The History of Ubatuba in it`s 388 Anniversary.

By AI-ChatGPT5-T.Chr.-Human Synthesis-26 October 2025

Not so long ago, I set off for the Lusitanian lands with the Almeida brothers, Marcelo and Celsinho.

Fifteen intense days, filled with the best of Portuguese cuisine: codfish, sardines, cozido à portuguesa, and wines that made any dessert unnecessary. Our host was Jorge de Sá, a professor at the University of Lisbon and Marcelo’s doctoral advisor. At night, he transformed into a master of gatherings, offering cheeses, breads, and wines. The ritual ended with a Cuban cigar—supplied by the communist government—and a glass of Port wine.

And if you think Portuguese jokes are a one-way street, you’re completely mistaken. Jorge had a whole repertoire of jokes about Brazilians. He laughed heartily, always in a spirit of friendly payback. Incidentally, Jorge was a fan of Ubatuba and often visited the city.

During our free days, we became full-fledged tourists.We visited the Church of São Roque, whose chapel is covered with Brazilian gold—naturally—from the time when we were still a colony. Gold from Minas Gerais, I should add, carefully turned into sacred art and royal splendor.

We decided to give our trip a more serious air and went to the National Library.Celsinho, on a noble mission, wanted to find copies of his Portuguese great-grandfather’s newspaper—he was both a doctor and a journalist who later brought the paper to Rio de Janeiro. And wouldn’t you know it—he found every edition! He left the place as if he’d uncovered a family treasure.

Encouraged, I dove into my own search. I wanted to find something about Ubatuba in the Portuguese archives. I leafed through books, checked catalogues, even explored dusty shelves. The result? Nothing. It was as if Ubatuba had never existed for the Portuguese.That evening, during our usual gathering, I told Jorge of my disappointment. He listened attentively, adjusted his cigar, and fired back:“Of course! The history told in Ubatuba is all a lie!”

And with that provocation, we toasted Ubatuba’s 388 year anniversary: among stories told, omitted, or reinvented, we keep trying to find a good story to tell at the table—accompanied, naturally, by a good wine.Before the Portuguese: The Indigenous EraLong before European arrival, the region that is now Ubatuba was inhabited by the Tupinambá people, one of the great coastal Tupi-speaking tribes of Brazil.

After the war of the Tamois they negotiate peace in 1563, leading to the Peace of Tamois, signed near modern Ubatuba.This treaty is considered the first peace treaty in Brazilian history, making Ubatuba 462 years.

The name “Ubatuba” comes from the Tupi language:“Uba” = canoe, and “tuba” = abundance.So, Ubatuba roughly means “place of many canoes.”The Tupinambá lived along the coast, fishing, cultivating cassava, and engaging in trade and ritual warfare with neighboring tribes like the Tupiniquim.

They were known for their canoe craftsmanship and navigational skill, moving easily between islands, bays, and rivers.The First Europeans (1500s)When the Portuguese began exploring the coast in the early 16th century, they encountered a dense indigenous population in the region.

Martim Afonso de Sousa, the leader of the first official Portuguese colonizing expedition in 1532, passed near the area.However, Ubatuba remained largely Tupinambá territory for much of the 1500s. The Portuguese had more control over São Vicente and Santos to the soutThe War of the Tamoios (1550s–1560s)One of the most dramatic early events tied to Ubatuba was the War of the Tamoios, a large-scale conflict between coastal indigenous tribes and the Portuguese.

The Tamoios Confederation, which included the Tupinambá of Ubatuba, resisted Portuguese domination and slavery.French traders and missionaries (notably Nicolas Durand de Villegagnon) supported the Tamoios, hoping to establish “France Antarctique” in Rio de Janeiro.Jesuit priests José de Anchieta and Manuel da Nóbrega traveled to Ubatuba to negotiate peace in 1563, leading to the Peace of Iperoig, signed near modern Ubatuba.This treaty is considered the first peace treaty in Brazilian history.

Colonial Foundation

After the Tamoios were defeated, the Portuguese began consolidating their settlements along the northern coast of São Paulo.The official foundation of Vila de Ubatuba occurred in 1637, making it one of the oldest towns on Brazil’s southeast coast.During the 1600s–1800s, Ubatuba prospered through sugarcane, coffee, and shipbuilding, later entering decline as trade routes shifted inland.

Historical LegacySo, the oldest layer of Ubatuba’s history belongs to the Tupinambá civilization and the Peace of Iperoig (1563) — a moment when diplomacy, war, and cultural contact between Indigenous peoples and Europeans first intertwined on Brazil’s coast.

That’s why Ubatuba isn’t just a seaside town — it’s a place where Brazil’s first peace treaty was signed and where two worlds first tried to coexist..

English presence on the coast near Ubatuba

When Thomas Cavendish returned to Brazil in 1591, after his circumnavigation, his fleet sailed along the São Paulo coast, stopping at Santos, São Vicente, and nearby bays — including Ubatuba — to resupply and capture small Portuguese vessels.

• Ubatuba at the time was a small indigenous Tupinambá village with a few Portuguese traders and Jesuits nearby.
• Cavendish’s men sought water, food, and timber repairs, and there were skirmishes with local people reported in Portuguese records.

So, although Ubatuba was not “raided” or “occupied” in the way Santos was, it was visited by English privateers who sometimes seized provisions or captured ships sheltering in its bay.

2. Why Ubatuba mattered

• Ubatuba Bay was a natural anchorage — one of the few safe harbors between Rio de Janeiro and Santos.
• It was often used by European ships (Portuguese, French, English, and later Dutch) as a hideout or repair stop, especially by those evading Portuguese patrols.
• In the 16th century, it was also part of the old “Costa dos Tupinambás,” an area frequented by French corsairs trading with local tribes for Brazilwood.

3. Documentary hints

A few chroniclers mention the area:

• The Portuguese Jesuit José de Anchieta described foreign ships anchoring near Ubatuba in the 1560s–1580s.
• The 1590s records of Portuguese colonial authorities in São Vicente warn of “Ingleses” seen along the northern coast — very likely referring to Cavendish’s fleet.
• Some local historians of Ubatuba note a tradition of “English ships appearing off the bay” in this era, usually seeking supplies or hiding from storms.