Santa Catarina

Florianópolis, the state capital, is one of Brazil's most coveted destinations, spread mostly across the Santa Catarina Island and famous for the sheer variety of its forty-plus beaches. The surf scene centres on Praia da Joaquina (a competition break with sandboarding dunes behind) and the wilder beaches of the south and east; the upscale, see-and-be-seen resort strip of Jurerê Internacional in the north has beach clubs and nightlife; and the family beaches and calm bays suit every taste, with the rugged, less-developed south of the island (Praia do Campeche, the surf villages, the Lagoinha do Leste hike) keeping a wilder feel. At the island's heart, the large Lagoa da Conceição lagoon is a hub of kitesurfing, stand-up paddling, seafood restaurants and nightlife, and the fishing village of Santo Antônio de Lisboa preserves Azorean heritage and oyster culture. The mainland centre, linked by the iconic Hercílio Luz suspension bridge, holds the markets and old town. “Floripa” combines beach life, nature and a relaxed, high-quality urban scene.

North up the coast from Florianópolis runs a string of popular beach destinations. The standout is Balneário Camboriú, Brazil's most vertical beach resort — a dramatic wall of high-rise towers rising behind a curving central beach, which has earned it the nickname the “Brazilian Dubai”. Beyond the sand and the buzzing summer scene, it offers a cable car (the Unipraias) gliding over a forested headland between two beaches, a hilltop Christ statue from which you can paraglide, and a lively nightlife. Nearby, the peninsula of Bombinhas is a complete contrast — a protected area of clear, calm, turquoise water, coves and a marine reserve that make it one of southern Brazil's best spots for snorkelling and diving. Further north, the historic colonial town and beaches of São Francisco do Sul and the huge Beto Carrero World — Latin America's largest theme park, near Penha — add to the coast's appeal, especially for families. The whole coastline is busiest and warmest in the Brazilian summer.

Santa Catarina's interior reveals a side of Brazil unlike any other, shaped by 19th-century German and Italian immigration. The city of Blumenau, in the Vale Europeu (European Valley), is the heart of German-Brazilian culture — half-timbered architecture, breweries and a strong heritage that culminates each October in its famous Oktoberfest, the second-largest in the world after Munich's, a vast festival of beer, oompah bands, parades and Bavarian costume. The surrounding valley towns (Pomerode, with its German dialect and architecture, among them) and the Italian-settled wine country add their own traditions of food, wine and festivals. Behind the coast, the land climbs into the cool Serra Catarinense highlands — Brazil's coldest region — around São Joaquim, where high-altitude vineyards produce notable wines, apple orchards blossom, deep canyons (Serra do Corvo Branco) cut the plateau, and winter occasionally even brings snow and frost, a rarity in Brazil. This temperate, European-flavoured interior is a fascinating counterpoint to the beaches, and a reason to explore beyond the coast.