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Of all the Beaches in all of Brazil I Stumbled onto This One
July 15, 2023

written by Sylvia Marie
When I first arrived, I must admit that I was not immediately impressed. My wooden rental loft was homely and welcoming but the surrounding area seemed pretty dull and uneventful. We are in Pinheira, a little beach town in the south of Brazil and winter is just starting here.
At the Airbnb, there are two bicycles available for us to use during our stay. We pedal around most days, unexpectedly discovering more and more cool spots. The bikes are definitely a perfect way to get around in a place like this. And actually, a popular way among most locals.
After being settled in for almost a week, yesterday we set off towards a hiking trail that we saw on one of the maps our host provided us with. To get there, we rode our bikes through an area that we hadn’t yet explored and we immediately fell in love with this cozy alternative locality. Although it was pretty much a ghost town, due to it being low-season right now, the vibe and shops hold the promise of a really special bustling neighborhood in the summer. We parked our wheels and arrived at the entrance of trilha Vale da Utopia.
The dense tropical forest with its deep green foliage and terra cotta-colored ground, along with the sound of ocean waves crashing against a shore somewhere in the distance, brought on a feeling of cozy contentment. We walked serenely, high on the beauty of nature and the path unfolding before us. Eventually, the trail opened onto a deserted beach and continued across, toward the furthest tip of land. We sat on some large rock boulders and watched the tumultuous ocean crash against the shore.

This surprisingly enchanting and fairly unknown area in the south of Brazil is our first stop in this gigantic country. We spent most of the month enjoying all the surrounding beaches and trails as well as mingling with some of the locals, who were mostly from Argentina. They all said they came to Brazil to travel but didn’t make it further than this little spot in Santa Catarina. And I can absolutely understand why.
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