Day trip to Praia do Rosa from Santa Catarina

Rosa sits 90 km south of Florianópolis. Here's how to do it in a day for R$180 without missing the good bits.

Guide

Day trips

Length

6 min read

Region

Santa Catarina

Sand crescent of Praia do Rosa seen from the Miradouro da Vigia

Getting there

Drive south on BR-101, exit at Imbituba, follow SC-100 for 12 km. One toll at Palhoça (R$8.60), fuel one way about R$55. By bus: JCA line from Rita Maria terminal to Imbituba (R$38, 2 hours), then a Rosa Bus shuttle or taxi (R$45) for the final 14 km. Leave Florianópolis by 08:00 to get a full day, and set a hard 18:00 departure to avoid weekend BR-101 traffic that can add 90 minutes.

Parking at Rosa Norte costs R$25 for the day at the informal lots near the entrance road, cash only, no card machines out here. If you are coming from the south — Laguna or Tubarão side — SC-100 links straight into Imbituba without touching BR-101 at all, which is the quicker approach on weekends. There is no train option and no direct Floripa-to-Rosa bus, so anyone without a car should budget the shuttle transfer into the day rather than treat it as an afterthought.

What to actually do

Park near the Rosa Norte entrance and walk the beach south — the whole crescent takes 40 minutes. Climb to Miradouro da Vigia (free, unmarked trail from the north end) for the panoramic. Lunch at Vida Sol e Mar or the simpler Urucum. Afternoon at Praia Vermelha, which has fewer people than Rosa itself and a calmer swim. In whale season (June-October) walk the Trilha do Chapéu — you’ll spot whales without paying for a boat.

Surfers should head instead to Praia do Ouvidor, a 15-minute walk south past Vermelha, where the beach break holds a swell longer into the afternoon than Rosa Norte does. Board rental at the kiosks near the main entrance runs R$60 for two hours, no lesson included. Skip the paid buggy tours sold along the entrance road — at R$120 per person they cover ground you can walk in under an hour. If you only have the day, the loop of Rosa Norte, the Miradouro and Vermelha is the version that actually fits between a morning arrival and a sane evening drive home.

Where to stay if one day isn’t enough

Rosa rewards an overnight far more than it rewards a rushed day trip, mainly because the whale-watching window and the surf both run best in early morning and late afternoon, exactly when day-trippers are on the road. Casa Completa no Rosa sits within the village itself and works for a group wanting a full kitchen rather than restaurant meals for every sitting, from around R$450 a night depending on season.

For a base a short drive back toward Imbituba, Pousada Bosque Das Aguas Imbituba is the practical middle option — quieter, cheaper than anything inside Rosa village in high summer, and still a 15-minute drive to Rosa Norte. Book Rosa itself at least a month ahead for December to February and for the July whale season; Imbituba fills less far in advance and is the fallback if Rosa is booked out.

What it costs, in full

By car for two people: R$8.60 toll each way, roughly R$110 in fuel round trip from Florianópolis, R$25 parking, R$130 for two at Urucum, R$60 for surfboard hire if you want it — call it R$330 for a full day without an overnight. By bus the transport cost drops but the shuttle and taxi legs add up to around R$166 return per person once the Imbituba-to-Rosa transfer is counted twice.

The one everyone forgets is the moto-taxi around Rosa village itself, useful once the light starts going and you don’t want to walk the unlit stretch back to the car — budget R$15-20 per short hop. None of this is expensive against a night in a Rosa pousada, which is exactly why it works as a day trip rather than a place people default to staying.

When to go

June to October is whale season and the best reason to make this specific day trip rather than picking any other beach south of Florianópolis — right whales come close enough to shore to see from the Trilha do Chapéu without a boat. December and January are the busiest and hottest, with Rosa Norte parking full by 10:00 on weekends; go on a weekday if summer is the only window you have. April and May give warm water, thin crowds and the calmest drive down BR-101, and is the month I would pick if the whales aren’t the point.

What to skip

Skip the buggy tours sold at the entrance — they cover the same ground the walk to the Miradouro does, for four times the effort saved. Skip Rosa Norte itself in January afternoons, when the beach is genuinely too crowded to enjoy; Praia Vermelha or Ouvidor are better bets at that time of year. And skip trying to add Garopaba or Silveira onto the same day — both are worth their own trip, and stacking them onto Rosa turns a relaxed day into a driving day.

Frequently asked questions

What people ask before they set off on this one.

Is Rosa doable without a car?

Yes but painful. Bus plus shuttle plus in-town moto-taxis add up to R$150 and eat time. A car makes it a real day trip.

Can I swim at Rosa?

In summer, yes, but currents are strong at the south end. Stay near the middle stretch and watch the flags.

Where should I lunch?

Urucum for casual moquecas (R$95 for two). Vida Sol e Mar for a fuller lunch with a view (R$130 per person).

Is one day enough?

For a taster, yes. To surf or see whales properly, plan an overnight in a Rosa pousada from R$220.

Is there an ATM in Rosa village?

There is a single Banco do Brasil ATM near the main entrance, but it runs out of notes on busy weekends. Bring cash from Imbituba or Florianópolis rather than rely on it.

How do I combine Rosa with whale-watching further south?

Imbituba itself has a shoreline lookout point used for right whale sightings in season, about 15 minutes from Rosa by car. It is a reasonable add-on to the same day trip since it sits directly on the route back to BR-101.

Where to stay