Praia Lagoinha do Leste (meaning Little Lake of the East) is a remote beach located on the southeastern coast of Ilha de Santa Catarina, the host island of Florianópolis in southern Brazil. Surrounded by Atlantic Forest and steep cliffs, it’s accessible only by hiking trails or by boat, which helps preserve its wild and secluded character. The beach is also known for its namesake lagoon, which forms just behind the sand strip and adds to the area’s ecological diversity. It was by far my favorite out of a dozen beaches we visited during our weeklong stay in Florianópolis.
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The boats to Lagoinha do Leste depart from the adjacent fishing village of Pântano do Sul. They have no schedule, cost 50 reais, and take half an hour.
By hiking, you can reach the beach via two trails:
- The common one from Pântano do Sul (trailhead location). 2.1 km each way, 200 meters up and down.
- And the one from Armaçao Beach. 4.5 km each way, 90 meters up and down.
We took the first for a short afternoon hike after a day of scootering it around the island. The path was clear and obvious, with mild inclines. Very easy for anyone with even elemental hiking experience. It can only be a little muddy and slippery with rain. Better have proper shoes. You can also join this tour if you want extra safety or company.
We parked the scooter on the main road and walked up the narrow paved road to the trailhead (location). A shop was at the corner to buy water. After some rustic guesthouses, there was a wooden gate with an Entrada do Parque sign and a former info board—now a stickers-and-scribblings board—about the trail. We walked through it into the green.
The trail was fully enveloped by the untamed Atlantic Forest. Eyeing various elegant plants, fleeting glimpses of tweeting birds, and sizable spiders enthroned in intricate webs, we reached the ridge.
A few side trails branch off here: one to Morro do Matadeiro peak to the north, one to Morro do Pântano peak to the south, and one to Morro da Caroa—the classic rock viewpoint you’ll see in nine out of ten photos in an image search for Lagoinha do Leste. We left the main trail and took a detour via the latter.
The route there was somewhat more strenuous, with steeper parts and thicker vegetation. The view was absolutely spectacular: the snaking lagoon and the long beach pounded rhythmically by the waves of the boundless Atlantic. Since it was a couple of hours to sunset, only a handful of people remained on the beach. We took in the view together with our new friend, the mutilated green alien, and headed to the beach down the steep open trail.
The last visitors had departed, the two beach bars were closed, and the watchtower stood abandoned. We had the beach entirely to ourselves. That was the good thing about coming at this hour. The bad thing was that it was too cold and too late to swim. We chilled for a bit and then rushed back to the main trail, making it to our bike just before dusk.
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Photos
View (and if you want use) all my photographs from Lagoinha do Leste in higher resolution.
