Surrounded by many natural wonders and world-class beaches, Florianopolis is undoubtedly one of the most popular tourist’s havens in South America and definitely a MUST-SEE place while traveling in Brazil.
It’s the capital of the southern state of Santa Catarina and is divided into two Half’s. One portion of the city is in the Brazilian mainland and the other on the Santa Catarina Island.
The city is famous for pulsating nightlife, saltwater lagoons, and surfing events. For gastronomy enthusiasts, Florianopolis offers world-famous cuisines like the Casqinha de Siri crab cake and Tainha, a tasty fish prepared by grilling. These cuisines and other delicacies are readily available at luxury hotels, restaurants and the beachfront.
The Santa Catarina region experiences warmer summers and is generally cooler compared to the rest of Brazil. Cooler temperatures prevail from March to July while the warmest temperatures are felt between the months of December and February. From this analysis, the best time to visit Florianopolis is from November to March.
Greater Florianopolis or Floripa as it’s fondly known is home to over 40 amazing beaches overlooking the infinite Atlantic Ocean.
Here is our selection of 9 best beaches to visit in Florianopolis:
Jurere Beach
Jurere Beach is located around residential precincts. The people living around the beach area are very friendly and welcoming. The beach has characteristically calm waters and a fine line of white sand.
There are plenty of restaurants and high-end hotels in the area that offer breathtaking views of the ocean and beachfront. Popular servings include seafood and local tropical drinks.
The beach spans 3.2 km and is about 22 km from downtown Florianopolis. The area is currently undergoing massive urban development to make it an international hub of tourism.
Mole Beach
Looking for a cool surfing beach? Look no further! Situated about 11 kilometers from Florianopolis City, Praia Mole is a popular surfing spot both for locals and tourists.
There are three bars where you can grab a drink and listen to electronic music. You will also find a big hippie and LGBTQ+ community there which will make you feel included.
The waves are usually huge there, so it is not really suitable for swimming. However, the nightlife there and the vibes will definitely not leave you disappointed.
Lagoinha
This is one of the oldest beaches in Florianopolis. It started out as a remote fishing outpost before turning out into a leading health and wellness resort in the larger Floripa region.
The beach has widened sandy strips, calm blue waters, and rolling green landscapes in the nearby mountain range. The other visitor attractions include fine sandy dunes and pleasant temperatures. The lowly populated beach is also interspersed with a few colorful shops.
Over the years, Logoinha beach has built a reputation as a family beach. One of the most popular hotels is the walk-in Casa Lagoinha which offers competitively priced beach accommodations for the entire family.
Praia de Campeche
This beach on the southern bit of the island is a retreat for surfers due to the wild waves emanating from the open sea. The beach has white sands and harbors calm, clear waters.
Curious guests are also treated to boat rides, hiking trails and organized tours to the archeological sites in the area. The other distinct attraction is electronic music that is regularly played by the city’s famed DJ’s.
Travel is made easy since the beach is strategically located along the east and south shores of the island. The hotel infrastructure around this beach is minimal as such most visitors prefer to book their accommodation in the nearby hotels and Airbnb homes.
Praia dos Ingleses
The Praia dos Ingleses beach is best known for its clear blue waters and rising sand dunes. The 4.8km long beach gets its name from an English shipwreck that took place here many years back.
Due to the strong waves in the area, the beach is popular with local and visiting water surfers and sand boarders. A growing number of people also visit Praia dos Ingleses for long beach walks to sample the undisturbed natural environment.
The beach area hosts a huge tourist complex that integrates several tourist infrastructures, including restaurants, sporting venues, and recreational centers. The other establishments include a fish market, bars, and small shops. The beach is very popular with tourist from neighboring countries like Argentina.
Praia dos Acores
This pristine beach sits on a less populated, preserved forest. Because of its fairly undisturbed setting, the beach offers an amazing natural environment for nature walks and sightseeing.
It’s also ideal for family outings and activities like sandboarding and surfing competitions due to the huge waves that normally knock the area. The beach is located in a well-planned neighborhood some 30 km from Florianopolis.
Access to the beach by private car and bus has been made easy with the presence of asphalt roads. Visitors can also park their vehicles along the beachside.
Praia Galheta
Praia Galheta beach is strategically located on the eastern shore of the Island. The open ocean beach features fine white sands and clear waters. The beach is about 14km from the Florianopolis city center.
Like the nearby beaches, Praia Galheta is located in a permanent preservation area surrounded by lush vegetation. Nature trackers and hikers will enjoy the experience of walking in the muddy and stretches of rocky terrains. A secluded, nude beach is also available as an extension of the Praia Galheta beach.
Some of the most popular summer activities at Praia Galheta include surfboarding and tropical fruit parties at the beachside stands.
Pantano do Sul
Visitors have made Pantano do Sul their preferred beach because of its natural beauty and the oozing tranquility from the cool, deep water currents. The deep bays along the beach causes the waves to hit the shores with less vigor, which makes the area an ideal spot for swimming and beachside walks.
This southern Island beach is located about 30 km from the Florianopolis city center. The beach is also a popular seafood hotspot and a fish landing site that welcomes visitor’s parts of the country.
In the last few years, several chic restaurants and hotels have been established around the beach area such as Acor restaurant and Aruna Eco Spa Hotel.
Barra da Lagoa
This glamorous beach sits on a strip of land between the Lagoa a Conceicao and the Atlantic Ocean. The beach is fairly small and measures about 0.6km long. A canal has been built along the beach to ensure softer wave landings.
The clean and saline water around the area is perfect for surfing and watersports. The beach is always full of life with tourists and locals enjoying the sun. The beach is part of the larger Barra da Lagoa district and is 20 km from the state capital. Living alongside the vibrant tourist sector is a small fishing community.
The local community also plays host to the popular Festa da Tainha festival that is held annually.
Other unbeatable beach attractions in the region
The other highly rated beaches in Florianopolis include Mocambique, Santinho, Matadeiro, and Naufragados beaches.
The Praia dos Naufragados beach on the southern end of the Ferato Island offers charming sceneries, high water waves and fine, white sands. Guests can also enjoy walking trails and seafood from the nearby restaurants.
The environment around Santinho beach is characterized by high and long water waves. The beach itself has fine sands and clear blue waters that is perfect for swimming and snorkeling. The 2.3km beach is located about 40km from the state capital.
The Mocambique beach also has waters producing high waves. The beach is located near a public park that attracts hordes of beach tourists.
Mocambique beach is about some 21km from Florianopolis and stretches 7.5 km long. It’s easily one of the largest beaches in Floripa Island.
The Matadeiro beach is charming from a surfer’s perspective. The beach has strong waves and calm, collected waters that is surrounded by the magnificent, Morro do Matadeiro hill. The nearby area has restaurants and bars for visitor refreshment. The beach was once a whale trapping and hunting area back and that is how its famous name came to be. The Matadeiro beach is located some 23km away from the state capital.
Conclusion
Florianopolis has everything a beach tourist, sunbather, sand boarder or surfer would wish for. The complementing beachside attractions range from carousing nightlife and tasty seafood to friendly fishing villages. You even enjoy some amazing hiking trails around Floripa.
The beaches strewn along Floripa can be accessed by foot and public transportation. For visitor convenience, a scheduled yellow bus plies the route on a regular basis.
The 42 beautiful beaches are well protected since they are a part of the vast Brazilian nature reserve. The gateway city of Florianopolis is extremely popular with Brazilian tourists as well as those visiting from neighboring Argentina, Uruguay and the rest of the world.
Besides the famous beaches, the region is home to several forts that date back to the 18th century. Due to the high number of attractions and activities in Florianopolis, it may not be advisable to book your accommodation too early.
The best way to go about this is crafting an itinerary or booking a fitting accommodation once you have landed to ensure nothing is left to chance. The accommodations come in the form of hotels, motels, home rentals, campgrounds, and hostels.
Most visitors coming into Florianopolis use the Hercilio Luz International Airport that is located 12km from the city. Popular airlines connecting the city include TAM, GOL and Avianca.