Best beaches in Florianópolis (recommendations from those who live on the island)

Discover the best beaches in Florianópolis, the Island of Magic in Santa Catarina. Explore Floripa's beaches to enjoy alone, with friends, children, surfing or stand up paddle boarding.

Living in Florianópolis my entire life, I confess that I never paid much attention to the island's beaches.

Don't get me wrong, I spent entire summers at sea enjoying the salt water and working on my tan. With forty-two beaches available, however, I always ended up going the same way. Easy to get to by car, several parking spaces, calm waters... For me there was no problem with being always the same place.

Until I started traveling, and the desire to see new places became permanent. Since I can't visit other cities all the time, I decided to get to know the island that I call home better. Starting, of course, with its biggest attractions.

With the help of my friends, in recent years I have visited countless beaches in Florianópolis, and I chose my favorites to write this post. Of course I continue exploring the Magic Island, but when I'm out of ideas for new trips, I usually go to one of these wonderful places.

How to get to the beaches of Florianópolis?

This list includes beaches in the north, south and east of the island. You can get to all of them by bus, but I don't recommend this method of transport if you have the budget to rent a car.

From the center to the extreme north of Floripa, for example, where one of the last beaches on this list is located, you need to take two buses. The total travel time is almost two hours, on an off-season weekday. In summer, the island is full of tourists and after nine in the morning the traffic to either side is chaotic. By public transport it takes even longer.

If you want to escape the traffic and enjoy the trip without too much stress, then the ideal is to have a car.. I recommend renting with Rentcars, super reliable company that compares prices between the main rental companies in the world. I always use it and recommend it to all readers, especially because of the guaranteed best price and the ability to pay in installments.

If you don't have money to rent a car, just plan and go early to the places on the list. 

Where to stay in Floripa

If you want to escape the traffic and enjoy a stress-free trip, then I suggest you stay in one of the neighborhoods with a beach. The city center is a great location but, as I said above, getting to the north or south of the island can be complicated depending on the time of day.

In the north, the best regions are Jurerê, Canasvieiras and Lagoa da Conceição, while in the south Campeche is where the majority of accommodation is located.

The best accommodation options are:

Selina Floripa (Lagoa da Conceição)

Selina is an accommodation chain for digital nomads, and is the perfect mix of hotel for those who need to relax and make friends and for those who want to work for a few hours. O Selina Floripa it has shared rooms and private rooms, as well as a coworking space, swimming pool and various events such as surfing lessons! The place also has a bar and shared kitchen for those who want to prepare their own meals.

IL Campanario Villaggio Resort (Jurerê)

This resort is a 2-minute walk from Jurerê beach and all luxury suites have a balcony, many with panoramic sea views. In addition to the beach in front, in Il Campanario Villagio Resort you will enjoy a swimming pool, spa, sauna and gym.

Pousada Vila Tamarindo Eco Lodge (Campeche)

In Campeche, the Pousada Vila Tamarindo Eco Lodge It is just a few minutes walk from the beach. The place offers a garden with hammocks for guests to relax, a swimming pool with sun loungers, yoga classes and spa services, as well as free internet and parking. A breakfast is served every day, with a variety of breads, cakes and sweets.

Here on the blog there is also a post with the best accommodation options on the island, with tips on neighborhoods, hotels, inns and hostels!

The best beaches in Florianópolis

The 5 best beaches in Florianópolis are:

• Campeche
• Jurerê
• butcher
• joaquina
• Brava Beach

Campeche beach

In the south of the island, Campeche Beach is my favorite, and I just don't visit more often because the traffic in this part of Floripa gets more complicated in the summer (I don't wake up early, hehe). If you are going to visit, I recommend going early in the morning! The sea in the region is cold, and if you are used to the warm waters of the northeast region of Brazil, it is best to prepare yourself.

With great waves, this is the choice of many surfers, but swimmers also have fun in the shallower parts. It is one of the few, in my opinion, that both types of visitors can enjoy.

From the beach it is possible to see the famous Campeche Island, where the color of the water is compared to the tones of the Caribbean. You can get there by swimming (but I only recommend it to those with experience) or by boat. Prices in season to make the crossing are around R$80 to R$120, round trip.

When you get tired of the sun, I recommend trying one of the gastronomic options on Av. Pequeno Príncipe. I like it a lot Sahat Market, which serves Thai cuisine during lunch period.

Jurere Beach

Perhaps the most famous of Florianópolis' beaches, Jurerê is divided between traditional Jurerê and Jurerê Internacional. It is on this Monday that the infamous people meet beach club P12 and Cafe de La Musique, where artists and other personalities come to spend their holidays.

It was in this place that I spent most of my vacations throughout my life, as it is easy to get to as it is in the north of the island, and the sea is very calm. On windless days it is possible to do even Stand up paddle!

There is no division natural between the two parts of the beach, but the consensus is that if you want to relax, enjoy with your family and spend less, the Traditional region is more recommended. Those who like partying, parties and luxury houses will find themselves on the leftmost part of the beach, at Internacional.

Near the Cafe de la Musique there is Jurerê Open Shopping, an open-air shopping center full of stores, food trucks and restaurants. It's a good option for a trip at the end of the day, and on weekends during the season it's easy to find live music performances there. Those who want to have lunch in a different place can enjoy the Ponto Restaurant, inside the Jurerê Sports Center, or enjoy the crepes at the Cine Café.

You might also like: What to do in Florianópolis in Winter.

Matadeiro Beach

This was one of the ones I visited the least, as access is even more difficult than the other traditional beaches in the south of the island. When you arrive at Armação beach, you need to walk along the entire strip of sand until the right end, cross a bridge (or go through the water, if the tide is low) and then take a short five-minute trail.

The difficulty of getting to Matadeiro is compensated, however, by the smaller number of tourists and the stunning landscape. It's one of those places for those who really enjoy nature. As the sea in the southern part is rougher, it is normal to find surfers in the region, but in general it is also possible to enter the water and bathe.

It is the smallest of the Florianópolis beaches on the list, and also the most untouched. Apart from some bars, there are no places to buy food or drinks, the ideal is to take it from home. If you want to have lunch somewhere, it's best to go back to Armação and choose one of the restaurants there.

One of the paths to Lagoinha do Leste, one of the most famous trails in Floripa, also begins at Matadeiro. This is, however, the longest route, and I recommend starting at Pântano do Sul.

Joaquina Beach

Joaquina beach, also affectionately called joaca According to locals, it is one of the beaches in the east of the island. It is accessed through Lagoa da Conceição, and it is also ideal to go early as traffic to the region is usually heavy during the season.

Its biggest difference in relation to the others are its dunes, an attraction in itself for those who like adventure and want to face the sandboard. On the left part of the beach (for those looking at the sea) there are also some rocks, and it's normal to see people up there taking photos or even sunbathing there. Be careful as when the tide is a little high it can be difficult to return to the beach.

Although the sea is rough and very popular with tourists, I never felt any difficulty getting into the water (I have pavor when it is strong). I find it much quieter than neighboring Praia Mole. In these two the sea temperature is freezing, but I find it calmer than in the south.

It's worth spending the end of the day exploring Lagoa da Conceição. Watch the sunset, walk around the center and enjoy the countless gastronomic options in the area. Those who like Peruvian food can enjoy it at Sabor Perú, and I also really like having a snack at Café Cultura (where there is brunch and grilled bread with cottage cheese, amen).

Brava Beach

A little further north than Jurerê, Praia Brava has great infrastructure for those who want to enjoy the day on the sand. There are kiosks selling snacks, drinks and playing music, which makes the atmosphere very lively.

As the name suggests, the sea is not the calmest, which is why it is another beach popular with surfers. It has also recently become popular among younger people on the island (my friends and I went there several times last summer), and now it is possible to find several parties and clubs, the best known place being Le BarBaron.

On the left side (for those looking at the sea) there is a small trail, from where you can have an impressive view of the beach.

Looking for a different experience?

We have selected 3 experiences below for you to enjoy the beaches of Florianópolis even more. These are tours with specialized guides, and you can book in advance through Viator, one of the largest platforms in the world for selling tours and activities. And the best part: you can pay in reais, and most of the time you receive a full refund if canceled up to 24 hours before the tour!

Campeche Island is one of the best tours in Florianópolis, and the color of the water is comparable to that of the Caribbean!