Bombas
The family-friendly northern neighbour to Bombinhas — calmer water, easier parking, same clear-water peninsula.
Calm arc of beach with families and umbrellas at Praia de Bombas
Why people stay in Bombas
Bombas is the calmer, more family-oriented beach directly north of Bombinhas on the same peninsula — a 2 km arc of shallow, sheltered sand, no serious waves, easier parking, and pousadas that run 15–20% cheaper than Bombinhas proper. The two beaches are 10 minutes apart on foot over the small headland, and the summer vehicle quota that hits Bombinhas also affects Bombas but slightly less severely (Bombas has more parking capacity). If your priority is a functional family beach on the clear-water peninsula rather than the classic Bombinhas coves, Bombas is the correct call.
The beach itself doesn’t have the Caribbean-clear water of Bombinhas' Sepultura or Retiro dos Padres — Bombas' bay is calmer and sandier, with visibility of 2–4 metres rather than 8–15. What you gain: safer swimming for small children, an easier walk to shops and restaurants (Bombas has more of a commercial strip than Bombinhas Centro), and 15% cheaper rooms. It's the correct base for a first family visit to the peninsula. Serious snorkellers should base in Bombinhas Centro instead.
By 9pm the calçadão behind the sand is a slow parade of families with ice creams rather than a bar strip — a handful of lanchonetes and pizzarias along Avenida Vereador Manoel dos Santos stay open until 11pm or midnight in January, and almost everything else shutters. There is no real nightlife here; the closest bars with music are a 10-minute walk or a R$15 Uber into Bombinhas Centro. Couples looking for a livelier evening scene should book there instead — Bombas is built around 7am beach walks and early dinners, not late ones.
Outside December to February the village empties fast: many kiosks close, buses thin to hourly, and the pousadas that charge R$350 a night in peak season drop to R$140–R$180. That off-season quiet suits retirees and remote workers who want the beach without the queue for parking, but it means fewer restaurants open on any given night and almost no organised activity beyond the trail up Morro do Macaco. Anyone wanting reliable restaurant choice after dark should treat May–September Bombas as a place to sleep, with Bombinhas or Porto Belo for dinner.
The three blocks inland from the Bombas beachfront (Avenida Vereador Manoel dos Santos) are the walkable zone — pousadas at R$220–R$400 peak, R$140–R$220 shoulder. The stretch closer to the Ponta do Morro do Macaco is more upmarket with pousadas at R$300–R$500. Avoid the outskirts on the SC-412 approach — cheap but disconnected from the beach by a 15-minute walk on a busy road. Locally listed options actually inside Bombas include Pousada Vila do Coral, a short walk back from the sand, and a self-catering two-bedroom option, Apartamento 2 quartos sendo 1 suíte em Bombas, useful for a family of four splitting the cost of a kitchen. The summer vehicle quota rule applies — arrive before 8am on peak weekends or after 6pm. Book the beachfront three blocks if you want to walk everywhere; book the SC-412 outskirts only if you have a car and don’t mind the daily walk.
Things to do in Bombas
The 2 km beach itself. Calm, shallow, north-facing, safe for kids. Beach kiosks mid-beach serve chopp for R$12 and fried fish plates for R$45. Volleyball nets at the south end. Umbrella-and-chair rentals R$40 for the day from the kiosks. No entrance fee, calçadão promenade behind the sand.
10-minute walk over the small headland connecting Bombas to Bombinhas town via Rua Vereador Manoel dos Santos. Descends to Praia dos Pequenos and the Bombinhas main strip with its restaurants and shops. The two beaches functionally form one destination.
The peninsula's highest point at 220 metres, trailhead at Rua Vereador Manoel dos Santos north end. 30–40 minute climb through mata atlântica to the summit viewpoint. Full peninsula and offshore islands visible on clear days. Take water. Descend before dark — trail is unlit.
The rocky point at the north end of Bombas beach has small trails leading to sunset viewpoints over the mainland. 15-minute walk from the beach. Free, no facilities. The town lights of Porto Belo come on as the sun drops behind the mainland hills — quietly the best sunset on the peninsula.
A small produce and fish stall cluster sets up most mornings on Avenida Vereador Manoel dos Santos near the beach access, open roughly 7am to noon. Bananas, shrimp, and cassava flour sold by weight, cash only. Good for stocking a self-catering kitchen rather than a tourist attraction in itself.
Because Bombas' water is sheltered rather than clear, it suits SUP and kayak better than snorkelling. Rental stalls midway along the beach, roughly R$50 an hour, open from 9am in season. Best before 11am when the bay is glassy; afternoons pick up a light onshore chop.
What to see
Hotels near Bombas
No hotels are listed in Bombas yet. The nearest ones are on the region page.
Every hotel we cover in Bombas
- Bella Catarina Bombinhas 3★ · 4.9/5
- Pousada Canario Azul 4★ · 4.8/5
- 809 Aluguel 1 Quarto Com Churrasqueira 3★ · 4.8/5
- Hotel Cores do Mar 3★ · 4.8/5
- Pousada Beija Flor 3★ · 4.8/5
- Pousada Carpe Diem Praia de Bombas 3★ · 4.8/5
- Refúgio do Estaleiro 3★ · 4.8/5
- Azores Bombinhas 2★ · 4.8/5
- Residencial Jardim Galés 2★ · 4.8/5
- Água Marinha de Bombas Bombinhas 3★ · 4.7/5
- Pousada Garatéia 3★ · 4.7/5
- Pousada Jardim das Gales Bombinhas 3★ · 4.7/5
- Pousada Narinari 3★ · 4.7/5
- Chalés do Holandês Eco Pousada 2★ · 4.7/5
- Bombinhas Praia Apart Hotel Bombas 3★ · 4.6/5
- Bombinhas Praia Apart Hotel Unidade Bem Te Vi 3★ · 4.6/5
- Caixa D’aço Exclusive Hotel 3★ · 4.6/5
- Makkai Resort Bombinhas 3★ · 4.6/5
- Oceano Pousada Buffet de café da manhã e serviço de quarto diário 3★ · 4.6/5
- Pousada Água Viva 3★ · 4.6/5
- Pousada Bomar Bombinhas 3★ · 4.6/5
- Pousada Lugar Ao Sol 3★ · 4.6/5
- Pousada Cristalmar 2★ · 4.6/5
- Morada do Mar Hotel 4★ · 4.5/5
Getting around Bombas
From Florianópolis it's a 90-minute drive north on BR-101 then SC-412 into the peninsula, Uber R$220–R$260. From Navegantes Airport 45 minutes, R$110. Public bus from Rita Maria to Porto Belo (R$45) then local bus into the peninsula stopping at Bombas (R$8, 25 minutes). Inside Bombas the beach and main strip are walkable. The local jitney service connects to Bombinhas' more distant beaches (Quatro Ilhas, Zimbros) every 30 minutes for R$5. Renting a scooter or small car in Porto Belo for R$90 a day is worth it outside peak season when buses thin to hourly, but pointless in January when the vehicle quota and parking queues make walking or the jitney faster than driving.
Questions about Bombas
Bombas for family beach days with small children, calmer water, more parking, slightly cheaper rooms. Bombinhas for snorkelling in the clear coves (Sepultura, Retiro dos Padres), better restaurants, more atmosphere. They’re 10 minutes apart on foot so you can base in one and visit the other daily. If you have kids under 8, Bombas. If you’re a couple who wants scenery, Bombinhas.
Yes, though slightly less severely than at Bombinhas' famous coves. On peak days (December 26 to Carnaval, long weekends) the whole peninsula operates a vehicle quota and turns cars away at the SC-412 entrance. Overnight guests with reservations can enter with proof of booking. Arrive before 8am or after 6pm on peak days if day-tripping.
Yes — this is the main reason to choose it over Bombinhas. The bay is shallow, north-facing and largely wave-free, and lifeguards staff the busiest stretch in high season. Visibility is lower than the clear coves further south, but for a toddler paddling at the shoreline that trade-off doesn’t matter.
Two to three full days covers the beach, the Morro do Macaco trail and a day trip into Bombinhas Centro without feeling rushed. Longer stays make more sense as a slower, cheaper base for exploring the whole peninsula rather than for Bombas' own sights, which are limited to the beach, the headland and the trail.
