Experience the best of Porto Belo

Porto Belo sits on a sheltered bay on the coast of Santa Catarina state, in southern Brazil, on a small peninsula backed by green hills of Atlantic forest. Fishing boats and pleasure boats share the harbour, and the waterfront has a promenade, cafés and beaches with calm water.

Offshore, the Arvoredo Marine Biological Reserve protects islands and reefs with clear water, and divers visit the waters around its edges. Neighbouring Bombinhas, on the next peninsula, has a string of small beaches, and Balneário Camboriú, with its skyscrapers and cable car, is a short drive north. Florianópolis, the state capital, lies farther south.

Mussels and oysters are farmed in the bay and served in local restaurants alongside shrimp and fish, in the fishing tradition of Santa Catarina's coast. The summers are hot and the beaches at their busiest.