A route that attracts tourists from all over Brazil and the world, there are resorts for all styles of life, whether for those who prefer to live in more hectic places or close to nature.
As in the Northeast and Southeast, the Southern Region of Brazil is rich in options for the most different tastes on its coast, both for residents and tourists. And with so many leisure options full of nature and for all lifestyles, it is almost impossible to list the best beaches in Florianópolis. But we prepared a guide anyway.
So, if you want to live in the Capital of Santa Catarina, and especially if you want to be close to a beach, check out some of the main features of Floripa's waterfront!
Browse the beaches of Florianópolis:
Features of the beaches of Florianópolis
Florianopolis weather
Location of beaches
List of beaches
Barra da Lagoa
Campeche beach
Campeche Island;
Jurere Beach
Traditional Jurerê;
International Jurerê;
Armação Beach
Galheta beach
Joaquina Beach
Mozambique beach
Praia dos Ingleses
Lagoinha do Leste beach
Ribeirão da Ilha
Ribeirao da Ilha beach
Features of the beaches of Florianópolis
Soft sand banks with clear grains and greenish waters, tall trees, denser forests, there are countless striking landscapes of the Capital of Santa Catarina. Some of them have easy access due to their proximity to urban centers, ensuring greater infrastructure for trade and services. Others are in quieter places, in conservation areas, providing well-being in contact with nature.
Florianopolis weather
Despite the location, there are those who doubt the summer potential of Santa Catarina. Living in Florianópolis means living with thermometers that register high temperatures during the season, despite the rainy season. The temperature is usually close to 30º in summer and 12º in winter.
Location of Florianopolis beaches
From extensive and well-structured resorts to isolated deserted beaches, the truth is that they all tend to delight locals and tourists alike. Basically, three areas divide the beaches of Florianópolis: North, East and South. Almost all that are located to the North have calmer seas, providing a peaceful and ideal environment for the whole family.
Waves coming from the direction of the ocean favor surfing in the eastern area, which contributes to a more agitated climate, attracting especially young people. The beaches located further south, which are usually less known, consequently end up being the least frequented. But they have exuberant natural beauties and, even so, they tend to attract residents and tourists looking for quieter places.
In the Central Region there are also some beaches in the surroundings, including the mainland, outside the island. Generally, due to the proximity to the Center, these beaches are usually recommended only for contemplation, and not for bathing in the sea.
Florianopolis beaches
With so much nature in abundance, it is difficult to specify the number of beaches in the region. Despite some places rating it 42, 100, what's worth noting is that not all of them are suitable for bathing or are basically deserted. Anyway, there is definitely no lack of options on this fantastic island that is the Capital of Santa Catarina.
Discover some of the different beaches in Florianópolis below:
Barra da Lagoa
Barra is located between the Atlantic Ocean and Lagoa da Conceição, a stronghold of Caiçara and Azorean culture, accessible by car via the SC-404 Highway. Many tourists visit the beach throughout the year, certainly because of its various attractions, in addition to the exuberant landscape of Morro da Galheta and Pedra do Frade, an ancient astronomical observatory.
A fishing village, Barra offers a complete service infrastructure, with restaurants, shops, etc. Among its 650m long, the beach has a specific area ideal for leisure and sports activities, such as volleyball and soccer matches. The magic of this place also reveals natural pools with access by a quiet trail.
It is also in Barra da Lagoa that the Multidisciplinary Institute of Environment and Archaeoastronomy is located, with its megalithic monuments on the Prayer Trail and a collection of rock art panels (frotagens), archaeological artifacts and photographic panels.
Campeche beach
With 3.5 km long, Praia do Campeche is at the meeting of the South and East Regions of Florianópolis, which also naturally connect by the same strip of sand to Praia da Joaquina. Here the beach usually has cold waters, strong waves and soft sand. However, if you choose to walk between the beaches, be aware that the journey can take more than an hour. Therefore, an alternative is to take advantage of access by routes in the southern area of Floripa.
Among the beaches in the South Region, it is the closest to the Center and, despite being a little more crowded in high season, due to tourists, it tends to have a lot of movement throughout the year, both by locals and people. from other neighborhoods that visit the beach.
Campeche Island
In front of the beach, in the eastern part, is Ilha do Campeche, surrounded by coasts and hills of the Atlantic Forest. To visit it, it is necessary to hire a boat that leaves either from Campeche itself, with a shorter route, or from Praia da Armação, with a longer route.
Shelter of a very rich ecosystem, the paradisiacal place, with fine sands and crystalline waters, provides natural pools, with few waves. The island is under the care of the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (Iphan), in addition to being protected and preserved by old associations.
The magic of the place is that it houses more than 100 petroglyphs in 10 archaeological sites, nine lithic stations, occupation sites and rocky monuments. Praia da Enseada is the only place to visit by boat, with favorable weather conditions, and must be guided and supported by Iphan monitors.
Jurere Beach
In Florianópolis, when it comes to hustle and bustle, Jurerê Internacional emerges almost unanimously. But, in reality, this is just one of the facets of Praia de Jurerê, in the North Region of the island. That's because it mixes different lifestyles, attracting people, including celebrities, from different regions. Jurerê means Small Water Mouth, so called by the Carijós indigenous ethnicity, who named the narrow channel between the island and the mainland of Y-Jurerê-Mirim.
It is considered the most expensive region of Florianópolis, with high-end and very luxurious properties. And therefore, it is not an affordable beach for all budgets in terms of housing.
Traditional Jurerê Beach
More peaceful, it retains aspects of the older residents and the local culture. It has a narrow strip of sand, with fine sand and considered shallow, with few waves. During the high season of the holidays it is possible to find several families enjoying leisure with physical activities during the day. At night, its bars and restaurants take on a bohemian feel.
Jurerê Internacional beach
With sandbars and small waves, it belongs to the part of the beach that ended up becoming more popular. It took the place famous not only for the influence of a luxury condominium of the same name, but also because of the iconic electronic clubs and beach clubs in its surroundings.
It has one of the most impressive beach infrastructure in the region, with absolutely all types of services on site. Jurerê Internacional has already been considered The Place to Be by The New York Times (2009); the most valued destination on the Brazilian coast by Guia Exame de Investimentos Pessoais (2008); and Praia do Ano by the magazine Brazil Travel News (2007). For these and other reasons, it has also become a reference in sustainability.
Armação Beach
One of the traditional caiçara strongholds such as Praia do Campeche, Praia da Armação is located 22 km from the Center and Florianópolis bus station. The village atmosphere, due to the fishing communities that live in the region, gives a traditional and rustic essence to the beach, full of infrastructure and commerce “on the sand”.
Praia da Armação is one of the most frequented resorts on the island, with an influence especially during the summer seasons. But there are those who find a lot of peace and tranquility despite the movement of the place, day and night.
With more than 3 km in length, some stretches of the beach to the south form small and calm waves, while others, to the north, more agitated, are conducive to surfing. This last part is less inhabited, with sand surrounded by water on one side and native vegetation on the other. The southern part has infrastructure, services, houses and movement.
Galheta beach
Praia da Galheta is the only one reserved especially for naturism in Santa Catarina. Semi-deserted, it is located next to the Galheta Municipal Natural Park, a permanent preservation area that does not usually attract so many tourists.
It's a great weekend trip for any Floripa resident, but especially for surfers, who go to Galheta in search of perfect waves. Its access is made only by two trails between the Mole beaches, with a route that corresponds to 600 meters; and Barra da Lagoa, more difficult and longer.
The beach is 950 m long and has crystal clear waters, surrounded by undergrowth and remnants of the Atlantic Forest. Its exuberant landscape is surrounded by the Morro do Parque Natural Municipal da Galheta, starting at Ponta do Meio and ending at Ponta do Caçador (north), where Ponta da Calheta is located, after approximately 2 km of cliffs.
The Galheta Municipal Natural Park, with almost 150 hectares of native forest, has freshwater spouts scattered at strategic points to quench thirst after the trail. It is expressly forbidden any type of camping, hunting and destruction of vegetation. So remember to bring your lunch and collect it as there are no restaurants on site.
Joaquina Beach
Affectionately known as “Joaca”, Praia da Joaquina is also a favorite for many surfers. Its perfect waves offer not only a breathtaking view, but also emotion, as it has been the scene of major competitions with international surfing stages for many years. In this way, the beach infrastructure has developed well to cater for tourism, which increases the number of visitors in high season, and also serves residents who enjoy the region all year round.
Due to its conditions, the public that usually frequents this beach in Floripa is very young and usually sports fans. In the region, it is still possible to abseil in the mountains, but its dunes have also become famous for another type of surfing: sandboarding, a kind of surfing on the sand.
The completely open swells coming from the Atlantic Ocean, which maintains the constant flow of the sweeping zone (the coming and going of the waves), make the surf get deeper more quickly. For these and other reasons, the circumstances of entering the sea at Praia da Joaquina should always be done with great caution.
Mozambique beach
One of the largest beaches in Santa Catarina and the longest in Florianópolis, Praia do Moçambique, over 10 km long, has a basically untouched natural beauty. It is located in the Parque Florestal do Rio Vermelho, an Environmental Conservation Unit, which has a reserve of approximately 400,000 m2.
A great weekend trip, to get to the beach you have to take the Manoel de Menezes highway. It is worth mentioning that access to Praia do Moçambique is currently controlled by the Environmental Military Police through a gate that is closed from 10pm, opening only the next day at 6am.
Peace is guaranteed in the midst of a stunning landscape that attracts practitioners of Yoga, Tai chi chuan, meditation, etc., while the condition of its good waves attracts many surfers. But unlike its neighbor Joaquina, Mozambique does not have infrastructure.
By the way, the region also has a flow of fishermen, precisely because its name Mozambique comes from a shellfish traditionally caught in the region. Amateur fishermen can find a variety of fish on this beach, especially mullet. It is worth mentioning that the contact with the Falklands Current makes the beach water very cold.
Ingleses beach
Another very busy destination is Praia dos Ingleses, with flow throughout the year, especially in summer. The extension of the beach contributes to the calmness of the sea on one side, ideal for children and the elderly. The other, with strong and long waves, suitable for surfing. It also receives direct influence from the swells of the Atlantic Ocean.
Walking approximately through its 5 km of fine white sand, it is possible to find beautiful dunes and, to the south, the Morro dos Ingleses. Its border with Praia do Santinho has access by trail. In summer, the water temperature in Ingleses can get hot, pleasant for that delicious bath in the sea.
One of the magic of this beach is that around it there is an entire infrastructure, which supplies various services, from hotels on the beach to a small shopping center (with three movie theaters).
Lagoinha do Leste beach
Lagoinha do Leste holds the greatest abundance of natural beauty that the island can offer. Formed by beach, cliffs, lagoon, waterfall and native Atlantic Forest, the place usually attracts tourists and residents who like to be in contact with nature.
Situated between the hills in the South Region, access is only made by trail or boat, as there is no road nearby. Therefore, those who like to go hiking can now book this alternative to get to Lagoinha. Taking the Pântano do Sul, a beach with a traditional caiçara community, the route can be done in approximately 1 hour.
For visitors who prefer to go by boat with the fishermen, the crossing leaves from the same place, Pântano, and takes about fifteen minutes. It is worth mentioning that, as there is no pier or port, the disembarkation is made in the surf of the sea. The waves are crystal clear, but they have a certain strength due to the open sea.
In a way, this limited access contributes to the preservation of Lagoinha do Leste, which is in an area protected by law. Just over 1.2 km of fine white sand, surrounded by cliffs and abundant nature, Lagoinha is one of the last strongholds of Atlantic Forest still preserved in Florianópolis.
The outflow of rivers that occurs from a hill in the region, the Matadeiro, forms a freshwater lagoon. Its small streams flow from the middle of the forest and go towards the meeting of the sea. One of the magic of this beach is due to a unique feature. On rare occasions, the tide brings bioluminescent plankton (also popularly called phosphorescent algae) that illuminate the seashore at night.
As there is no accommodation on site, one possibility is to check the availability of establishments on nearby beaches, such as Pântano do Sul, Praia dos Açores and Praia da Armação.
If you want to live as close to nature as possible, but at the same time be relatively close to the Center, it is worth looking for properties in Campeche or Lagoa da Conceição, for example.
Ribeirão da Ilha
Located in the Southwest Region, basically facing the mainland, the neighborhood of Ribeirão da Ilha began to develop almost together with the Center of Florianópolis, still in the colonial period, when the regions were called Freguesia do Ribeirão da Ilha and Vila de Nossa Sra do Desterro. , respectively.
Despite this, the more than 20 km distance between the two regions contributed to the Ribeirão conserving its more traditional and bucolic characteristics, despite the neighborhood having a complete infrastructure. However, the Church of Nossa Senhora da Lapa and the square of the old parish are still present in the neighborhood.
Administrative district of Florianópolis, the area of Ribeirão covers about 50 km2, extending from beaches in the extreme south of the island to the mouth of the Rio Tavares, on the border with the Costeira do Pirajubaé neighborhood.
In the mid-1950s, fishing and mariculture officially became the main economic activities of the beach, making Ribeirão recognized as one of the main oyster producers in Brazil. Because of this, one of the attractions of the place is the Caminho das Ostras, which includes several restaurants with cuisine focused on seafood.
Ribeirao da Ilha beach
Its extensive shore is formed by small beaches of dark and coarse sand, ideal for those looking for places of peace and tranquility. The region is formed by three stretches of sand that provide a breathtaking natural landscape. There, the calm sea makes not only a good sailor, but, who knows, also a fisherman.
Live near the beaches of Florianópolis
Now that you know a little more about the many natural charms of Ilha da Magia, it is now easier to choose the beaches in Florianópolis where you want to live close by.
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