Views of Gravatá Beach
The island of Santa Catarina, where the city of Florianópolis lies, has some of the most incredible nature and wildlife in southern Brazil. The coastline of Floripa is as diverse as it is beautiful, especially when it comes to the beaches. Some stretch miles long with white sand, some are secluded little gems lined with palm trees, some are backed by sand dunes while others are backed by lush mountains and rocky cliffs.
Due to the extremely diverse terrain, some of the best beaches are located in nature reserves and therefore require hikes to arrive since no roads lead directly there. Instead of infrastructure of any kind, those beaches are surrounded by pristine, untouched nature and wildlife. Others are just as beautiful but more accessible, making them family-friendly and best for days where you just want to relax or do some beach-related activities such as surfing. Iconically referred to as the surfing capital of Brazil, Floripa is known to have the perfect wind and wave combination for all kinds of surf - or of course to simply sunbathe and watch (which is more my speed since I am not a very good surfer!).
My days in Floripa were spent hiking through the jungles, swimming in clear blue waters along the coastline and sunning on the sand. After spending two months on the island I fell in love with each and every beach as they all have something unique to offer. Floripa has over 40 beaches - I was able to spend time at 10 and have plans to go back to the island and see more. In this blog I'll explain my top 4 favorite beaches in Florianópolis, why they're my favorites and what they have to uniquely offer.
Best Beaches in Floripa
1) Praia do Campeche (Campeche Beach)
Campeche beach is one of two beaches that has some of the best surfing - namely kitesurfing - on the entire island. If you'd like to learn how to surf or kitesurf, Campeche beach is the best place to do this as many classes are offered nearby. Due to the wind and wave conditions being favorable for surfers, though, it's not an ideal swimming spot for tourists. Rest assured this beach is gorgeous and has other perks, such as being perfect for sunbathing, walks or bike rides, picnicking and playing the beloved Brazilian racket sport also known as Frescobol (which I became quite an expert at after many long days at Campeche Beach!)
Stretching 3.5km long and being one of the longest stretches of sand on the island, Campeche beach connects seamlessly to Joaquina Beach in the north and Morro das Pedras Beach in the south. Behind the beach are small sand dunes referred to as the sand dunes of Campeche. Stretching nearly the entirety of Campeche beach, the dunes are full of sandbanks, vegetation and shrubs (note that the dunes here are not large enough for sand boarding - you must visit Joaquina Beach for that!).
There isn't a direct view of the sunset, but the blue turns into the most amazing assortment of pink and orange if you sit on top of the dunes and watch the sky as the sun begins to disappear. After dark, some locals and tourists will take up a sunken spot in the dunes hidden just enough from the wind to make campfires.
The beach has a view of Campeche Island (Ilha do Campeche) - a beautiful little island about 1.5km off shore containing a single beach, archaeological sites and nature trails. The island is a perfect day trip that can be visited only by boat. The boats leave from either Campeche beach (fastest journey to the island at 5 minutes, $50 USD round trip), Armação beach (30-40 minute journey, $30-50 USD round trip) or Barra da Lagoa (longest journey at 1hr 20 minutes, $30-40 USD round trip). Each roundtrip boat transport allows between 4-6 hours on the island depending on the boat company. The boats start their journeys to the island at 9am and begin returning tourists to the mainland around 2pm (again, exact hours depend on the boat company used).
Campeche Island from the airplane
Interesting Fact/Story (Skip if you'd like!): Since we stayed in Campeche for the two months we were in Floripa, my boyfriend and I would go for a run on Campeche beach every morning and had witnessed a few interesting nature-related events. We've seen a seal on the sand seemingly playing with someones dog before it bolted back into the ocean, hundreds (honestly possibly thousands) of washed up weird looking bugs (this I still have no explanation for), and on more than a few occasions we would see dead penguins washed up on the shoreline which definitely confused us - what are penguins doing there and where did they come from? So we researched it! It turns out they are called Magellanic penguins and they came from either the Falkland Islands, Argentina or Chile. Annually, these penguins migrate to the Brazilian coast (typically between the states of Rio de Janiero and Santa Caterina) between the months of June and October with peak migration season being July-August. Usually and unfortunately some of these penguins either end up injured or sick or don't make the migration by getting caught in a bad storm or passing away for other reasons. So, due to wind and current patterns in the area, they will sometimes wash up dead or injured on Floripa's beaches. In 2022, nearly 600 penguins died within the span of a few days due to a bad extratropical cyclone, many of which washed up on the beaches of Florianópolis. The Santos Basin Beach Monitoring Project has been rescuing the weak or injured penguins from the state of Santa Catarina since 2015. In other words, it's perfectly normal to see some penguins in Floripa during their annual migration period, though we weren't lucky enough to see any live ones.
2) Praia da Joaquina (Joaquina Beach)
Connected to Campeche Beach by a long stretch of white sand, Joaquina beach (Praia da Joaquina) is nestled at the far north end, framed by recognizably large and well-formed boulders that make the beach have an inimitable ambience. Looking towards Campeche in the south, there are beautiful picturesque views of the distant mountains as they fade out to merge with the sky and ocean. Along with Campeche as one of the two best surfing beaches, Joaquina has some of the best and most consistent waves on the island - water sports events located here since the 70's have given Joaquina international recognition. Because of this, though, like Campeche Beach it's not ideal for swimming unless you stay in the shallows.
For a pretty view of Joaquina, or just a unique place to hang out that's not on the sand, you can actually wade or walk out to a large rock landing that locals often fish from (it is easier when the tides are lower). If you continue doing a bit of rock-climbing around the cliffside on the left, you'll come across a peaceful spot to sit and watch the crazy waves break along the rocks.
The beachfront of Joaquina has a lot of food vendors, most of which are restaurants, bars and beach clubs directly on the sand so it's more lively than some of the other beaches. There are also multiple volleyball courts and a cute hotel (Hotel Joaquina Beach) with some rooms and a pool overlooking the ocean. Behind the beach there are large rolling sand dunes that, unlike the dunes of Campeche, are perfect for sand-boarding. Here you can surf the sand with scenic ocean views - a huge draw for tourists who can't surf on water like myself. Called the Dunes of Joaquina, you can either rent a sand-board for around R$30 (around $5.75 USD) per hour from a vendor on the dunes or bring your own! There is a large parking lot behind the beach next to the sand dunes and we saw cars lined up on the side of the long, lone road that leads to the beach so there's plenty of parking.
3) Praia De Canajurê (Canajurê Beach)
Located at the far north side of the island, Canajurê is a secluded, tiny beach with palm trees and calm waters. Technically Canajurê beach is one long beach that then breaks down into a few smaller beaches, each separated by a small walking trail, with the final destination being the secluded sub-beach. To get there, you have to start at the last section of Canajurê Beach that is accessible by car before the tiny trails start - for a reference point, this is near Marina de Croa/Marina Blue Fox. Simply follow the small path along the coastline, passing two tiny beaches before arriving at the third within 5 minutes! The gorgeous leaning palm trees will be the indicator that you're in the right spot. The waters are much calmer than Campeche and Joaquina, so swimming here is more ideal, relaxing and refreshing as you don't have to worry as much about strong waves and currents.
This area of the beach doesn't have any restaurants or bars so I would recommend bringing a picnic if you plan on staying the day; another option would be to walk back to the main road when it's time to eat! I highly recommend exploring this area regardless. The nearby town is buzzing with restaurants, shops, bars and hotels, so start on Avenida Dos Buzios and explore from there. It's quite a vibrant area to stay as the north of the island is significantly more developed with a larger amount of hotels and upscale beach resorts than the east and west (though I personally much prefer staying in areas surrounded by more nature). For more details on which part of the island is best for your lodging, visit my blog post The Safest Place to Stay in Brazil: A Guide to Florianopolis.
4) Praia do Gravatá (Gravatá Beach)
Gravatá beach is by far one of the top beaches in Florianópolis, however if you'd like to spend the day here swimming and otter-spotting, be prepared for a hike! As I mentioned some of the best beaches on the island are located inside nature reserves - Gravatá beach requires a hike through a permanant preservation area (PPA) that treks through the dense Atlantic forest. The 30-40 minute trail is rich in fauna and flora (including a lot of Gravatás - the native vegetation that gives the trail & beach its name) and has incredible views. The reward for the hike is soft sand and clear refreshing waters. This picturesque beach doesn't get too crowded and the bay allows for protection from the strong waves, making it a very enjoyable place to swim. I highly recommend visiting this hidden paradise in the morning, picnic in-tow, and spending the whole day here! When you're visiting Florianópolis you cannot miss a trip to this beach. For a full hiking guide for Gravatá Beach, as well as other stunning hikes on the island, visit my blog post on a guide to the hikes in Floripa!
Enjoy your time on the Magic Island and make some memories that will last a lifetime.
My other Florianópolis blogs:
Comments