Santa Catarina
Apply for your eVisa- Code:SC
- Type:state
- Population:7.6M (2022)
- Area:95,731 km²
- Elevation:627 m
- Capital:Florianópolis
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.
Overview
Santa Catarina, one of Brazil's three southern states, regularly tops the country's quality-of-life rankings, and for travellers it offers a winning combination of beaches, surf and a distinctive European-influenced culture. Its capital, Florianópolis — affectionately “Floripa” — is largely set on the Santa Catarina Island, a place of more than forty beaches that has become one of Brazil's most desirable destinations: surf breaks at Joaquina and the wild south, the upscale resort scene of Jurerê Internacional, the sandboarding dunes, and the lively Lagoa da Conceição lagoon for kitesurfing, nightlife and seafood, all linked to the mainland by the landmark Hercílio Luz bridge. North up the coast, Balneário Camboriú is Brazil's most vertical beach city — a wall of skyscrapers behind a crescent of sand, earning it the nickname the “Brazilian Dubai”, with a cable car over the bay, a hilltop Christ statue you can paraglide from, and a high-energy resort scene; nearby Bombinhas offers clear water and snorkelling. Inland, the state's strong German and Italian immigrant heritage gives it a Central-European character found nowhere else in Brazil: the city of Blumenau, in the Vale Europeu (European Valley), hosts an enormous Oktoberfest each October — the second-largest in the world after Munich — amid half-timbered architecture, breweries and a strong German-Brazilian culture, while Italian-settled towns add their own wine and food traditions. Rising behind the coast, the cool Serra Catarinense highlands around São Joaquim are Brazil's coldest region, with wine, apple orchards, canyons and even occasional winter snow. Add the Beto Carrero theme park, surf and a temperate climate, and Santa Catarina is a distinctive corner of Brazil — at its best in the warm months from December to March for the beaches, with the highlands and Oktoberfest drawing visitors in the cooler season.
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.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Florianópolis's forty-plus beaches, the surf at Joaquina, Jurerê's resorts and the Lagoa da Conceição.
The high-rise “Brazilian Dubai” of Balneário Camboriú and the clear waters of Bombinhas.
Blumenau and the European Valley, the world's second-largest Oktoberfest and the towns of Pomerode.
The Serra Catarinense around São Joaquim — high-altitude wine, canyons, apples and rare winter snow.
Frequently asked questions
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