Taubaté sits in the Paraíba Valley between São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, close enough to the Dutra highway that many travellers only know it as a name on road signs. It deserves a longer look if you are interested in Brazilian popular culture.
The city was home to two figures with unusual staying power: children's writer Monteiro Lobato and actor-filmmaker Amácio Mazzaropi. Each has a museum here, and together they give Taubaté a sharper identity than most industrial towns in the valley.
The old centre adds churches, small museums, and a few parks, while the surrounding roads lead toward Campos do Jordão, Ubatuba, and the Serra da Mantiqueira. Taubaté is not a beauty, but it is a useful and surprisingly rich cultural stop between bigger destinations.