Joaquina

Santa Catarina, Brazil

Beach breakAdvanced

Florianópolis's most famous surf beach, Joaquina is a wide, exposed Atlantic beach backed by magnificent sand dunes that hosts major Brazilian surf contests and produces some of the region's most powerful beach break waves.

Typical Conditions

The Surf Window

Swell Window

OptimalE (90°)

WindowNNE–SSE (30°–150°)

Size4-8ft

Wind

Offshore

Tide

Any

LowMidHigh

Season

March–August

JFMAMJJASOND

The Wave

Type

Both

Bottom

Sand

Shape

Powerful, often hollow beach break peaks, significantly more intense than other Floripa beaches

Length

40–100m

Skill Level

•Who it's for: Advanced
•Why: The beach is fully exposed to South Atlantic swells and the waves here are more powerful and unpredictable than the island's other beaches.

Hazards

•Strong rip currents and shore pound on bigger swells
•Very crowded during contest season
•The dunes make for a long walk to the water when the tide is high

Local Tips

•The sand dunes behind Joaquina are an attraction in their own right, sandboarding is popular with locals.
•The beach fires hardest in June and July when consistent south swells roll in from Antarctic storm systems.

Location

-27.6317, -48.4253