3 Unique Adventures in Florianópolis in 2023

Last Updated: July 2, 2023

Florianópolis (affectionately known as “Floripa”) is one of Brazil’s most beautiful vacation destinations. People come from all over the world to enjoy the phenomenal beaches of Florianópolis, in Santa Catarina. But few people know that Florianópolis is actually a hub for unique outdoor adventures too.

What are the best outdoor activities in Florianópolis?

Sandboarding, surfing, and hiking were some of our top picks for the top outdoor activities in Florianópolis.

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#1: Sandboarding

First, Florianópolis is home to large sand dunes, which create perfect conditions for sandboarding. This sport is exactly how it sounds – like snowboarding , but on the sand!

In our case, we had never tried sandboarding before, so we didn’t know what to expect. Mir is a confident snowboarder, while Steph had almost no experience on any kind of board. But the cool part was that sandboarding was very accessible, even for newbies like us!

At first, we tried to look for a place where we could just rent boards, and try it on our own without a lesson. But we were there in July, which is off-season in the southern hemisphere, so it seemed a lot of the sandboard rental spots were shut down. (But that didn’t stop us from posing with their cute sign. 💁‍♀️) In hindsight, we’re glad we didn’t just rent the sandboards because having someone instructing you gives you the confidence to give it a go!

Not wanting to miss out on the experience, we opted for a lesson with a local, which we ended up loving! Sergio, our instructor, was passionate about all types of outdoor sports and was on a mission to show the world that Florianópolis is much more than just a chill vacation spot. He told us fun stories of backpacking across the island’s mountains, surfing its waves, and of course sandboarding down its dunes.

Sergio was a very helpful instructor. He spoke both English and Portuguese. During the sandboarding lesson, we started off on very gentle slopes, and then we slowly built up to slightly more difficult dunes.

Within an hour or so, both of us were able to sandboard down the dunes successfully. Even though we wiped out plenty of times, the whole day ended up being a blast.

But be prepared to be sore the next day, because sandboarding is quite a workout, especially with climbing the dunes between every ride.

One feature of the lesson that we weren’t expecting, but that we really loved, was that Sergio records you on his GoPro and sends you an edited video of you riding the sand like a pro.

#2: Surfing

If you spend any time at all on Florianópolis’s beaches, you will see surfers catching the waves. 🏄 If you’re like us, you will feel serious FOMO watching them. But, if you’re like us, you’ll also have not the slightest idea how to even attempt to surf.

Luckily, Florianópolis offers plenty of surfing lessons and rentals, and they’re much more affordable than in the U.S. So if surfing is something you’ve always wanted to try, but you’ve been put off by the cost, we recommend trying it in Brazil! If you’re feeling really adventurous, you can even do a full-day surf tour of different beaches around the island.

We tried out surfing on Praia do Pântano do Sul (Pântano do Sul Beach), because we had been in the area the day before for the popular Lagoinha do Leste hike (more on this below). On the day before the lesson, our instructor messaged us via WhatsApp to ask about our experience level, height, and weight. He used this info to bring the right wetsuits and surfboards. Before we got into the water, our instructor explained all the movements for surfing, and we practiced multiple times standing up on the board on the sand.

Once in the water, the instructor helped us watch for good waves to catch , then helped us climb onto our surfboards. After we got onto our boards, he would wait for the right moment to tell us to start paddling and try to stand up.

The waves in this part of Florianópolis were perfect for beginner surfers – not too huge, but not so small that you couldn’t get any movement on your board. Though Mir and I may not have exactly been able to fully stand up on the board for more than half a second, we were all smiles the whole time. Surfing was something we had wanted to try for a while, and surfing in Brazil on a gorgeous beach was the ultimate way to try it out.

#3: Hiking

A trip to Florianópolis is not complete without trying out at least one of their amazing hikes. But the island is quite big, with lots of mountains, so you may not know where to start.

Where are some of the best spots to hike in Florianópolis?

Hiking in Campeche Island

First, you can’t miss a trip to the famous Campeche Island. The entire island is a natural preserve, and the only way you can access it is by boat. What not everyone knows is that beyond Campeche’s beautiful beach, the island also offers unique hiking trails.

Because of preservation efforts, only a limited number of people can visit the island each day. We thus recommend booking your boat ticket in advance to ensure you have a spot, because it can fill up quickly during the high season. Boats leave from Praia da Armação. If you choose not to book in advance, you can show up at Praia da Armação before 8:00 AM, and talk to the fishermen and boat owners to see who has space available on their boat. But it can be difficult to do if you do not speak Portuguese!

Once you get to Campeche, you should of course take a moment to enjoy the gorgeous beach where the boats arrive. But then you must explore the trails! To hike, you have to go with a guide from the island’s preservation agency. There was a small fee of 10 reals. Our guide took us hiking across the island, to stunning cliffs and an archaeological site.

One of the most unique aspects to this hike in Campeche was the prehistoric drawings on the rocks.

We also hiked to the curious Pedra Fincada (“Nailed Stone”) on Campeche Island, which some people believe was dropped there by aliens, according to our guide.

This Campeche hike was not too challenging, and took about an hour and a half to complete. It was a great way to spend the day at Campeche Island.

Hiking the Lagoinha do Leste Trail

Another unique, epic hike in Florianópolis is Trilha da Lagoinha do Leste (Lagoinha do Leste Trail). This hike was recommended by our Airbnb hosts, and we loved it.

The hike starts from the trailhead in Pântano do Sul (there is another trailhead from Praia do Matadeiro, but it is longer and less popular). The hike from Pântano do Sul is pretty steep, and it takes a little over an hour, one way. The Lagoinha do Leste trail takes you through the woods over a mountain, to the other side where the private, magical Lagoinha do Leste beach awaits you.

This beach is only accessible by boat or by hiking, so it really feels like you’ve stepped onto a far-off private island. This aspect of Lagoinha do Leste adds to the magic of the experience, but it also means you need to come prepared with plenty of water and food. When we were at Lagoinha do Leste in July, the only place to fill up our water bottles was on the opposite end of the beach and into the woods. We only found the water source because some locals pointed it out. We therefore definitely recommend bringing a large water bottle on this trip, and we’ve really gotten into using the Platypus water bottle, because it holds a lot of water and its foldable quality makes it very easy to pack.

Once you’ve arrived at Lagoinha do Leste beach, you have the option to add an extra challenge to your day, by climbing to the popular Morro da Coroa (“Crown Hill”) viewpoint.

It’s about a 45 minute hike up. But it’s really steep and gravelly, so we found it challenging. Definitely make sure you wear grippy shoes if you’re going to attempt this hike.Is the hike to Morro da Corroa worth it? The view at the top of Morro da Corroa was pretty amazing, so I would say yes!

However, by the time we got back down from Morro da Coroa, Mir was ready to go take a nap. Steph, on the other hand, was ready to go for a swim.

Overall, we had a blast exploring outdoor adventures in Florianópolis, and we’re really glad we did not just settle for lazily laying on the beach.

Also, if you stop in Rio during your trip to Brazil, and you’re looking for another great hike, check out the Pedra do Telégrafo trail as well.