Garopaba is a coastal town in Santa Catarina, Brazil, known for its combination of surfing beaches, fishing culture, and laid-back atmosphere. Originally a small fishing village, it has grown into a popular destination for both Brazilian and international visitors, especially during the southern summer. One interesting detail is that the town’s name comes from the Tupi-Guarani language and roughly means “boat shelter,” a nod to its natural bay that once served whaling ships. Today, it’s better known for eco-tourism and whale watching, with nearby beaches like Ferrugem and Silveira drawing consistent surf.
We visited Garopaba on a cycling day trip during our three-week stay in neighboring Praia do Rosa. Since there’s no coastal route connecting the two, we had to take the main road through the hinterland. It wasn’t particularly scenic, but made for a pleasant ride overall. The distance from the centrinho of Praia do Rosa was about 15 km and took us two hours to cycle. It would’ve been quicker if I hadn’t ended up with a soft tire halfway there and had to ride on low pressure until I finally found a place to fill it with air, after asking in a dozen or so.
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We arrived just before noon, and after grabbing a coffee, we locked the bikes in the town square and set off to explore on foot. We started with a walk toward the north end of Garopaba’s main beach, a long and mostly quiet stretch of sand. There were only a handful of swimmers scattered across the shore, and a few dogs chasing waves with more enthusiasm than the humans. Around the central part of the beach, there was a small cluster of seafood restaurants, most of them still half-empty and lazily setting out tables for lunch.
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From there, we headed inland a bit to check out Lagoa das Capivaras, a peaceful little lake surrounded by greenery. Its name means Lagoon of the capybaras (the largest rodents in the world), but we didn’t see any of them around. Instead, the lagoon was home to a whole crew of neotropic cormorants perched on a gnarled tree. We paused for a quick drone flight—carefully, since we weren’t sure how territorial the birds were. Luckily, they ignored our buzzing invader completely. (It’s usually the little ones that attack him, anyway.)
After lunch, we made our way to the historic center at the southern end of the beach. It’s a charming area with colorful colonial houses, chic guesthouses, and a sleepy kind of beauty that feels untouched by the surf-town sprawl. We wandered past the Praça 21 de Abril and peeked into the Church of São Joaquim, one of the oldest buildings in the region.
We wrapped up the day with a drink on the beach from a mobile bar-on-wheels, a quirky little cart that looked like it had rolled straight out of a tropical cartoon. As the light softened and the wind picked up, we hopped back on the bikes and made our way home, sun-tired, a little salty, and more than ready for dinner.
Photos
View (and feel free to use) all my photographs from Garopaba in higher resolution.
