Brazil: Surfing

The world's largest country in the tropics

Brazil Surfing

Brazil has a huge amount of different waves, great consistency and has surf to suit all skill ranges. The deep south of Brazil is the best place, it has bigger swells and more variety than further north. The island of Santa Catarina has the best that Brazil has to offer with quality waves such as Santinho and Mocambique. Many of the swells are generated by the deep low pressures that track past cape horn, sending swells northwards throughout the year, although April to October are the best. The size of the waves at this time of year can be anything from between 2 to 10ft, sometimes bigger - and there are spots that happily handle all sizes.

Surf and History stimulate tourism in the region south of Florianópolis. The waves of Garopaba and Imbituba and the historical attractions of Laguna attract thousands of visitors to the region, where the beautiful natural scenery also encourages eco-tourism. Because of the large, well formed waves ideal for surfing, the region between Guarda do Embaú and Laguna is known as "Brazilian Hawaii," and attracts surfers year round.

Garopaba is the central pole of surf in the region, and beaches such as Ferrugem and Silveira are famous throughout Brazil. The same is true for the beaches of Rosa and Vila, in the neighbouring municipality of Imbituba, and of Mar Grosso and Farol de Santa Marta, in Laguna. The Santa Marta lighthouse is an attraction in its own right. Built by Frenchmen in 1891 it has the longest visible reach of American lighthouses. Dominating the point of a cape from which it gets its name, the lighthouse is circled by white sand dunes and beautiful beaches. To the south, the montains are farther from the coast and the beaches become long blades of windswept sand with few inhabitants. All the way to the border with Rio Grande do Sul state the region offers welcome natural surprises. Surfing periods last From April to October, Southern Brazil (most of the spots) catches east to south swells produced in Antartic. From November to March, the north of Brazil (especially Fernando do Noronha) catches nothern swells.