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Santa Catarina

Photographers in Florianópolis

Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina, built mostly on Santa Catarina Island, about 54 km long, joined to the mainland by bridges. Its Atlantic coast to the east is a run of surf beaches, its western shore faces the calm bays towards the mainland, and in the middle lies the Lagoa da Conceição, a long lagoon backed by white dunes. Locals call it Floripa, and most sessions here move between those three kinds of water in a single day.

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Florianópolis, Santa Catarina

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A large share of the island is protected by the city itself. The Parque Natural Municipal das Dunas da Lagoa da Conceição, created in September 1988, covers 706.76 hectares between the lagoon and Joaquina beach and is open to the public without restriction. The Parque Natural Municipal da Lagoinha do Leste, created in January 1992 and covering 920.54 hectares, protects a beach and lagoon in the south of the island that is reached on foot by trail, or by fishermen's boats from the Pântano do Sul in high season.

Offshore, the Ilha do Campeche was listed by the Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional (IPHAN) in 2000 for its landscape and its rock engravings, and became a Monumento Natural Municipal in 2025. Landing there needs a voucher booked on the Prefeitura's site, released 24 hours after payment, with no rescheduling or refund if the sea turns. To the north, the colonial fortresses on Anhatomirim and Ratones Grande are run by the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC) and reached by private boats.

The people booking here are couples and families from across Brazil and from Argentina and Uruguay, surfers who want to be photographed in the water, and creators working the lagoon and the dunes. Many come in summer, when the sun sets as late as 19:08, and others choose winter for the whale season and the emptier beaches.

Sessions

Photography sessions in Florianópolis

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Also booked in Florianópolis

Locations

Popular photography locations in Florianópolis

The best hour at each, and what a professional session there needs in the way of a permit — with the issuing authority and the date it was last checked.

  • Dunas da Lagoa da Conceição (Joaquina dunes)

    Open white dunes between the Lagoa da Conceição and Joaquina beach, in a 706.76-hectare municipal park created in 1988. The lagoon lies to the west, so from the crest the sun sets over the water.

    Best time
    The last hour of daylight, with the sun going down over the lagoon to the west
    Permit
    Free; the Parque Natural Municipal das Dunas da Lagoa da Conceição is open to the public without restriction, with only its environmental-education base booked ahead

    Source: redeplanejamento.pmf.sc.gov.br · Checked October 2026

  • Joaquina and Praia Mole

    Two Atlantic beaches on the east side of the island, about 11 km from the airport in a straight line, with granite headlands at their ends. They are the island's best-known surf breaks and the ones that stay open to surfers all year.

    Best time
    Early morning for surf, before the onshore wind
    Permit
    Free; during the tainha season, 1 May to 10 July, these are the two beaches where Lei Municipal 10.020/2016 allows surfing without the fishermen's flag system

    Source: tjsc.jus.br · Checked October 2026

  • Ilha do Campeche

    A small island off Campeche beach with clear water, white sand and rock engravings, listed by IPHAN in 2000 and made a Monumento Natural Municipal in 2025. The accredited boat operators are based mostly in Barra da Lagoa.

    Best time
    Mid-morning, when the water over the white sand is clearest
    Permit
    Landing only with a voucher booked on the Prefeitura's site, released 24 hours after payment, with no rescheduling or refund

    Source: ilhadocampeche.pmf.sc.gov.br · Checked October 2026

  • Lagoinha do Leste

    A wild beach and freshwater lagoon between hills in the south of the island, inside a 920.54-hectare municipal park created in 1992. There is no road, and the session starts with a walk.

    Best time
    Morning, after the walk in, with the sun behind the trail
    Permit
    Free; the Parque Natural Municipal da Lagoinha do Leste is open to the public, reached by trail or, in high season, by fishermen's boats from the Pântano do Sul

    Source: redeplanejamento.pmf.sc.gov.br · Checked October 2026

  • Fortaleza de Santa Cruz de Anhatomirim

    An eighteenth-century fortress on an island in the north bay, run by UFSC, with stone walls, a parade ground and the mainland hills behind. It is reached only by boat.

    Best time
    Late morning, when the boats arrive and the walls are lit from the north
    Permit
    UFSC ticket for the fortress, with hours of 08:30 to 18:30 and free entry for all on the last Sunday of each month from March to November; the boat is a separate private service

    Source: fortalezas.eventos.ufsc.br · Checked October 2026

Timing

When to photograph in Florianópolis

Florianópolis keeps no daylight saving, and its light swings more than anywhere further north: the sun rises at about 05:15 and sets at about 19:08 in late December, against 07:03 and 17:27 in late June. From 1 May to 10 July, the mullet (tainha) season, Lei Municipal 10.020/2016 limits surfing to Joaquina, Praia Mole and set stretches of four other beaches. Southern right whales are sighted off the Santa Catarina coast from June to November, peaking in September, according to ICMBio's APA da Baleia Franca.

A view of a bridge over a body of water at night — Florianópolis
Photo: Wolfgang Unger on Unsplash
brown on seashore near body of water under cloudy sky at daytime — Florianópolis
Photo: Pedro Kümmel on Unsplash
an aerial view of a city with lots of houses — Florianópolis
Photo: By Topo on Unsplash
a large body of water with boats floating on top of it — Florianópolis
Photo: Alex Caceres on Unsplash

Licensed photographs of Florianópolis, credited on the photo credits page.

Pricing

Florianópolis photography pricing

All pricing

  • Surf photography

    From $250

    • 60 min
    • 40 edited photos
    • Private online gallery
    • Delivered within 5 days

    Your exact price is confirmed in writing before you pay.

    Check availability

  • Couple photography

    From $150

    • 30 min
    • 20 edited photos
    • Private online gallery
    • Delivered within 7 days

    Your exact price is confirmed in writing before you pay.

    Check availability

  • Proposal photography

    From $200

    • 30 min
    • 20 edited photos
    • Private online gallery
    • Delivered within 5 days

    Your exact price is confirmed in writing before you pay.

    Check availability

Other destinations near Florianópolis

Also covered from Florianópolis

These come under the Florianópolis rate: a photographer travels out at no extra charge, and the session is priced exactly as it would be in Florianópolis itself.

  • Centro
  • Lagoa da Conceição
  • Joaquina
  • Barra da Lagoa
  • Campeche
  • Jurerê
  • Ribeirão da Ilha
  • Pântano do Sul

Guides

Guides to photography in Florianópolis

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Questions about photography in Florianópolis

Can we surf in Florianópolis in May and June?

Yes, on certain beaches. During the tainha season, 1 May to 10 July, Florianópolis' Lei Municipal 10.020/2016 allows surfing at Joaquina and Praia Mole and on set 500 m stretches of Lagoinha do Leste, Matadeiro, Armação and Moçambique, and every other beach follows a green or red flag set by the fishermen each day.

Do we need a ticket to visit the Ilha do Campeche in Florianópolis?

Yes. Landing on the Ilha do Campeche in Florianópolis needs a voucher booked on the Prefeitura's official site, released 24 hours after payment, and it cannot be rescheduled or refunded if the weather stops the boat. The island is an IPHAN-listed site and a Monumento Natural Municipal.

When is sunset in Florianópolis?

Sunset in Florianópolis falls at about 19:08 in late December and 17:27 in late June, with no daylight saving. From the dunes of the Lagoa da Conceição the sun goes down over the lagoon to the west, and on the island's eastern beaches the sea-facing light is at sunrise.

When can we see whales near Florianópolis?

Southern right whales are sighted off the Santa Catarina coast south of Florianópolis from June to November, with a peak in September, according to ICMBio's Área de Proteção Ambiental da Baleia Franca. Boat-based whale watching there runs under ICMBio rules.

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