Experience the best of Balneário Camboriú

Balneário Camboriú rises along a curved bay in the state of Santa Catarina, its seafront lined with so many tall apartment towers that the skyline looks more like a big city's than a beach town's. Praia Central is the main beach, long and backed by a promenade, while quieter coves such as Laranjeiras and Taquaras lie to the south.

A cable car climbs from Barra Sul over the forested hills to Laranjeiras Beach, with views of the coast. The port city of Itajaí lies just to the north, and the beaches of Bombinhas, with clear water for snorkelling, lie further up the coast. Inland, the German-founded towns of Blumenau and Pomerode keep half-timbered houses and brewing traditions.

Fresh seafood is the draw: grilled fish, shrimp and oysters farmed along the Santa Catarina coast, with Italian and German influences visible in the region's sausages, cakes and beers. The beach season runs from December to March, when the sea is warm; winters are mild and calmer.