Canto da Praia is the small cove at the southern end of Meia Praia, where the rocky headland of the Morro do Cabeço closes off the long sweep of sand. It is also the home of Itapema's surviving artisanal fishing colony — a few dozen families who run open wooden boats out at dawn for tainha (mullet) in May and June, and the year's other staples the rest of the time.
The best time to visit is between five and seven in the morning, when the boats come back in and the nets are dragged up onto the sand. Locals come to buy fish straight off the boat. The cove itself is small, scenic, and has a quieter feel than the main stretch of beach — worth combining with a walk up the headland behind it.