Praia do Ribeiro

What to expect at Praia do Ribeiro

Ribeiro is a small cove, with around 120 metres of sand, tucked between the rocky headlands that separate Praia de Bombas from Praia de Bombinhas. All around it there is nothing but native forest. The water is calm and clear, and the place has the quiet of a beach you can't see from the road.

Cars can't get there. The way in is the Passarela do Ribeiro, a boardwalk of roughly 800 metres along the edge of the forest that links the two neighbouring beaches: it starts at the right-hand end of Bombas and finishes at the left-hand end of Bombinhas, passing Ribeiro halfway along. Before it was built, the route was a trail.

The boardwalk has lighting and benches along the way, and was built to make the route safer and more accessible. That changes how the beach gets used: you can walk out from the centre or from Bombas, take a swim at Ribeiro and carry on — or walk the whole boardwalk just for the view.

At certain times of year, turtles can be seen swimming calmly by the rocks. The beach is good for snorkelling too, with one caveat the town council itself makes: the rocky shore and the swell call for more experience and care than the more sheltered coves, such as Sepultura. Beginners are better off staying close to the sand.

The town council lists no facilities on the sand at Ribeiro, and that is part of its charm. What it does have is neighbours: the shops of Bombas at one end of the boardwalk and those of the centre at the other, each a short walk away.

For anyone thinking about property, Ribeiro says a lot about the two neighbourhoods on either side. Bombas and the centre are among the neighbourhoods with the most shops and services on the peninsula, and the boardwalk stitches them together on foot, along the sea. Living in either one means having, beyond the beach on your doorstep, this hidden cove within walking distance.

A boardwalk along the forest

Around 800 m of lit boardwalk, with benches, linking Bombas to the centre.

Turtles by the rocks

At certain times of year they can be seen swimming close to the rocks.

Surrounded by native forest

A small cove with no road in front, the green running right down to the sand.

Tips from people who live here

• Do the full route: start the boardwalk at Bombas and come out at Praia de Bombinhas, or the other way round.

• Bring water and anything you'll want to eat or drink — the shops are at either end of the boardwalk.

• If you're new to snorkelling, stay close to the sand: the rocks and the swell call for experience.

• Late afternoon is a good time for the boardwalk, which is lit along the way.

• Sort your rubbish into the recycling and general-waste bins — it's a beach rule.

Getting to Praia do Ribeiro

The route to the sand as it actually works — including the part you do on foot.

Via the BR-101, Porto Belo exit

The turn-off for Bombinhas is at km 155 of the BR-101, at the Porto Belo entrance flyover. From there it's about 14 km to Bombinhas on the SC-412 state road.

Head to Bombas or to the centre

Within Bombinhas, Ribeiro lies between Praia de Bombas and Praia de Bombinhas. The beach can only be reached along the boardwalk, so the car stays in one of the two neighbourhoods.

From Bombas: right-hand end of the beach

The Passarela do Ribeiro starts at the right-hand end of Praia de Bombas. Follow the boardwalk along the edge of the forest to the cove.

From the centre: left-hand end of Praia de Bombinhas

On the Bombinhas side, the boardwalk starts at the left-hand end of the beach. It's the same boardwalk, in the other direction.

The beach rules

The official code of conduct for Praia do Ribeiro. Worth reading before you pack — a few of the bans catch people out.

Allowed

• Sports on the sand after 6 pm

• Launching and landing watercraft between 7 pm and 9 am, at the marked spot

Not allowed

• Pets

• Camping, fires and barbecues

• Speakers and loud music

• Reserving space on the sand

• Handing out flyers

• Motorboats within 200 m of the beach

Source: Bombinhas city hall