Caldeirão

Caldeirão is what locals call the left end of Armação Beach, in the south of Santa Catarina Island, considered one of the most challenging spots in Florianópolis. The bottom is sand on a steep-shorebreak beach, which makes the surf powerful and the current strong, and on big south days it forms long, hollow rights that break very close to the rocks, with few surfers risking the takeoff zone.

It is a respected spot visited mostly by those who already have advanced level, since wave shape changes a lot as the tide rises or falls. In 2003 Caldeirão hosted a WCT stop on the world surf tour, won by Kelly Slater, which still gives the spot status among Santa Catarina surfers. Before going in the water it's worth checking the tide table carefully, since Caldeirão only forms properly in very specific conditions of south swell, southwest to northwest wind and the right tide.