imperial (1822–1889) municipality with a population of about 43,000. Indeed, the name "Paraty" originates from the local Guaianá Indians' Indigenous Tupi ...
(Rio de Janeiro), to the south by Caraguatatuba
Caraguatatuba, widely known by its abbreviation ''Caraguá'', is a city in the eastern part of the southern state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 123,389 (2020 ...
, to the west by Cunha, São Luiz do Paraitinga
São Luiz do Paraitinga (" Saint Louis of the Paraitinga") is a municipality ''(município)'' in the eastern part of the state of São Paulo in Brazil. The name Paraitinga comes from the Tupi language (Parahytinga) meaning clear water). The city i ...
, and Natividade da Serra
Natividade da Serra (meaning "the nativity of the mountain") is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Vale do Paraíba e Litoral Norte. The population is 6,642 (2020 est.) in an area of 833.37 ...
, and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. The city lies on the Tropic of Capricorn
The Tropic of Capricorn (or the Southern Tropic) is the circle of latitude that contains the subsolar point at the December (or southern) solstice. It is thus the southernmost latitude where the Sun can be seen directly overhead. It also reac ...
, which crosses just in front of th
municipal airport runway
The urban area is mainly concentrated in the Atlantic and valley areas. The city frequently receives rain, hence the nickname ''Uba Chuva'' (''chuva'' being Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
for "rain"). Much of the land to the north is forested and mountainous, forming a part of the Serra do Mar
The Serra do Mar (, Portuguese for ''Sea's Ridge'' or ''Sea Ridge'') is a 1,500 km long system of mountain ranges and escarpments in Southeastern Brazil.
Geography
The Serra do Mar runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean coast from the state ...
mountains. Serra do Mar State Park
The Serra do Mar State Park ( pt, Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar) is a state park in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It covers of the Serra do Mar mountain range, and is one of the largest remaining areas of continuous Atlantic Forest. The State ...
was established in order to conserve and preserve the Atlantic Forest and covers 83% of the municipality, having a few connector roads through the mountain range and consisting of three centers within Ubatuba: Cunha-Indaiá, Santa Virgínia and Picinguaba.
The municipality contains part of the Tupinambás Ecological Station, which protects some of the coastal islands. A marine park was created under Projeto TAMAR
The Projeto TAMAR (Portuguese for TAMAR Project, with TAMAR being an abbreviation of Tartarugas Marinhas, the Sea Turtles) is a Brazilian non-profit organization owned by the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation. The main objecti ...
(TAMAR Project) to protect sea turtle
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, ...
s. In addition, the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo runs the Clarimundo de Jesus research base in Ubatuba.
Tourism
Ubatuba is an important tourist city, receiving tourists from many parts of Brazil and served by Gastão Madeira Airport. Ubatuba features over 100 beaches. Among these are Maranduba, Lázaro, Itamambuca, Vermelha, Grande, Enseada, Perequê and Saco da Ribeira. Ubatuba also features an island named Anchieta after José de Anchieta
José de Anchieta y Díaz de Clavijo (Joseph of Anchieta) (19 March 1534 – 9 June 1597) was a Spanish Jesuit missionary to the Portuguese colony of Brazil in the second half of the 16th century. A highly influential figure in Brazil's h ...
. It has been a nature preserve since March 22, 1977.
Ubatuba is considered, by law, as "The Surf Capital of São Paulo State". The city has received this honour because more than ten important surf contests are held off its beaches every year, including two world qualifying series, two Super Surf Pro series, and other competitions supported by such well-established brands as Billabong
Billabong ( ) is an Australian term for an oxbow lake, an isolated pond left behind after a river changes course. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. As a result ...
, Quiksilver
Quiksilver is a brand of surf-inspired apparel and accessories that was founded in 1969 in Torquay, Australia, but is now based in Huntington Beach, California. It is one of the world's largest brands of surfwear and boardsport-related equipm ...
and Dunkelvolk
Dunkelvolk is a Peruvian company manufacturing clothes for surfing, skateboarding, BMX and snowboarding.
The word ''Dunkelvolk'' is German and means ''Dark Nation'' .
The company was created in 1996 by its founders Dieter Zúñiga and Jano Say ...
(which sponsored the 2009 edition of Ubatuba Surf Contest with more than 120 athletes).
Lately, the city is also known by its biodiversity, especially in relation to birds. There are more than 565 different birds species already identified (as of April 2012), what has each day attracted more and more birdwatchers.
History
Ubatuba was the place where the Portuguese signed the first treaty of peace of the Americas with the Tupinambá native tribe (The Yperoig Peace Treaty
Tratado de Paz de Iperoig
, a treaty that kept Brazil in Portuguese hands, with only one language and one faith (Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
). Back in the 16th century, the Tupinambá families were forced into slavery, working on sugar cane plantations along the Southern Shores surrounding the towns of São Vicente and Itanhaém
Itanhaém is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of Baixada Santista. The population is 103,102 (2020 est.) in an area of 601.85 km². The elevation is 4 m.
Location
The name Itanhaém ...
, a region also called "Morpion" at that time (according to André Thévet
André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation ...
- ''"Singularités de la France Antarctique"'').
The Tupinambá responded to this outrage with the Tamoio Confederation
The military history of Brazil comprises centuries of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Brazil, and the role of the Brazilian Armed Forces in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For several hundreds of years, the area was the ...
, a powerful military alliance that stood to destroy São Vicente, with the help of the French, who had founded a Protestant refugee colony, France Antarctique
France Antarctique (formerly also spelled ''France antartique'') was a French colony in Rio de Janeiro, in modern-day Brazil, which existed between 1555 and 1567, and had control over the coast from Rio de Janeiro to Cabo Frio. The colony quickly ...
in Guanabara Bay
Guanabara Bay ( pt, Baía de Guanabara, ) is an oceanic bay located in Southeast Brazil in the state of Rio de Janeiro. On its western shore lie the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias, and on its eastern shore the cities of Niterói and ...
before the foundation of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
. The Portuguese sent two Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
priests, Fathers Anchieta and Nobrega, to Ubatuba (a tribe named Yperoig), to make peace with the Tupinambá Indians. Anchieta was kept as a hostage and Nobrega returned to Saint Vincent along with the Chief Cunhambebe
Cunhambebe (more correctly pronounced Quonambec in his native Tupi language) was an Indigenous Brazilian chieftain of the Tupinambá tribe, which dominated the region between present-day Cabo Frio (Rio de Janeiro) and Bertioga (São Paulo). He ...
to make arrangements for the final Treaty. The Portuguese won, destroying France Antarctique and keeping the land.
Population history in numbers
Climate
The climate of Ubatuba is classified as (Cfa) humid subtropical Climate
A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
. It rains during the entire year, more frequently during summer, with the rainfall about 2,520 millimeters/year (hence its nickname ''Ubachuva''). It's got no dry season and a cold month averaging temperatures of 18 °C.
See also
* Green ubatuba
References
External links
*
*
*
City Hall website
*
{{Authority control
Populated coastal places in São Paulo (state)
Populated places established in 1637
1637 establishments in the Portuguese Empire