Santa Catarina with kids: a one-week plan that actually works
Family walking along a calm beach in Santa Catarina at low tide
Seven days built around 3 calm beaches, 2 theme parks and a mountain day, with early bedtimes assumed.
The premise
This is a week for families with children aged roughly 4 to 12. It assumes you want swimming water calm enough for a 6-year-old, one big theme-park day, one animal encounter, one mountain day for cooler weather, and no drive longer than 90 minutes between overnight bases. It doesn’t try to cover the whole state — instead it locks into the coast between Balneario Camboriu and Florianopolis, plus one inland day. Total driving: about 420 km over 7 days.
Fly into Florianopolis, not Navegantes, unless you get a much cheaper Navegantes fare. Floripa's airport is closer to the calm south-island beaches you’ll use as a base. Rent a family car (compact SUV or 7-seater if there are 5 of you) — R$180-260 a day booked ahead, versus R$320+ walk-up. Bring or buy pool floats: the pousadas will have pools but often no toys, and the shops in beach towns sell them at 2-3x supermarket prices.
Days 1-2: Praia do Forte and Jurere for calm swimming
Base yourself in Jurere Internacional or Canasvieiras for the first two nights. Both sit on the sheltered north coast where the waves rarely top 30cm — the water reads as a lake, not the Atlantic. Jurere is more polished (grid streets, upscale beach clubs, R$650-1,100 mid-range hotel rooms) and Canasvieiras is more Argentine-family (busier, cheaper at R$380-580, more affordable restaurants). Choose based on budget, not vibe — for kids the beach is identical.
Day 1 is arrival, pool and beach. Day 2 goes to Praia do Forte at the northern tip: the 18th-century Portuguese fort (R$15 adults, kids free) has cannons children can climb on and a small museum that holds interest for 30 minutes. Combine with a mid-morning swim at the fort's own protected cove. Lunch at a beach shack for R$180-240 for a family of four including juice for the kids. Afternoon nap, then a second beach session at 4pm when the sun softens. Dinner by 7pm at a family restaurant serving grilled fish and rice — the standard beach-town menu, R$50-70 a plate for adults, R$30 kids.
Day 3: Beto Carrero World
Beto Carrero World in Penha is South America's largest theme park and the one day of the trip that demands real logistics. It's 100 km north of Florianopolis, 90 minutes' drive on the BR-101. Tickets are R$220-320 depending on season and day of week, kids under 4 free, under-1.20m half price. Buy online at least 48 hours ahead; the gate queue is 45-60 minutes on Saturdays. Arrive at opening (usually 9.30am) and go straight to Firewhip (the big new coaster) or the Madagascar show, whichever you’ll queue longest for later. Bring your own water bottles — the park refill stations are free but bottled water inside is R$14.
The park closes at 6pm most days, 7pm in high summer. A full day is realistic for kids 7+; younger kids will melt down by 3pm and you should leave then, drive 20 minutes back to Bombas or Bombinhas, and swim at a calm beach for an hour before dinner. Sleep the night either at a family hotel in Penha itself (R$380-520, walkable to fast food after a long day) or at a Bombas beachfront pousada (R$450-650, quieter and prettier). If you have two theme-park days in you, add Aqua Show water park the next morning; if not, drive south again.
Day 4: Bombinhas snorkelling and slow beach day
Bombinhas is 15 minutes' drive from Penha and has Santa Catarina's clearest water for snorkelling — the peninsula ends in rocky coves where visibility runs 5-8 metres on calm days. Praia da Sepultura is the sheltered pick for kids: a small crescent bay with fish visible from the shallows and a lifeguard tower in season. Rent snorkels and vests from the beach kiosk at R$40 per set for the day. Younger kids stay in the shallows with the vest; older ones can swim to the rocks with a parent.
Lunch at a Bombinhas beach restaurant, R$220-280 for a family of four. Afternoon: drive 5 minutes to Praia de Quatro Ilhas for the wider, longer beach where kids can run — but check the flag (red means undertow, common here). Head back to Bombas or transfer south to Porto Belo for the night. Porto Belo has a calm bay with kayak rentals for R$50/hour and a small boardwalk with ice cream at R$12 a scoop — a pleasant evening walk. Sleep in Porto Belo mid-range at R$320-450 or Bombinhas premium at R$650-850.
Day 5: The mountain day at Rancho Queimado or Santo Amaro
Break the beach pattern with an inland day. Rancho Queimado is 60 minutes from Florianopolis on BR-282 and has strawberry farms open to visitors (October-January), where children pick their own for R$25-40 per kilo — a genuinely fun 90 minutes. The Fazenda Santa Terezinha and neighbouring farms have small petting areas with rabbits, sheep and chickens. Lunch at a colonial rural restaurant with polenta, chicken, salami and homemade pasta for R$65-85 a head.
Alternative for outside strawberry season: Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, 45 minutes from Florianopolis, has thermal baths (Aguas Termais, R$60 adults, R$30 kids) and a couple of family-friendly waterfall trails with 20-minute walks. Either option gets you back to Florianopolis or Lagoa by 5pm for a swim in the hotel pool and an early dinner. Sleep in Lagoa da Conceicao at a family pousada with a garden and pool, R$380-580 — the neighbourhood has walkable pizza and pasta places for kids who are done with grilled fish.
Days 6-7: Lagoa da Conceicao and Campeche as a soft finish
Base the last two nights in Lagoa da Conceicao. It's a lagoon town in the centre of Florianopolis island with calm freshwater swimming, kayak and paddleboard rentals (R$60-80/hour for a family sit-on-top), and a proper choice of restaurants for tired parents. The Joaquina dunes are 10 minutes away for a sunset sandboard session — board rental R$25, kids from 5 upwards can do the small dunes safely.
Day 7: morning at Praia do Campeche, a wide calm south-island beach with lifeguards in summer, or if the surf is up, a boat trip to Ilha do Campeche (R$120 adults, R$80 kids, 20-minute crossing) where the water is turquoise and the beach is protected. Book the boat the day before at the departure kiosk on Campeche beach. Afternoon: pack, hotel pool, early dinner, and back to the airport for a next-morning flight. Trip cost for a family of four, mid-range: R$14,000-18,000 all-in including flights within Brazil.
What to skip with kids
Skip Praia do Rosa if the kids are under 10. It's beautiful and surfy, but the walk to the beach involves stairs and slopes that turn into a slog with a tired child and a bag of towels. Skip the Serra Catarinense — the drives are long, the switchbacks make small kids nauseous, and there's little for them at Pedra Furada beyond a photo. Skip Florianopolis city centre and the historic Ribeirao da Ilha unless a rainy day forces you inland; both are fine for adults, boring for kids under 10.
Also skip the party beaches: Praia Mole and Barra da Lagoa have strong currents that eat 8-year-olds, and Jurere Internacional's beach clubs charge R$400+ minimum-spend that isn’t worth it when a family of four can eat at a shack for the same money. Save the beach clubs for a couples' trip. And skip renting a jet-ski — the operators will let you take a 6-year-old on the back, but the boat traffic in Jurere and Canasvieiras is heavy and the risk-reward is bad.
Before you book
The questions people ask about Bombinhas, answered with this month’s numbers.
Not automatically. Rental companies charge R$25-40 per day for a child seat and stock is limited in high season — reserve at booking, not on arrival. Brazilian law requires seats for under-7.5 years and 1.45m. Airport rental counters will check. If you’re renting for a week, bringing your own from home usually saves money and hassle.
In Florianopolis, Balneario Camboriu and larger towns, tap water is treated and technically potable, but locals drink filtered or bottled and hotels stock bottled. For kids under 5 or anyone with a sensitive stomach, stick to bottled — a 5-litre bottle from a supermarket is R$8-12. Restaurants automatically serve bottled water, charged at R$5-9.
Dengue exists in coastal Santa Catarina, with case peaks in February-April after summer rains. Use repellent with DEET or icaridin on kids morning and dusk, especially in Balneario Camboriu and inland. Beach breezes mean sandflies more than mosquitos on open beaches. Zika and yellow fever risk is low in the state; standard travel medical advice covers it.
