Established as a proper village in 1532 by Martim Afonso de Sousa on what was then the Porto dos Escravos ("Port of the Slaves"), operated by three Portuguese colonists who trafficked on slaves captured by allied tribes, São Vicente is titled Cellula Mater (Mother Cell) of Brazil for being the first organized town in the country.

[7] A battle took place here on 3 February 1583 when three English warships attempting to trade with the Portuguese, was set upon by three Spanish galleons.

[7] A small north–south hill range separates for the most part the two cities' urban areas, but they are contiguous in the north and on a narrow beach strip in the south.

A narrow strip of land of the basin of the small Cubatão River extends west out of the central area of São Vicente, north and parallel to the municipality of Praia Grande.

[10] The Baixada Santista region is connected to Greater São Paulo by highway through the Anchieta-Imigrantes System.

Today, it connects the island of São Vicente to the mainland, providing access to the municipality of Praia Grande, and is also one of the city's main tourist attractions due to its beauty.

The company is currently an operator of cell phones, fixed lines, internet (fiber optics/4G) and television (satellite and cable).