Surf and water sports

Not all of Bombinhas' sea is a swimming pool. The beaches facing the open ocean get real swell, and two of them are the heart of the local surf: Quatro Ilhas and Mariscal.

Published September 28, 2026Updated September 30, 2026

Photo: W.Feistler — CC BY-SA 3.0

Who it's for: Surfers of every level — with the caveat that a big-swell day on the open sea is for experienced surfers. Beginners will find stand up paddle and calm water an easier way into the sea.
Best time: You can surf year-round; it all depends on the day's swell, so check the surf forecast before heading out. Between May 1 and July 31, during the traditional mullet fishing season, surfing is banned in the areas set aside for fishing.
How to do it: Follow the lifeguards' flags and don't go far from shore when the sea is rough. At Quatro Ilhas, a Blue Flag certified beach, motorboats must stay more than 200 meters from the sand and speakers are not allowed.

At Quatro Ilhas, the right-hand headland picks up south and southeast swell and often hosts competitions; the left side, calm and shallow, is the place for stand up paddle and snorkeling. Mariscal, the longest beach in town, is open sea with waves along the sand. In the still water of Mar de Dentro, in Canto Grande, paddling is easy.

Where it happens

Opening hours, prices and access rules change: check with the managing body before you go.

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Diving and snorkeling

Bombinhas is known as Santa Catarina's capital of eco-diving, and the reason lies a few miles offshore: the Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve. Created in 1990 and managed by ICMBio, Brazil's federal conservation agency, it protects the islands of Arvoredo, Galé and Deserta and the Calhau de São Pedro rock, and plays a key role in fish breeding along this stretch of coast. That protected sea is why the water around Bombinhas is so rewarding for anyone who puts on a mask.

Boat trips

Seeing Bombinhas from the water is how you understand the peninsula: the headlands, the hidden coves and the islands on the horizon only show themselves fully from on board. Several companies run boat trips in two styles: relaxed ones, for taking in the scenery, and adventure trips with pirates, designed to entertain the whole family. Schooners leave from Mar de Dentro in Canto Grande, among other spots.

Trails and lookouts

Bombinhas is a peninsula of hills covered in Atlantic Forest, and nearly every trail here ends with the same reward: the sea seen from above. Two municipal conservation areas hold the best routes — Morro do Macaco Municipal Natural Park, in Canto Grande, and Costeira de Zimbros Municipal Natural Park, in the south of the peninsula.

Living around here

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