Praia de Itaguaré, Sand beach in Bertioga, Brazil

Praia de Itaguaré is a sand beach in Bertioga, Brazil, where the Itaguaré River meets the sea. The beach stretches for about 2 miles (3.5 km) between the neighborhoods of São Lourenço and Guaratuba, with open sea, hard sand, and low vegetation.

The beach and its surrounding restinga vegetation were long used by local communities before the creation of the Restinga de Bertioga State Park in 2010. That year, the park was established to protect the area's ecosystems and to support sustainable tourism.

The name Itaguaré comes from Tupi and means "heron's stone," a reference to the birds that frequent the area. Local families often gather at the river mouth, where the shallow water is calm and children can play safely.

Check the tide table before you go: at low tide you can walk the river curve on the sand, while at high tide the southern corner is covered. The beach has no fixed lifeguard posts along its whole length, so swim with care and watch children near the river mouth.

Between June and August, humpback whales pass along the coast, and on calm days you might spot their spouts or jumps from the beach with binoculars. The beach is also one of the last undeveloped surf spots in São Paulo state, with no buildings or artificial lighting along the sand.