Florianópolis Itinerary — 3 Days in Floripa

Explore Lagoa da Conceição village

Start your first morning at the lagoon itself. Walk the waterfront, have breakfast at one of the village cafes, and get oriented on the island. The lagoon in the morning is calm and the light is good — if you’re interested in stand-up paddleboarding or kayaking, early morning is the best time before the afternoon wind picks up.

The village is compact and walkable. Spend about an hour exploring before heading to the center — the drive takes about 20 minutes in normal traffic.

Historic Center and Mercado Público

Drive to central Florianópolis and head to the Mercado Público — the 19th-century iron market that’s still very much in daily use. The ground floor bars open in the morning and serve fresh oysters farmed in the island’s bays for R$25–40 per dozen. This is the best and cheapest place to eat oysters in Florianópolis. Have a dozen with a cold beer before the lunch crowd arrives.

Walk to the Praça XV de Novembro — the main square with the century-old fig tree — and the Catedral Metropolitana nearby. The surrounding streets have colonial buildings and a relaxed pace that disappears in the summer crowds.

Ponte Hercílio Luz

Walk to the Ponte Hercílio Luz — the 1926 suspension bridge that’s the symbol of Florianópolis. Now restored for pedestrians after decades of closure, it gives you a clear view across the bay toward the mainland and back toward the island’s hills. The walk across takes about 20 minutes each way and is most atmospheric in the morning before the midday heat.

Lunch near the center

Several good per-kilo restaurants operate near the Mercado Público and Praça XV. A full plate runs R$30–50. Alternatively, the Mercado itself has sit-down seafood options — caldeirada de peixe (fish stew) and grilled shrimp are the reliable choices. Expect to pay R$60–90 per person for a proper sit-down lunch.

Lagoa da Conceição — afternoon and evening

Return to Lagoa for the afternoon. The wind picks up reliably from early afternoon, making the lagoon ideal for watching kitesurfers or taking a lesson if you’ve booked one in advance. Walk the waterfront, browse the small shops, and settle into a bar as the afternoon light hits the water.

Dinner in the village — there are enough restaurants ranging from casual to proper sit-down that you can find something for any budget and mood. The fish and seafood options are consistently good. End the evening at one of the bars on the main strip, which stay lively until late.

Praia Mole

Start the day at Praia Mole — about 10 minutes from Lagoa by car. Arrive by 9am before the crowds build. The beach is backed by dunes and Atlantic forest, with consistent waves that are more manageable than Joaquina for non-surfers. If you surf, this is a good spot for intermediate levels. If you don’t, walk the beach, swim in the calmer sections near the center, and watch the surf from the sand.

Praia Mole has beach bars that open from mid-morning. A cold coconut water and a pastel are the right breakfast here.

Dunas da Joaquina and sandboarding

Drive 5 minutes south to Joaquina. Park at the main beach parking area and walk up to the dune system behind the beach. The dunes rise to about 40 meters — from the top you can see both the Atlantic on one side and the Lagoa da Conceição on the other simultaneously. It’s one of the better views on the island.

Sandboard rental is available from vendors at the base — R$20–30 per hour. The main run is steep enough to build good speed and forgiving enough that falls are mostly harmless. Allow an hour for the dunes including the walk up and several runs down. It’s more fun than it sounds.

Barra da Lagoa

Drive 15 minutes north to Barra da Lagoa for lunch. The village sits where the Lagoa da Conceição meets the ocean through a narrow canal, and the restaurants lining the canal serve some of the freshest and best-value seafood on the island. Grilled fish, shrimp moqueca, and cold beer at a canal-side table — R$50–80 per person including a drink. Much better value than the equivalent at the main beach restaurants.

Barra da Lagoa beach and canal walk

After lunch, cross the footbridge to the beach side. Barra da Lagoa beach is long, clean, and considerably less crowded than Praia Mole or Joaquina. The water is calmer here — reasonable for swimming on most days. Spend the afternoon on the sand before driving back to Lagoa for the evening.

If you have energy, the start of the Trilha da Costa da Lagoa is accessible from Barra da Lagoa — a flat path along the western shore of the lagoon. Even walking the first 20 minutes gives you a sense of the landscape before turning back.

Dinner in Lagoa

Back in Lagoa for dinner. After a full beach day, something simple works well — a good pizza, a seafood plate, or a long drink at one of the waterfront bars watching the last light on the lagoon. Tomorrow is an early start so don’t overdo the evening.

Drive to Pântano do Sul

Leave Lagoa by 7:30am. Pântano do Sul is at the southern tip of the island — about 35 minutes from Lagoa. Park at the trailhead near the main beach. The earlier you start, the cooler the trail and the fewer people you’ll encounter. By 10am the path gets busy and the exposed sections become hot.

Bring at least 2 liters of water per person, sunscreen, and something to eat at the beach. There is nothing at Lagoinha do Leste — no shops, no kiosks, no shade structures. Whatever you need, you carry in and carry out.

The hike

The trail is well-marked and not technically difficult, but it’s hilly and involves two significant climbs. The total distance is about 5 km one way, through dense Atlantic forest with occasional views back toward the sea. Allow 90 minutes at a comfortable pace — faster if you’re fit, slower if you take breaks or the trail is muddy.

The moment the forest opens and you see Lagoinha do Leste below is one of the best things Florianópolis offers. A long crescent of wild sand, a freshwater lagoon fed by a small waterfall on the left, rocky headlands on both sides, and nothing else. No road, no development, no sound except the ocean.

At the beach

Spend two to three hours at Lagoinha. The freshwater lagoon is cold but swimmable — it’s fed by a waterfall that drops from the hillside above, and the water is genuinely clear. The ocean side is usually rough and not safe for swimming, but the lagoon is calm. Eat whatever you brought, rest in the shade of the dune vegetation, and appreciate having reached somewhere that most visitors to Florianópolis never find.

Return and rest

Back in Pântano do Sul by early afternoon. The village has a good beach and a handful of simple restaurants serving cold drinks and fresh fish — exactly what you want after 10 km of hiking. Eat, drink, and sit for an hour before driving back north.

If you have energy, Praia do Campeche is 15 minutes north and worth a quick stop on the way back — a long, beautiful beach that you’ll see differently after spending the morning at Lagoinha.

Final dinner in Lagoa

Back at Lagoa for a final dinner. After three days you’ll have your bearings and likely a favourite spot. A proper seafood dinner — moqueca, grilled fish, a cold chopp — is the right way to end a trip to Florianópolis. The island rewards the people who actually explore it, and by now you’ll have done exactly that.