Ilha do Campeche and Praia do Campeche Guide: Boats, Trails and Petroglyphs

Floating 1.6 kilometres off the southeastern shore of Santa Catarina Island opposite the 3.5-kilometre white-sand sweep of Praia do Campeche, Ilha do Campeche was designated by IPHAN in 2000 as a National Archaeological and Natural Landscape Monument, protecting both its translucent aquamarine cove and the highest concentration of prehistoric coastal rock engravings in Brazil.

1. Praia da Enseada and Daily Visitor Limits

While the eastern cliffs face the open South Atlantic, the western shore curves into a 400-metre crescent bay called Praia da Enseada. Shielded from wind and swell and underlain by pure white quartz sand, the water shimmers in shades of pale turquoise and emerald green. To protect the ecosystem, IPHAN enforces a daily cap of 800 visitors per day in summer (December to March) and 770 per day the rest of the year.

2. Comparing the Three Authorised Boat Crossings

1. From Praia da Armação (Most Scenic): Traditional wooden trawlers of the APAAPS fishermen's association depart the sheltered pier in Praia da Armação for a steady 35-minute coastal cruise into Praia da Enseada.
2. From Praia do Campeche (Fastest): Inflatable Zodiac boats (ATBL) launch through the surf on Praia do Campeche (Avenida Pequeno Príncipe), reaching the island in 7 to 10 minutes.
3. From Barra da Lagoa: Excursion boats make a 75-minute voyage south from Barra da Lagoa. Arrive by 08:00 on sunny summer mornings; check the official municipal portal for advance permit updates.

3. Guided Petroglyph Trails with IPHAN Monitors

Forest trails to the eastern cliffs can only be walked with IPHAN community monitors stationed on the beach. Join a 45-to-90-minute walk to Pedra Preta do Sul, Letreiro, or Pedra Fincada to see geometric masks and astronomical symbols carved into the diabase boulders 1,000 to 5,000 years ago, alongside tame coatis (quatis, which you must never feed).

4. Saint-Exupéry's Legacy at Praia do Campeche

Back on the main island along Avenida Pequeno Príncipe, French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry landed his 1920s Aéropostale mail planes on the old Campeche grass airstrip on flights between Rio and Buenos Aires, befriending local fishermen who knew him as "Zé Perri".