Itanhaém
Itanhaém is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. Founded on April 22, 1532, it is part of the Metropolitan Region of the Baixada Santista. The population is 103,102 in an area of. The elevation is 4 m.
Geography
The name "Itanhaém" comes from the Tupi word itá-''nha'ẽ, meaning the plate of rock''. Some other Tupinologists believe itanhaém means, ita = rock - and nhaém = that cries; due to the rocky coast and the waves that constantly hit it.Itanhaém was among the greatest tour destinations in the State of São Paulo, in the late-1970s. Located in the Southeastern Brazil, the region is surrounded by the tropical Atlantic Forest that shelters many tropical animals such as colorful birds named Saíra and animals such as Onças, Quatis and Saruês. Itanhaém has many beaches: Downtown beach, Fishermen's Beach ; Dream Beach ; Indians' Well Beach, Peruíbe Beach and Seagull Beach.
Other beaches are located in Peruíbe, once part of Itanhaém's territory and in the Juréia-Itatins Ecological Station, the best preserved and biggest sanctuary of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, sheltering endemic species such as the Red-tailed amazon. Among some of the most popular places in Peruibe, there are the falls of Pereque and Paraiso, both forming lakes and waterholes deep enough for a dive among pitus and lambaris. The most popular beaches are the ones of Barra do Una, Carambore, Desertinha, Juquia, Paranapua, Brava, Guarau and Little Guarau ou Guarauzinho; all of them very close to Itanhaém.
The most important river in the region is located in Itanhaém and its tributary streams such as the Black and the White rivers make sinuous paths into the forest towards the foot of the Serra do Mar where there are many, if not hundreds, of waterfalls. Itanhaém can be reached in 1½ hours by car from the city of São Paulo, the capital of the State of São Paulo.
The municipality contains part of the Tupiniquins Ecological Station.
The city is served by the Antônio Ribeiro Nogueira Jr. Airport.