Lagoa da Conceição, Dunas da Joaquina and Costa da Lagoa Guide

Cradled by steep granite hills cloaked in Atlantic Rainforest at the geographic centre of Santa Catarina Island, the 15-square-kilometre saltwater lagoon of Lagoa da Conceição is where all of Florianópolis converges. Connected to the ocean via the Canal da Barra at Barra da Lagoa, its calm waters link a bohemian village centre, a roadless rainforest shore, and a 400-hectare coastal dunefield.

1. Mirante do Morro da Lagoa, Avenida das Rendeiras, and Dunas da Joaquina

Cresting the seven hairpin bends of highway SC-404 (Morro das Sete Voltas) from central Florianópolis brings you to Mirante Manoel de Menezes (Morro da Lagoa) for a sweeping panorama over the lagoon, dunes, and Atlantic Ocean. Down on the eastern shore, the 2-kilometre boulevard of Avenida das Rendeiras is named after the Azorean women who weave geometric bobbin lace (renda de bilro) on cylindrical cushions using clicking wooden spindles (bilros), right beside stand-up paddleboard and kayak rentals.

Directly behind Avenida das Rendeiras rises the Parque Natural Municipal das Dunas da Joaquina, an undulating desert of white quartz sand up to 40 metres high where local surfers invented sandboarding (esquibunda) in the 1970s. Wooden booths at the dune entrance rent waxed boards for stand-up sandboarding and seated sledding, best enjoyed after 15:30 as sunset colours the seasonal rainwater lagoons.

2. By Boat or Forest Trail to Car-Free Costa da Lagoa

Along the steep western shore of Lagoa da Conceição lies Costa da Lagoa, an eighteenth-century Azorean community with no road access for cars:

• By Cooperbarco Water Bus (Line 680): Board the wooden boats beneath the stone bridge in the Centrinho da Lagoa for a 40-minute cruise across the lagoon to Ponto 16 (Vila Verde), where family-run piers serve sequência de camarão, grilled mullet, and pastel de berbigão over the water.
• By the Caminho da Costa Trail: Walk the shaded 5.5-kilometre forest path (90 minutes) from Canto dos Araçás past colonial ruins and a 19th-century cassava-flour mill (engenho de farinha) to Ponto 16 and the rock pools of the Cachoeira da Costa da Lagoa waterfall, then ride the boat back.