Must-see attractions in Santa Catarina

The 3.5km Praia do Campeche is one of Floripa's five-star beaches, an absolute stunner of sun-kissed perfection with wind conditions lending themselves to…

Camboriú's pride and joy is this six-hectare urban reserve. In addition to 500m of walking trails, the real coup is the amusements, which are sold…

To get a stupendous 360-degree panorama of Joinville and the Baía da Babitonga, head to the city's 250m-high viewpoint. The lookout, at the top of Morro…

Formerly the colonial governor’s palace, this gorgeous must-see building has ornate parquet floors and extravagant 19th-century ceilings.

The postcard view of Lagoa da Conceição awaits at this must-stop lookout, which frames both sides of the lagoon, the dunes of Joaquina and beyond.

This is one of the East Island's best and most secluded beaches. It's hidden from SC-406 and accessed by a small trail. The northern end is very popular…

Santinho is the north island’s best surfing beach, acclaimed for its consistent waves and uncrowded conditions.

Joinville's own Juarez Machado gets his due in this new museum dedicated to his fantastic realism and figuratism paintings. Machado, who divides his time…

Lesser known and less visited than Lagoa da Conceição, Parque Municipal Lagoa da Peri has wonderful opportunities for swimming and hiking (as well as…

Latin America's biggest amusement park. Attractions are divided among nine themed areas and include plenty of high-adrenaline roller coasters (such as the…

Blumenau’s festivals are held at Parque Vila Germânica, part convention hall, part kitschy Alpine village. There are several good bar/restaurants (Bier…

Floripa's historic public market bolted out of a huge refurbishment in 2015 with an improved look. It houses numerous bars and restaurants in addition to…

Dating back to 1806, this intimate baroque-inspired church was restored on order from Emperor Dom Pedro II himself, who visited in 1845 and coughed up R…

In an elegant palace dating from 1870, this museum documents the history of immigration to Santa Catarina. The impressive stand of palms along Alameda das…

The 33m Cristo Luz statue holds a sombrero from which a spotlight illuminates the city at night, sometimes in streaming colors. During summer, live music…

Rua XV Novembro is home to the city’s best examples of Germanic architecture, including the Castelinho da XV, a replica of the city hall of Michelstadt,…

In the extreme north of the island, pretty Praia da Lagoinha is still home to a traditional fishing colony and calm, shallow seas that form an elongated…

Lutheran churches loom over town; the most beautiful is Igreja do Espírito Santo, a gem inaugurated in 1877 that still stands east of the center.

Joaquina Beach, backed by massive dunes, has 3km of sun-toasted sand and several restaurants serving food on the beach. On the beach's northeast end is a…

Praia Brava is a pretty patch of sand bordered by upscale condominiums some 400m back from the beach. It has wilder waves that attracts a steady stream of…