Ubatuba, São Paulo, begins charging tourists on Wednesday; see how much it costs to visit

On the northern coast of São Paulo, Ubatuba began charging on Wednesday (8) the Environmental Preservation Tax – a kind of toll paid by tourists who visit the island for more than four hours a day.

The fee is R$3.50 (US$0.68) for motorcycles, R$13 (US$2.51) for small vehicles – such as passenger cars – and R$19.50 (US$3.77) for SUVs (pickup trucks and vans).

On the other hand, excursion vehicles such as vans (R$39; US$7.53)), minibusses and trucks (R$59; US$11.39), and buses (R$92; US$17.77) still need to pay the fee from the Municipal Tourism Company of Ubatuba (COMTUR), separately.

Those from São Paulo, for example, and planning to spend Carnaval – from Saturday to Tuesday – in the city, arriving by car, will need to pay R$52 (US$10) for the four days of revelry.

Residents of Ubatuba, Ilhabela, São Sebastião, Caraguatatuba, Paraty, Cunha, São Luiz do Paraitinga, and Natividade da Serra are automatically exempted from the daily charge with plates from the respective cities.

As for those who live in Ubatuba but have vehicles registered in other municipalities outside the exemption list, they need to register on the website to avoid being charged.

The same rule applies to public transport or cargo service providers – who will have to prove the link to the region – or for those who have a summer house in the city – in this case, it is valid to register up to two vehicles per property.

According to Ubatuba’s city hall, radar-like equipment – an electronic license plate reading system – has been installed at the city’s entrances to monitor visitors.

There is no physical barrier, such as a toll booth, so as not to create queues.

The value is charged only after departure – in a maximum period of up to 30 days, without interest – and payment can be made in three different ways by the tourist:

• the ecoubatuba.com.br website;
• the app with a credit card;
• bank payment slip.

Important: the daily rates already paid in advance but not used have no expiration date and can be used on a new visit to the city.

Through TAGs fixed on the windows of the vehicles, such as the automatic reading tags used in tolls and shopping mall parking lots.

The debit is made from the user’s account with the TAG, in the registered payment method, 15 days after the date of departure from the city.

In person, at the Eco Ubatuba stations, during business hours.

Check the addresses:

ECO Ubatuba Headquarters
Rua Pacaembu, 70 – Estufa 1
0800 822 8822

Lagoinha Base
Marginal Avenue B, 326 – Lagoinha
(12) 3042-3253

Base Saco da Ribeira
Dr. Manoel Hipólito do Rego, Km 63, 3000 – Saco da Ribeira
(12) 3042-3254

Oswaldo Cruz Base
Rodovia Oswaldo Cruz, nº 770 – next to Shibata Market, Taubaté direction

According to Eco Ubatuba, payment via Pix will be available sometime in 2023.

If the visitor does not pay the amount charged, they may be registered in the municipality’s active debt and charged in court, including fines and interest.

Guilherme Adolpho, Ubatuba’s Secretary for the Environment, informed that the tax revenues would be invested in the conservation of beaches, the Atlantic Forest, and local biodiversity, in addition to measures to recover rivers and coastlines, such as the municipal waste plan.

“In this way, it will be possible to offset the social and environmental impacts generated by the large flow of people who visit Ubatuba, keeping the city clean and preserved, both for residents and tourists,” he said.

With information from UOL

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