That Florianópolis is one of the best surfing spots in Brazil is not a secret to any surfer who visits the country. Having started Artur’s surfing addiction on this very island, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to create this Florianópolis surf guide for our ocean-loving readers.
Home to over 40 beaches, not all of them surfable, this island in the south of Brazil is often underestimated for its surfing potential outside the country.
Domestically, however, it is widely recognized as one of the surfing capitals of Brazil, and many of the top surfers in the world choose the island as their home base: surfers like Adriano de Souza, Yago Dora and Mateus Herdy all call it their home break.
In this guide, we cover some of the more touristy spots, including the beginner-friendly ones for first-time surfers, along with the best time to go, the best swells and winds, what to watch out for when surfing in Florianópolis, and the important yearly ban on surfing and other water sports on some beaches.
We were there. Aug 2023 – Jun 2024 & Jan 2026 — about a year living in Campeche
Our Favorite Surf Spots after a Year on the Island
As a summary, for those who are impatient, here are our three favorite places to surf:
- Barra da Lagoa: more suited to beginners, with lots of surf schools.
- Praia Mole: for more advanced surfers. This is where many of the surfing competitions on the island are held.
- Joaquina: suited to intermediate and advanced surfers. It is, however, one of the most crowded surf spots in Brazil.
Before You Paddle Out
East Coast vs Bay Side: Where the Waves Are
This one is pretty straightforward. The west side, facing the bay, has no waves at all, so all of the surfing waves are on the east coast, from the north of the island, around Ingleses, all the way down to Naufragados.
Tip
Renting a car is one of the best ways to get around between the surf breaks.
Surf Season: When the Waves Are Best
The surf in Florianópolis is quite consistent throughout the entire year. The best time to surf is between August and November, when the bigger east and southeast swells hit the island.
From May to July there are also some good south and southeast swells, but this is exactly when the tainha (mullet) fishing season starts, and surfing is banned on many of the beaches in this guide, and on others in the state of Santa Catarina. In Florianópolis, the ban on surfing and other water sports runs from 1 May to 10 July. So if you decide to go during this time, these are the beaches that stay open:
- Praia Mole: the entire beach.
- Joaquina: the entire beach.
- Matadeiro, Armação and Lagoinha do Leste: the first 500 m from the left corner.
The others are usually closed, but they use a flag system to show whether you are allowed to surf: each day, the fishing camps put up a green flag or a red one. On bigger swell days, when the conditions are not good for fishing, they allow surfers to catch waves. These include:
- Campeche
- Barra da Lagoa
- Morro das Pedras
Water Temperature and Which Wetsuit
The water stays quite fresh throughout the year. We would say that a 3/2 mm wetsuit, or a 2 mm one, suits most of the year, and a 1 mm one the warmer days. The predominantly east and east-southeast swells bring cold currents, though, and make the water pretty chilly even in summer.
Personally, Artur doesn’t like surfing in a wetsuit, so he only has a 3/2, or goes in just board shorts on some warmer days.
Etiquette and Localism
Wherever you are in the world, on your home break or not, respect in the water is important to keep everyone safe. Practicing a sport in an unpredictable natural environment like the ocean, riding a human-sized piece of hard fiberglass with knife-like fins on its bottom at high speed, is not something to neglect.
So, to keep safe, make sure you follow the surfing etiquette: wait for your turn, don’t snake, respect the locals and other tourists, and you should be good to go.
Overall, with respect, the atmosphere in the water at the breaks we cover in this guide tends to be quite chill and friendly, but on some more classic days you might see some locals getting more possessive about the waves, and hear a few shouts.
The Best Surf Spots for Beginners
Barra da Lagoa, without a doubt, has the best beginner waves in all of Florianópolis.
Friendly waves most of the time, consistency, an easy paddle out and heaps of surf schools close to the break make it one of the best places we’ve seen to learn how to surf.
On bigger southeast swells it can become a classic, and sometimes you will see a long right breaking close to the exit of the channel. Be careful in these conditions with the currents, which can easily sweep you out to sea.
The Best Surf Spots for Intermediate and Advanced Surfers
All of the other breaks we cover are more suitable for intermediate to advanced surfers.
Surf Spots Around the Island
Campeche
We lived 200 m from Campeche, and it was the break we surfed the most in the year we lived there.
If you count Morro das Pedras and Joaquina, the whole beach is over 10 km long, one of the longest on the island. For this guide, we consider Campeche from Novo Campeche to the beginning of Morro das Pedras. You find all types of breaks: river mouths with barrels in good conditions, straight beach breaks, and more tourist-friendly spots like Lomba do Sabão.
However, on a south swell, when the conditions align, you will also find the best beach break and the best wave on the entire island. It’s not that consistent, but the sandbank created by Ilha do Campeche in the middle of the beach breaks its continuity, and whenever a swell meets it, it generates an incredibly fast-running ride with barreling sections: just an incredible wave. Because of that, when the conditions hit, you find a lot of surfers, and at the same time the current can get quite hectic, and it can be hard to stay in place.
Barra da Lagoa
Barra da Lagoa, as we mentioned, is the perfect spot for beginners. It is also a good spot when you have southerly winds: along with Matadeiro, its northeast orientation can bring offshore winds to the wave. The waves tend to be smaller and faster-running, though. If you go a bit further north, you might find some small barrels breaking on the inside.
On bigger south and southeast swells, there is also a very good ride that breaks close to the entrance of the channel. You have to watch out, of course, for the rip currents, which also get stronger then, so you don’t get swept out to sea.
Joaquina
Joaquina is one of the most popular breaks in Florianópolis. It has easy access, lots of places to park your car, and some paid parking lots for the busier days.
It has a very nice left that breaks from way behind the rocks and generates this incredible wave. On smaller days, you will still find plenty of good waves a bit further down from the left corner: walk south a bit and you will find places without many people.
Praia Mole
Praia Mole is also one of the most popular, especially because it stays open for surfing during the tainha fishing season. Here you can find some barreling waves. It’s quite open to the east, so it receives swell from many directions very well. It is also where many WSL Qualifying Series (QS) competitions have been held. Just a very popular wave.
And a 10-minute hike north from Praia Mole, you also find Galheta. You can walk there from the beach. It’s a punchier wave and can be quite fun as well. Watch out in summer: there can be lots of naked people, as it is the best-known nudist beach on the island.
Matadeiro
Matadeiro is also a very popular beach to surf when you have south winds. When the conditions align, you have a perfect beach break, a bit fatter closer to the right corner. In the middle of the bay you find punchier waves, and on the left, close to the river mouth, you also find some lefts.
Santinho
Santinho is considered one of the best barrels in the north of the island, and probably one of the most consistent waves up there. We have never surfed it ourselves, but we have heard great things about it.
Morro das Pedras
Morro das Pedras is another popular beach for surfing. Its name means “hill of rocks”: it has these rocks on the right side of the beach, and when the swell hits them, you get this wave. It’s not a perfect point break, because the wave breaks over a sand bottom, but it almost feels like one, and you get a really good ride. However, it tends to get really crowded as well. We usually prefer to go a bit further north along the beach and surf emptier waves. There you sometimes get more backwash, but the waves can be pretty fun.
On the other side of the hill of rocks is the Caldeirão, part of Armação beach. It’s way less consistent: there’s lots of current, and it’s way harder to surf.
Surf Lessons and Surf Schools
Throughout the island, but mainly close to Barra da Lagoa and a few in Campeche, you will find several surf schools: from beginner surf schools like Surf Family or Barra Floripa Surf School in Barra da Lagoa, great for beginners who want to start or intermediates looking to improve, to programs like Aprimore, led by Leandro “Grilo” Dora, a surf coach who works at the highest level of professional surfing. You will find everything for surfing on the island.
Lessons for beginners start at around R$150 for a group lesson or R$250 for a private one, while a surf camp for professionals can be R$2,500 for four days of intensive training.
Board Rental and Surf Shops
If you are a complete beginner, we wouldn’t recommend just renting a board and going into the sea. This can put you in danger, and put all the surfers and people in the water in danger too. If you’re a complete beginner, please always go into the water with a surf instructor. The surf schools will usually provide the board, too, and there are plenty in Barra da Lagoa with English-speaking instructors.
For board rentals in Florianópolis, and throughout all of Brazil, we can’t recommend Surf’s Up Club enough. They have a board-rental subscription: sign up for one of their plans and get boards throughout the whole of Brazil. They have monthly plans, but you can also rent day by day, or for a week, for example. Try different boards, pick one up and go surf around Florianópolis: they have 16 places on the island where you can get boards, and different types of boards.
If you’re looking to rent a board by the hour, we’d recommend going to the surf shops close to the beaches where you’re going to surf. You usually find them in Barra da Lagoa, Praia Mole, Joaquina and, sometimes, Armação.
Surf Camps and Surf Hostels
A few surf schools and camps:
- Campeche Surf School: close to where we lived. We would always see them giving classes, in English as well.
- Surf Family and Barra Floripa Surf School: in Barra da Lagoa, great for beginners who want to start or intermediates looking to improve.
- The Search House: also in Barra da Lagoa, offering surf camps and board rentals. This place breathes surfing and skating, and it is one of our favorite places to hang out on the island, even as non-guests, with a half-pipe where you can watch some pretty good skaters. You can also book your stay with them.
Photo: The Search House
FAQs About Surfing in Florianópolis
Is Florianópolis good for surfing?
Yes. That Florianópolis is one of the best surfing spots in Brazil is not a secret to any surfer who visits the country. It is widely recognized as one of the surfing capitals of Brazil, and top surfers like Adriano de Souza, Yago Dora and Mateus Herdy call it home. Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or just starting out, the island has a beach to match your level.
When is the best time to surf in Florianópolis?
The surf is quite consistent throughout the entire year, but the best time is between August and November, when the bigger east and southeast swells hit the island. From May to early July there are also some good south and southeast swells, but that is the tainha fishing season, when surfing is banned on many beaches (from 1 May to 10 July). Praia Mole and Joaquina stay open.
Where can beginners surf in Florianópolis?
Barra da Lagoa, without a doubt. Friendly waves most of the time, consistency, an easy paddle out and heaps of surf schools close to the break make it one of the best places we’ve seen to learn how to surf. There are a few surf schools in Campeche too. If you’re a complete beginner, please always go into the water with a surf instructor.
Do you need a wetsuit to surf in Florianópolis?
For most of the year, yes: the water in Floripa is much colder than in most of Brazil. A 3/2 mm wetsuit, or a 2 mm one, suits most of the year, and a 1 mm one the warmer days. The predominantly east and east-southeast swells bring cold currents that make the water pretty chilly even in summer, though on some warmer days board shorts will do.
How much is a surf lesson in Florianópolis?
Lessons for beginners start at around R$150 for a group lesson or R$250 for a private one, and the surf school will usually provide the board. A surf camp for professionals can be R$2,500 for four days of intensive training.
Can you rent a surfboard in Florianópolis?
Yes. For a day, a week or a month, we can’t recommend Surf’s Up Club enough: a board-rental subscription with 16 places on the island to pick up boards, and plans that work throughout Brazil. To rent by the hour, go to the surf shops close to the beaches, in Barra da Lagoa, Praia Mole, Joaquina and sometimes Armação. If you’re a complete beginner, go with a surf school instead: they will usually provide the board.
Is Joaquina good for surfing?
Yes, for intermediate and advanced surfers. It is one of the most popular breaks in Florianópolis, with easy access, lots of places to park and a very nice left that breaks from way behind the rocks. It is also one of the most crowded surf spots in Brazil, so on smaller days walk south a bit to find places without many people. It stays open during the tainha season, too.
What is the best surf spot in Florianópolis?
It depends on your level: Barra da Lagoa for beginners, Joaquina for intermediate and advanced surfers, and Praia Mole for more advanced surfers. But on a south swell, when the conditions align, Campeche has the best wave on the entire island: a fast-running ride with barreling sections, created by the sandbank in front of Ilha do Campeche.
Final Thoughts on Surfing in Florianópolis
Ask Artur and he’ll probably tell you that surfing is the number one thing to do in Florianópolis: this is, after all, the island where his surfing addiction started. Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or just starting out, the island has a beach to match your level: Barra da Lagoa to learn, Joaquina and Praia Mole for intermediate and advanced surfers, and Campeche on a south swell, when the conditions align.
The best surfing time is between August and November, when the bigger east and southeast swells hit the island. If you go between May and early July, check which beaches stay open during the tainha season. And wherever you paddle out, follow the surfing etiquette: wait for your turn, don’t snake, respect the locals and other tourists, and you should be good to go.
For our favorite surf spots, beaches and many more places on the island, we have put together a Google Map with everything and our notes. Check it here.
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