Morro de São Paulo is one of the villages on Tinharé island, which together with Boipeba, Cairu and 23 other smaller islands make up the municipality of Cairu, the only one in Brazil which is spread over an archipelago.

Cars are prohibited. Only some four wheel drives and tractors are used to access the more remote spots, and there are no streets, just alleys.

The village of Morro de São Paulo is an excellent place for the study of contrasts - rustic and sophisticated, with simple restaurants and bars sharing space with boutiques selling top brand products.

Tourism is cosmopolitan and egalitarian. One can come across top models, movie stars, hippies and backpackers. The diversity is also present in its architecture, with everything from simple beach houses to grand colonial mansions.

The inland of the island is taken by the Atlantic Rainforest, a natural protection to the southern part, where one can find many miles of sand, coastal lowlands, marshes and mangrove swamps. The region ca only be reached by four wheel vehicles, tractors or horses.

The beaches are named in ordinal numbers, from North to South.

There is a trail in the island to visit the historic places. It is recommended that this tour start around 4pm, finishing in time for watching the sunset.