4 Best Sights in Side Trips from São Paulo, Brazil

Families with young children favor small, quiet Barra do Sahy. Its narrow strip of sand (with a bay and a river on one side and rocks on the other) is steep but smooth, and the water is clean and calm. Kayakers paddle about, and divers are drawn to the nearby Ilha das Couves. Area restaurants serve mostly basic fish dishes with rice and salad, as well as sharing platters of snacks, seafood, and fries. Note that Barra do Sahy's entrance is atop a slope and appears suddenly—be on the lookout around marker Km 174. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (no fee). Best for: snorkeling; sunrise.

A wonderful little train departs from Estação Ferroviária Emílio Ribas for tours of the city and its environs, including the 47-km (29-mile) trip to Reino das Águas Claras, where there's a park with waterfalls and models of Monteiro Lobato's characters (Lobato is a well-loved children's-book author). Be sure to book in advance.

Open 365 days a year, the Parque Amantikir consists of 26 gardens that are home to 700 different plant species. On the grounds you can find a cafeteria and a learning center, where there are courses on gardening.