Jurerê Internacional, Daniela & Fortaleza de São José da Ponta Grossa Guide

At the northern end of Santa Catarina Island, the coastline pivots ninety degrees to face north and west into the sheltered channel between the island and the mainland. Shielded from the open South Atlantic swell and warmed by shallow bay currents, the northern beaches of Jurerê Internacional, Jurerê Tradicional, Praia do Forte, and Praia da Daniela offer the calmest, warmest swimming waters in Florianópolis, watched over by an eighteenth-century Portuguese stone fortress.

1. Jurerê Internacional and Jurerê Tradicional

Stretching for three kilometres across a gentle sandy bay, Jurerê is divided into two complementary halves:

• Jurerê Internacional (West): Master-planned from the late 1970s onward as a garden neighbourhood inspired by Coral Gables in Florida, Jurerê Internacional is famous for its wide, wall-free avenues shaded by royal palms, the open-air shopping and dining promenade of Jurerê Open Shopping, and the green coastal path of Passeio dos Namorados. While its western beach clubs draw international DJs during New Year week, for most of the year the beach itself is peaceful, clean, and ideal for long morning swims and stand-up paddleboarding.
• Jurerê Tradicional (East): The older eastern half of the bay retains the relaxed charm of a Brazilian family beach town, with beachfront fish restaurants, quiet pousadas, and small fishing boats anchored off the sand.

2. Fortaleza de São José da Ponta Grossa (1740) and Praia do Forte

Climb the cobblestone road at the western end of Jurerê Internacional to reach the Fortaleza de São José da Ponta Grossa, perched high on the headland between Jurerê and Praia do Forte. Designed in 1739 and built starting in 1740 by Portuguese military engineer Brigadier José da Silva Paes, the fortress formed one vertex of a strategic "defensive triangle" (alongside the island fortresses of Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim on the mainland side and Santo Antônio de Ratones in the middle of the North Bay) to guard the northern entrance to Santa Catarina Island against Spanish fleets.

Restored by IPHAN and managed by the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC), the terraced stone complex preserves its three-tier cannon batteries, gunpowder magazine, commandant's quarters (hosting an exhibition of colonial ceramics and bobbin lace), and the charming baroque Chapel of São José; check the official UFSC fortresses portal for current entry details. Directly below the western ramparts lies Praia do Forte, a quiet cove where golden sand meets calm emerald water and beachfront seafood kiosks.

3. Praia da Daniela and Lagoinha do Norte

Five minutes west of Praia do Forte, a narrow 3-kilometre sand spit juts straight out into the North Bay next to the Ecological Station of Carijós mangroves to create Praia da Daniela. Because its water is completely flat, shallow, and noticeably warmer than the open ocean, Daniela is a favourite among local families with toddlers. If you prefer a sheltered cove on the northeastern corner of the island instead, drive 15 minutes east past Canasvieiras and Ponta das Canas to Praia da Lagoinha do Norte, a calm turquoise bay framed by two green rocky headlands.