The Jardins da Orla, the seafront garden of Santos, runs in an unbroken strip for more than five kilometres along the city's beaches. Wide lawns, flower beds, and shaded paths separate the sand from the parallel avenues of high-rise apartment blocks, giving the seafront a softness that most Brazilian beach cities lack.
In the morning, the garden is full of joggers and tai-chi practitioners; in the afternoon, of children and dog-walkers; in the evening, of couples and ice-cream sellers. It is the simplest, most pleasant thing to do in Santos: rent a bicycle near one of the beach kiosks and ride the full length of it, from the Ponta da Praia at the eastern end to the José Menino canal at the western.