Palhoça between the Coastal Plain and Cambirela

Palhoça brings together a striking coastal landscape, protected natural areas, challenging mountain trails and historic sites. Baixada do Maciambu is a coastal plain with one of the most significant remaining restinga landscapes on the Brazilian coast. Areas of Serra do Tabuleiro State Park also lie within the municipality. Nature, education, outdoor activities and culture each offer a different focus for planning your trip.

Coastal Landscape and Nature Conservation

The restinga of Baixada do Maciambu is a defining feature of Palhoça’s landscape. Serra do Tabuleiro State Park extends into the municipality; its headquarters are in Baixada. On the broader scale of the Santa Catarina destination, the park encompasses five of the six major vegetation formations of the Atlantic Forest biome. The protected areas and landscapes offer more than a single viewpoint or activity: they provide an opportunity to experience the region’s nature from different perspectives.

If you are interested in the diversity of the landscape, you can explore the coastal plain and the forested mountain scenery as distinct highlights. Morro do Cambirela provides a striking contrast in elevation: at 1,052 metres, it is the highest point in Palhoça and the entire Greater Florianópolis region. The figures for its other notable points refer to different elevations on the mountain: the accessible summit is at 916 metres, and the rock face with the flag and aircraft wreckage is at 874 metres.

Cambirela: Challenging Trails

Morro do Cambirela has three trails to the summit, one on the eastern side and two on the northern side. All are rated very difficult. This is important to keep in mind when planning: these trails are not a casual addition to a relaxed outing, but a challenging activity in their own right. If you are considering one of these hikes, take the difficulty rating into account and check trail conditions before setting out, as they may change.

The different elevation figures also help to describe the mountain more precisely: 1,052 metres marks its highest point, while the summit and rock face are listed at their own elevations. Together with the clear difficulty rating, they give a specific picture of Cambirela without treating the three trails as a single, uniform hike.

Culture and Places of Interest

In Enseada de Brito, Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora do Rosário was founded in 1750 and is protected as a historic heritage site. Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Araçatuba is on Araçatuba Island, at the southern entrance to the channel of Santa Catarina Island, within the present-day municipality of Palhoça. These places complement the natural landscape with historic points of interest. Guarda do Embaú adds another distinctive feature: its World Surfing Reserve was recognized in 2016 as the first officially recognized surf reserve in Brazil and Latin America.

Visitor Center and Trip Planning

Serra do Tabuleiro State Park is headquartered in Baixada do Maciambu, where there is a visitor center and educational trails. The visitor center is in Palhoça, at kilometer 238 of the BR-101, and offers educational activities for families, schools, universities and organized groups. For families who want to include nature-related topics in their trip, this educational option offers a different way to plan alongside the very difficult summit trails on Cambirela.

When looking for a vacation rental, it helps to first decide which experiences you want to shape your stay: the restinga landscape, the park’s educational activities, the challenging trails or the historic sites. This lets you choose a base that suits your interests without treating different destinations or types of trips as interchangeable.

Santa Catarina on a Broader Scale

For a wider view of the Santa Catarina destination, Caminhos da Baleia Franca is a regional coastal hiking route spanning 172 kilometres. The hike is planned for five days; along the way, the landscape includes dunes, hills, lagoons, islands and rocky coastal stretches. Activities listed along the route also include running, surfing, kitesurfing, skydiving and canoeing. This multi-day route offers a distinct regional itinerary for travellers who want to focus on coastal landscapes and a range of activities.

Discover more destinations: Bocaina do Sul, Guaraciaba, Canelinha, Florianópolis, São Francisco do Sul, Urupema, Rancho Queimado, Arroio Trinta.

For the broader travel overview: Santa Catarina.