In the last twenty-one years or so, Morro de São Paul (St. Paul's Hill) has gone from isolated, way-off-the-beaten-track third-world village to sun-and-beach international get-down party-hearty town. It is less of the kind of place to meet the locals and take in local culture than it is to soak in natural splendor and party all night long with people from all over the world.

These beach parties really heat up during the Brazilian summer (January until after Carnival) and happen every night. During the rest of the year they take place on Saturday nights, though not with the same intensity. Morro's drinks de rigueur are roskas, tropical fruits (your choice!) crushed in with sugar and vodka -- powerful and seditious.

The "main street" of the village is a sandy path lined on both sides with restaurants and bars, and the beaches are generally referred to with an un-Brazilian pragmatism as "first", "second", "third", or "fourth". The first beach (small) is lined with pousadas; the second beach (wide) is the party beach; the third beach (somewhat smaller again) is lined with more pousadas; and the fourth beach is extensive, beautiful, Caribbean-like tropical paradise.