Santa Catarina · Brazil
In the state of Santa Catarina.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
Palhoça brings together beaches, rivers and Atlantic Forest on the Santa Catarina coast. At Guarda do Embaú, you'll find the mouth of the Rio da Madre and paths that reveal the landscape between the restinga and the sea.
4 places to stay in Palhoça.
3 places picked to eat.
how to get there · how many days · itinerary · questions
The local experience
A village of fishermen and surfers surrounded by Atlantic Forest, it became famous in the 1980s and was recognized as a World Surfing Reserve. To reach the beach you have to cross the Rio da Madre by swimming, on foot at low tide or in the locals' canoes.
Divided into Praia de Baixo and Praia de Cima, it has clean, calm water, sheltered from the south wind. The longer stretch, about 7 km, keeps the feel of a fishing village of Azorean tradition, and trails to the south lead to natural pools among the rocks.
The largest protected area in Santa Catarina has one of its main gateways in the municipality. It's home to Morro do Cambirela, whose demanding trail leads to a view that, on clear days, takes in all of Santa Catarina Island.
A village founded in 1750 by navigator Domingos de Brito Peixoto, it's home to one of the three oldest parishes in Santa Catarina. The church, listed by the state in 1998, has a three-tier tower and holds statues of Nossa Senhora do Rosário (Our Lady of the Rosary), Saint Francis and Saint Dominic.