Santa Catarina, Brazil

State guide with cities, regions, and key information.

BrazilAmericas
Introduction
Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, is the country's quality-of-life state — a coast of superb island beaches and surf around the capital Florianópolis, a string of buzzing beach resorts, and an interior shaped by German and Italian immigration, complete with the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world. For travellers it blends Brazilian beach culture with a distinctive European-flavoured heritage, plus a cool highland region — a different, temperate face of Brazil.

Discover 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.

Travel Types

Island Beaches & Surf

Florianópolis's forty-plus beaches, the surf at Joaquina, Jurerê's resorts and the Lagoa da Conceição.

Beach Resorts

The high-rise 'Brazilian Dubai' of Balneário Camboriú and the clear waters of Bombinhas.

German Heritage & Oktoberfest

Blumenau and the European Valley, the world's second-largest Oktoberfest and the towns of Pomerode.

Cool Highlands

The Serra Catarinense around São Joaquim — high-altitude wine, canyons, apples and rare winter snow.

Frequently asked questions

Florianópolis ('Floripa'), Santa Catarina's capital, is famous for its setting on a beach-ringed island with more than forty beaches, its surf (Joaquina and the wild south), the upscale resort scene of Jurerê Internacional, and the lively Lagoa da Conceição for watersports and nightlife. It's consistently rated one of Brazil's best cities for quality of life, combining beach culture, nature and a relaxed urban scene — a top domestic and international beach destination, busiest in the southern summer.

If you're in southern Brazil in October, very much so — Blumenau's Oktoberfest is the second-largest in the world after Munich's, a huge celebration of the state's German-Brazilian heritage with beer, oompah bands, parades and traditional costume, set among the half-timbered architecture of the Vale Europeu. It's a unique and surprising side of Brazil. The surrounding immigrant towns like Pomerode are atmospheric year-round for their European-flavoured culture, food and architecture.

The Brazilian summer (December to March) is the time for the beaches and surf, with warm weather and a lively scene (and the biggest crowds, especially around New Year and Carnival). October draws visitors for Blumenau's Oktoberfest. The cooler autumn and winter months are pleasant for exploring the European Valley and the Serra Catarinense highlands, which are at their most atmospheric — and occasionally even snowy — in winter.