Beaches

    Florianopolis is known for the vast number of beaches there. An old tourist slogan of the city incorporated the claim that it had 42 beaches. Then, an official survey of the beaches revealed that there were, in fact, over 100 of them. The beaches are grouped according to location into 8 different categories: Northern beaches, Eastern beaches, Southern beaches, Northern bay, Southern bay, Continent, the Neighboring islands and the Lagoons. Different beaches are known for different things, like sunbathing and surfing. Beaches on the northern bay are protected from the wind and are calm and tranquil. Beaches on the east side of the island have lots of big waves and are popular with surfers. Sand on the beaches is fine and white, and large dunes are a common sight. Some people even ride the dunes on a board similar to a snowboard in a sport known as sandboarding. The following are some popular beaches with descriptions:

Brava: Known for its large waves, popular with surfers and young people.

Mole: Known for its soft, supple sand. This is a very popular beach and usually crowded. A number of amenities can be found on the beach, like drink stands and water sport rental.

Matadeiro: This is where a lot of whales were beached and killed during the days when Florianopolis was a center of the whale oil trade. Whale bones can still be found here.