Santinho

Santinho Beach is in the north of Santa Catarina Island, in Florianópolis, a 2.2 km strip of sand facing the open sea and known for strong, consistent waves that attract surfers from all over the country, with sets that have reached 8 feet. The bottom is sand and the far north of the beach transitions into extensive dunes, while in the south, near the Costão do Santinho resort, are rocky shores with rock inscriptions more than five thousand years old, left by the sambaqui people and forming one of the island's largest open-air archaeological sites.

The beach used to be called Praia das Aranhas, because of the arachnids of nearby Morro das Aranhas, and got its current name in the 1970s, inspired by a rock carving resembling a saint that fishermen revered. The Morro das Aranhas trail, medium to high difficulty and about 1h30 of walking, leads to viewpoints overlooking Ilha das Aranhas and the island's north coast. It's worth arriving early to enjoy the sunrise more peacefully and check the surf conditions before planning your session.