City Hall of São Sebastião plans to build a terminal for cruise ships

The project includes the construction of a pier with two berths for docking (Carlos Nogueira/ AT/ Archive)

The City Hall of São Sebastião, located on the North Coast of São Paulo, claims to have presented the project for the construction of the Home Port, a maritime cruise terminal that would have the capacity to accommodate even the largest passenger ship in the world.

The Municipal Administration stated that the passenger terminal was designed to be located at Praia Grande, which is in the central region of São Sebastião, near the port. The project includes the construction of a pier with two berths for docking, one of which would be capable of receiving the Icon of the Seas, from Royal Caribbean International, the largest passenger ship in the world, measuring 365 meters in length.

Complete infrastructure “Our proposal is for a space dedicated to the sector, with a passenger terminal, parking lot, food court, museum, sports courts, and, most importantly, access by airport or highway”, explained the Director of Port Affairs for the Municipality, Sérgio Ramos.

According to him, the Home Port project differs from the Santos cruise ship terminal because the Santos port faces competition from other types of vessels.

São Sebastião Mayor Felipe Augusto (PSDB) emphasized that the project's goal is to develop tourism in the city.

“We have hotels, restaurants, beaches, and a whole trade sector that can cater to tourists who enjoy cruise ships. Our Home Port will be in a strategic location, at Praia Grande, with all the necessary infrastructure”, he pointed out.

According to the City Hall of São Sebastião, Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicanos) showed interest in supporting the initiative during the 7th Conexidades, an event that brought together public and private sector managers for discussions on critical issues and was held in São Sebastião in June.

“We have already delivered the project to the State Secretary of Tourism, Roberto de Lucena, and now we will decide which implementation modality to adopt, whether through a public-private partnership (PPP), the State, or the State in conjunction with the Municipality”, added the Director of Port Affairs.

When approached for a statement regarding the feasibility of the terminal, the Ministry of Ports and Airports (MPor), the National Agency for Waterway Transport (Antaq), and the State Department of Environment, Logistics, and Infrastructure (Semil), responsible for the Companhia Docas de São Sebastião, stated that they do not yet have information about the project.