it was really really bad around 30-20 years ago, during the time charlie brown junior was all the rage, it was seen like rhe grungier, uglier, slightly colder rio de janeiro. nowadays it is much better, there's actually some working public services, the beach front with its gardens between the avenue and the sand is beautiful, there really is nothing like that elsewhere in brazil, the city itself now resembles a cleaner more organized mini so paulo, and there's loads of cultural things to do there, which in my opnion is what makes it shine among the other coastal paulista cities, the historic downtown specifically is very nice and still has a touristy tram car. that said, bear in mind santos is in a island and shares said island with another city, so vicente. santos is like the dominican republic, so vicente is like haiti, i think you understand what i mean
Brazil