Setiba, Guarapari: the Coca-Cola Lagoon near Cabana Perocão

A short drive from Cabana Perocão, along the Rodovia do Sol (ES-060), lies a stretch of Guarapari that skips the busy central waterfront: Setiba Beach, inside Paulo César Vinha State Park. Calmer water, white dunes and a dark-water lagoon that earned one of the coast's more curious nicknames — the Coca-Cola Lagoon.

Where it is and what the beach is like

Setiba sits in the southern part of Guarapari, about 12 km from downtown along the Rodovia do Sol, already inside the Paulo César Vinha State Park conservation area. It's a longer drive than the trip to Praia do Morro — the route adds the stretch to downtown, about 8 km from Perocão, to another 12 km further down the same ES-060 that runs through the north side of town. The contrast pays off: unlike the busy central waterfront, the sea here runs calmer and clearer, a direct result of sitting inside a conservation unit, without the same density of beach kiosks and buildings. It's a beach for travelers who trade buzz for preserved scenery — restinga vegetation, native forest and white sand still intact.

Inside Paulo César Vinha State Park

The park covers 1,500 hectares of restinga, dunes, lagoons and mangrove, with 12 km of beach inside its limits — Setiba is its busiest entrance. The administrative headquarters sits on Rodovia ES-060, Km 37.5, open daily from 8am to 5pm, with trail access until 3:30pm, and admission is free. No booking is required, with one exception: the guided Trilha Cidadã only runs on Thursdays and requires advance phone reservation directly with IEMA, the state environmental agency that manages the park. Arriving early helps — afternoon heat cuts into the energy for walking the restinga, and morning light sharpens the contrast between the dark lagoon and the pale sand.

Dark lagoon water against white sand — nicknamed Coca-Cola by whoever first saw the color from a distance — is the kind of scene no beach kiosk can compete with.

The Coca-Cola Lagoon and the trails

The park has six marked trails, in very different lengths and purposes. Four are worth the detour for a free half-day:

1. Mirante da Lagoa de Caraís Trail (133 m) — the shortest, climbing to a lookout over the dark lagoon, the so-called Coca-Cola Lagoon.
2. Clúsia Trail (137 m) — a loop through restinga forest starting right at headquarters; a good option for limited time.
3. Restinga Trail (2,487 m) — the longest on foot, crossing the forest to Praia de Caraís, a sea turtle nesting site.
4. Capivara Trail (1,632 m) — done by kayak, by reservation only; crosses a flooded stretch of restinga among herons and bromeliads.

How Argos sees Setiba

Cabana Cavalo Marinho and Cabana Ouriço do Mar sit in Perocão, on the north side of Guarapari, along the same Rodovia do Sol that leads to the park entrance in Setiba — without leaving the ES-060 corridor that already runs through the neighborhood. For guests who already know the Perocão waterfront and the Praia do Morro shops, Setiba is the third option: fewer crowds, more untouched nature, with simple, free infrastructure. It's worth blocking the full day, or at least the whole morning — trails, lagoon and beach reward unhurried time. Bring water, reapply sunscreen, and if possible, leave Perocão early, before the afternoon sun hits the restinga hard. There's no built-up kiosk inside the park — pack what's needed and carry the trash back out.

Frequently asked questions