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Palhoça is a coastal city in Greater Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, on the mainland south of the state capital, famous for the surf village of Guarda do Embaú, the long bays of the Pinheira and the mountains of the Serra do Tabuleiro, which rise behind some of the most beautiful beaches of southern Brazil.
The town itself sits beside the South Bay of Santa Catarina Island, with one of the largest mangroves in South America, while its beaches begin some way to the south. Enseada de Brito, founded around 1650, was among the first places in the region settled by Azorean immigrants, whose fishing traditions still shape the coast.
Visitors swim in the calm water of the Praia do Sonho and the Pinheira, surf at Guarda do Embaú and walk the coastal trails to the Ponta do Papagaio and the Pedra do Urubu. Inland, hikers climb the Morro do Cambirela and explore the forests and waterfalls of the Serra do Tabuleiro state park.
Guarda do Embaú is a surf village on the Rio da Madre in the south of Palhoça, about 46 km from Florianópolis. Its beach, across the river in Paulo Lopes, was named the first World Surfing Reserve in Brazil and is counted among the ten best surf waves in the whole country.
Praia da Pinheira, also called Praia de Baixo, is a 7 km beach curving in an almost perfect shell shape on the coast of Palhoça. Its calm water suits swimming and water sports, and its right-hand corner holds most of the bars, restaurants and guesthouses, with the Ponta do Papagaio at the other end.
Praia de Cima is a beach next to the Pinheira in Palhoça, with clear, calm water, small waves and a preserved shoreline. Rocky outcrops frame its left side, and from its right-hand corner trails lead over grassy hills to the Praia do Maço, the Vale da Utopia and the Ponta das Andorinhas.
Praia do Sonho is a 2.5 km beach in Palhoça, sheltered by the South Bay of Florianópolis, with calm, clear water and small waves. A wide strip of dunes and native vegetation separates the sand from the houses, and the forested Ponta do Papagaio rises at its southern end.
Ponta do Papagaio is a forested peninsula between the Praia do Sonho and the Praia da Pinheira, linked to the shore by a narrow strip of sand with calm water on each side. A 500-metre trail over the rocks leads to views of Araçatuba island and the southern tip of Santa Catarina Island.
Pedra do Urubu is a rocky lookout above Guarda do Embaú, reached by a short but steep trail of about 500 metres through shady forest from the end of the village. From the top there are sweeping views over the Rio da Madre, the beach of Guarda do Embaú and the long curve of the Pinheira.
Rio da Madre is the river that divides Palhoça from Paulo Lopes at Guarda do Embaú, where canoes ferry visitors across to the beach. Its banks are protected by a municipal park of coastal dunes, and a trail of 600 metres leads to the Praia da Barra, where river water meets the sea.
Ponta da Pinheira is the rocky headland that separates the Praia da Pinheira from the Praia de Cima in Palhoça. A 600-metre trail crosses it among boulders and grassy fields by the sea, linking the right-hand corner of the Pinheira with the left-hand corner of the Praia de Cima.
Parque Estadual da Serra do Tabuleiro is the largest fully protected conservation area in Santa Catarina, covering 84,130 hectares across Palhoça and several neighbouring towns. Its forests, mountains, rivers and coast offer hiking, waterfalls and wildlife, and its headquarters lie in Palhoça.
Morro do Cambirela is a mountain of 1,052 metres in Palhoça, the highest point of the region, rising almost straight from sea level within the Serra do Tabuleiro park. Hikers climb a steep trail to its summit for views over the South Bay and Santa Catarina Island, and snow fell on its top in 2013.
Pedra Branca is a rocky hill rising to 490 metres on the border of Palhoça and São José, its bare white rock face visible from far around. A steep trail takes about two hours to reach the top, which looks out over São José, Palhoça, Florianópolis and much of Santa Catarina Island.
Enseada de Brito is the historic district of Palhoça on the shore of the bay, founded around 1650 by Domingos Peixoto de Brito, whose name it still bears. It was one of the first places in the region settled by Azorean immigrants, and its church of Nossa Senhora do Rosário is its focus.
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