The funicular
Four minutes up.
Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photograph by Mike Peel (www.mikepeel.net). — CC BY-SA 4.0
Monte Serrat is Santos's highest hill, rising about 157 metres above the historic centre, with a full 360-degree view over the city and its port, the largest in Latin America, and out to the beaches, islands and the Serra do Mar mountains. Its best-known feature is the «Bondinho do Monte Serrat» funicular, which runs on the counterbalanced system, one car going up as the other comes down. It was planned in 1910 and only built in 1923, and its old cars still make the climb in about four minutes. If you'd rather skip the ride, a stairway of 402 steps leads up instead. On the summit is an old shrine whose origins go back to 1603, and the memory of a casino that once stood on the hilltop. The return fare is about R$30 at the latest prices, so check it and the operating hours. The station is in old central Santos, a few minutes from the Coffee Museum, so the two fit one morning; go on a clear day or at sunset.
Four minutes up.
City and port.
402 steps.
Funicular station, Praça Correia de Mello 33, central Santos
About R$30 return at the latest prices; you can also climb the 402-step stairway for free.
