The east of the island faces the open Atlantic Ocean with waves and cold water, good for surfing: Joaquina, Praia Mole, Moçambique. At Praia Mole there were 217 drowning incidents in January–September 2024: the bottom there drops off right at the shore. Barra da Lagoa is calmer near the channel. Galheta is a former official nudist beach: the law on naturism was repealed in 2016, and the city council is discussing the matter again.
The numbers on drownings are taken from the SC firefighters' statistics (afogamentos): every drowning incident is counted, including people who were rescued. This is a measure of the danger of the water, not the number of fatalities.
The east: lifeguard posts on the beaches
Between the ocean and the Lagoa da Conceição lagoon there are dunes and forests; much of the shore is protected territory: Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho (Moçambique), Parque Dunas da Lagoa (Joaquina), Monumento Natural da Galheta. There is little development on the beaches themselves.
Lifeguard posts of the Corpo de Bombeiros (CBMSC), according to the corps' table at the end of 2025:
| Beach | Posts in December 2025 | October–November |
|---|---|---|
| Moçambique | 2 | from November |
| Barra da Lagoa | 3 | every day |
| Galheta | 1 | from November |
| Praia Mole | 2 | every day |
| Joaquina | 4 | every day |
Posts operate from 07:00 to 19:00. Water safety rules — in Water and drownings — rip currents, beach flags, what to do; waves and surf associations — in Where to surf in Florianópolis and Santa Catarina — spots by name and where there are lifeguards; trails between beaches — in Trails, waterfalls and viewpoints of Florianópolis — length, time, difficulty.
Moçambique — Praia do Moçambique
Neighborhood Moçambique, map point -27.5241, -48.4053.
The longest beach on the island — according to IMA SC about 12.5 km — and almost undeveloped: it lies within the boundaries of Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho, created by state decree 308/2007 (Parks and reserves of Florianópolis — who manages, what is allowed, where to swim). Waves for surfing; in 2024 the beach received the title Reserva Nacional de Surf. Along the access road inside the park, parking is prohibited where signs and posts are placed (Portaria IMA 023/2024), with fines for violations. Lifeguard posts do not cover the entire length: in April they are staffed only on weekends, then they close. Buses — lines 281, 284 and 285 from TICAN.
Barra da Lagoa — Praia da Barra da Lagoa
Neighborhood Barra da Lagoa, map point -27.5713, -48.4258.
A former fishing village at the channel that connects Lagoa da Conceição with the ocean. The beach is built up, the water is calmer near the channel, so families come here. Across the channel via a bridge are Prainha da Barra and a trail to the natural pools. Even so, in January–September 2024 there were 200 drowning incidents here: the open shore north of the channel faces the ocean. Bus — line 360 Barra da Lagoa from the TILAG terminal.
Galheta — Praia da Galheta
Neighborhood Praia Mole, map point -27.5935, -48.4245.
A wild beach without a road: only on foot, by trail from Praia Mole or from the Barra channel. Protected as Monumento Natural Municipal da Galheta, 251 ha (law 10.100/2016). Nudism was allowed by law 195/1997, “without being compulsory”; a 2016 law revoked it, and the city considers that ordinary rules apply on the beach. On 24 Nov 2025 the CCJ committee of the city council approved a bill to bring naturism back, but other committees and a vote lie ahead. During the season there is a lifeguard post. Better not to walk the trail alone: in the 2022/2023 season the lifeguard coordinator counted at least 50 incidents — aggression, harassment, thefts.
Praia Mole
Neighborhood Praia Mole, map point -27.6021, -48.4328.
Surfing, paragliding and competition events. The beach is about 960 m long, the waves are strong, and the bottom drops off a few meters from the shore — a bad place for children and weak swimmers. Fifth place in the city by number of drowning incidents in January–September 2024 (217) and 162 rescues in the 2025/2026 season. There is no dedicated bus line; in summer on weekends the road is congested.
Joaquina — Praia da Joaquina
Neighborhood Joaquina, map point -27.6345, -48.4532.
The island's main surf spot; world championship rounds have been held here. The beach is about 3 km long and surrounded by Parque Dunas da Lagoa da Conceição, sandboarding is allowed on the dunes (Parks and reserves of Florianópolis — who manages, what is allowed, where to swim). In season there are four posts. Bus — line 363 Joaquina from the TILAG terminal, the terminus is at the beach.
Gravatá — Praia do Gravatá
Neighborhood Praia Mole, map point -27.6134, -48.4336.
A small bay under the Morro do Gravatá hill between Joaquina and Praia Mole, access is difficult, few people. There is no lifeguard post here in the corps' table, and the open ocean here is unsupervised.
Praia do Saquinho
Map point -27.5186, -48.4423.
A sandy beach.
Sources
- T1Corpo de Bombeiros SC, 1ª RBM — number of lifeguard posts for each beach in Florianópolis, October–December 2025portalelegis.alesc.sc.gov.br · primary source
- T1Corpo de Bombeiros SC, 1º BBM — season 2025/2026 results: rescues from rip currents by beaches, post-season staffing of postsportalelegis.alesc.sc.gov.br · primary source
- T1IMA SC — Parque Estadual do Rio Vermelho: decree 308/2007, 1,532 ha between Praia do Moçambique and the lagoonima.sc.gov.br · primary source
- T1IMA SC, Portaria 023/2024 — ban on parking along the access road to Praia do Moçambique within the park boundariesconsultas.ima.sc.gov.br · primary source
- T1Prefeitura de Florianópolis — Monumento Natural Municipal da Galheta: laws 3.455/1990, 9.698/2014, 10.100/2016, 251 haredeplanejamento.pmf.sc.gov.br · primary source
- T2NSC Total, 26 Dec 2023 — naturism at Galheta: law 195/1997 and its repeal by law 10.100/2016nsctotal.com.br · secondary source
- T2NSC Total — bill on naturism at Galheta approved by the CCJ commission of the Câmara Municipal on 24 Nov 2025nsctotal.com.br · secondary source
- T2NSC Total, 29 Oct 2024 — drownings on Florianópolis beaches for January–September 2024, data from Corpo de Bombeirosnsctotal.com.br · secondary source
- T2Wikipedia — Praia Mole: open sea, steep depth near shore, surf and paraglidingpt.wikipedia.org · secondary source
- T2Wikipedia — Praia da Joaquina: surf spot, world championships, dunespt.wikipedia.org · secondary source
- T1Consórcio Fênix — line 363 Joaquina from terminal TILAGconsorciofenix.com.br · primary source
- T1Consórcio Fênix — line 360 Barra da Lagoa from terminal TILAGconsorciofenix.com.br · primary source
- T2OpenStreetMap — beach points on the map, © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbLopenstreetmap.org · secondary source
- T2openstreetmap.org — location of the place on the mapopenstreetmap.org · secondary source
T1 — primary: law, agency site, price list. T2 — secondary: press, specialist sites. T3 — other.