Santos beach at sunset. Credit: Wikimedia / Leguth Edson

A small cruise port along the coast of the Sao Paulo state, Santos is well known for its incredible attractions. For many travelers, however, there may be a bit of hesitation in deciding on visiting due to the port’s distance away from the north.

Still, many travelers arrive on cruise liners every year to enjoy the attractive offerings of this Brazilian gem. A little planning helps reveal the best times of year to visit Santos as well as the wider Sao Paulo area.

Santos and by extension Sao Paulo are marked by a tropical climate. As such, the phrase “sunny all year round” applies here as well. During most of the year, the weather is conducive to going to the beach, visiting tourist attractions and trying a wide array of other activities.

While Santos is along the coast and generally experiences a warm climate, other areas in Sao Paulo are closer inland. This means mostly hot and dry.

The Seasons

Spring: In the spring, from September through November, the days are generally sunny and rather cool.

Summer: in the summer, as is typical, the weather becomes increasingly hot with temperatures rising up to or surpassing that in the Caribbean. Coupled with the heat is the humidity which serves to make the days feel even hotter.

In general, rainfall is abundant, but it’s particularly marked during the summer season. Flashes of downpour occurring during the day are also common.

Fall and Winter: during fall and winter, the general weather pattern is that most days are rainy and drizzly with temperatures on the cooler side.

For the reasons mentioned, many locals and even tourists will say the best time to visit Santos and other places in Sao Paulo is spring or summer, i.e September through March. However, for those travelers used to a much more frigid climate, almost any time of the year will do.

Temperatures and Rainfall

The warm season in Sao Paulo state is January through March, when average daily temperatures reach a high in the low 80s Fahrenheit.

The coolest months are the deep winter months of June and July when high temperatures average 71 degrees.

The warm season also is the wet season. Average rainfall peaks at 9.5 inches in January and more than eight inches in December and February, according to 30 years of data from the World Weather Organization.

Rainfall drops to about three inches or less from April through September.