15 Best Sights in The South, Brazil

Praia do Rosa

Fodor's choice

Known nationally for its awesome beauty and laid-back atmosphere, Praia do Rosa boasts sand dunes, lagoons, and green, forest-covered hills that end right in the ocean. The 3-km (2-mile) beach is popular with surfers, while its sheltered lagoons are excellent swimming spots for children. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking.

Praia dos Ingleses

Ingleses do Rio Vermelho Fodor's choice

Named for a British sailboat that sank here in 1700, this narrow beach has an unparalleled lineup of hotels and restaurants for all budgets, making it one of the most popular beaches on the island. In summer Spanish with an Argentine accent is the local language. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets; water sports. Best for: swimming.

Praia Balneário Camboriú

Crowded in the summer months, Balneário Camboriú’s main beach stretches for 6 km (3.7 miles), with the sweeping boardwalk a favorite for joggers, cyclists, and casual strollers. The quality of the water, however, is tested regularly by the state’s environment agency, and regularly deemed unsuitable for swimming. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: partiers; walking.

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Praia Brava

Just a couple of miles around the headland from busy Balneário Camboriú, Praia Brava and connecting Praia dos Amores are where the party animals go in the summer. The seafront restaurants and bars stake their claim on the soft sand with a warren of chairs, parasols, and waiter service. A handful of beach clubs raise the volume with guest DJs and drinks promos during weekends. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: partiers; walking.

Praia da Armação da Piedade

At the tip of the peninsula, a couple of miles down a dead-end dirt road, you’ll find one of the most tranquil and best-preserved of the fishing villages on this stretch of coast. The sand is more suited to walking than sunbathing, so park up by the 18th-century colonial chapel at one end of the beach and stroll down to the handful of beach bars at the other. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: walking.

Praia da Ferrugem

Busy in summer months thanks to its abundance of guesthouses and proximity to Garopaba, Praia da Ferrugem is a popular choice with surfers. A small rocky outcrop marks the division with neighboring Praia da Barra, and it's an easy amble from one to the other across a channel where, depending on the tide, the ocean connects with the Lagoa da Encantada lake. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: surfing.

Praia da Joaquina

Lagoa da Conceição

Surfers have staked claims to this beach, the site of several surfing events, including one round of the world professional circuit. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; water sports. Best for: surfing.

Praia da Lagoinha do Leste

Pantano do Sul

This secluded mile-long beach is surrounded by hills covered with lush tropical vegetation (now mostly protected by a municipal park) and offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic. It can only be reached by boat or by a steep, 5-km (3-mile) path that starts at the entrance of the Pântano do Sul village. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude.

Praia de Fora

For adventurous sunseekers, this sheltered beach can be reached only on foot via a 3-km (2-mile) forest trail from the village of Ganchos de Fora, or round the coast from Praia de Palmas. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; surfing.

Praia do Campeche

This long stretch of beach, backed by dunes, is as yet largely undeveloped, and is popular with a local crowd of walkers and joggers. From here, you can also join a boat tour over to Campeche Island. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: walking.

Praia do Canasvieiras

Canasvieiras

This sophisticated beach has calm, warm waters, and great services and facilities. Amenities: food and drink; parking; water sports. Best for: swimming.

Praia do Estaleiro

Clean and tranquil, with soft, yellow sand, Praia do Estaleiro is an attractive beach that has escaped the clutches of the property developers thanks to its environmental protection status. The beach never gets too crowded and the water stays clean. Amenities: food and drink. Best for: solitude; swimming.

Praia do Pântano do Sul

Pantano do Sul

This small beach community is surrounded by hills and has good restaurants and fishing-boat rides to other beaches and smaller islands nearby. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: walking.

Praia Jurerê

Jurere

Located about 24 km (15 miles) north of Florianópolis city center and home to an upscale resort and condominiums, Jurerê normally has bigger waves than its neighbors. The increased development of beachfront hotels, restaurants, and shops has attracted many out-of-state visitors. Amenities: food and drink; parking; toilets. Best for: walking.

Praia Mole

Lagoa da Conceição

This white-sand beach mostly attracts surfers and foreign tourists. You can paraglide here, and there are a number of beachfront bars. Walk left along the beach and over the point to reach the smaller Praia da Galheta, where nudism is tolerated. Amenities: food and drink; water sports. Best for: nudists; surfing.

The South

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