Photo: Martín Ledesma via Google
Beaches for families in Florianopolis
Calm water in the north, giant dunes in the east, all on free public sand.
The verdict
- Best forFamilies choosing between calm, easy swimming beaches and the surf beaches better for dune play, with the honest steer on which coast suits young children
- Top pickJurere Internacional for calm water and full facilities, and Praia dos Ingleses for the most complete family day with warm water and dunes to sandboard
- One thing to knowThe north coast is sheltered and gentle, the east coast has real surf, so pick the calm north for a swim with little ones and save the east for dunes and space
Published 21 January 2026. Last reviewed 8 February 2026. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Florianopolis is an island of more than forty beaches, and for a family that is a gift, because the same island gives you calm, sheltered swimming and wild surf and dune adventure within a short drive. The trick, and the thing that saves a family day here, is knowing that the coast you pick decides the whole trip. The north facing beaches are tucked out of the Atlantic swell and stay gentle, warm and easy for small children, lined with restaurants and day clubs. Swing round to the east coast and the mood flips to big surf, soft deep sand and towering dunes, thrilling for older kids and better for sandboarding and wave watching than a calm paddle.
The value in Florianopolis for a family is that the sand itself is free. Every beach here is free public shoreline, so a full day at a beautiful beach costs nothing but your snacks and maybe a cheap sandboard rental, which on an island of pricey day clubs is worth remembering. You can happily mix the two, a calm morning swim on the north coast and an afternoon flying down the dunes in the east, and never pay an entry fee. Where you do choose to spend, on a lounger, a lunch or a club daybed, it should be a choice for comfort rather than a cost you have to bear to enjoy the beach.
The honest short version. Jurere Internacional is the calm, polished family beach with the most services, Praia dos Ingleses the warm, lively all rounder with dunes and seafood, Campeche the long relaxed shore with space to roam and a surf caution, and Joaquina the giant dune playground where the sea is for watching more than swimming. Match the beach to the age of your children and the day you want, keep the little ones on the sheltered north coast for a swim, and Florianopolis is one of Brazil's great value family coasts.
The best beaches for families
Matched to whether you want a calm swim or dune adventure.
Jurere Internacional
The island's smartest north coast beach is also its easiest for families, a long, calm, sheltered stretch of free public sand with gentle water, good restaurants and Brazil's glossiest day clubs behind it. Little ones can paddle safely while parents settle in for a long lunch, and the polish means clean facilities and easy parking. It is not the cheapest place to eat and drink, but the beach costs nothing, so you control the spend. The best value family day on the north coast, calm water and comfort in one place.
Praia dos Ingleses
The most complete beach on the north of the island, Ingleses gives a family everything in one place, warm and usually gentle water, a long arc of sand, big dunes to sandboard and cheap, fresh seafood a step from the beach. It is busy and cheerful rather than chic, which keeps prices sensible and the mood easygoing for children. There is real infrastructure here, so it is simple with a buggy and a cooler. A strong, good value choice when you want a full day with swimming, sand play and lunch all sorted.
Campeche Beach
A long, handsome east coast beach facing a protected island, Campeche gives families room to spread out, walk for miles and build sandcastles away from the crowds, with a laid back, unpretentious feel and casual beach bars. The catch is honest, this is a surf beach, so the waves can be lively and the swimming is calmer out on the water rather than in the shore break, which makes it better for older, confident children and for sand play than for toddlers. Come for space and ease, and keep small ones at the water's edge.
Joaquina Beach
Famous for its towering golden dunes, Joaquina is the island's great sandboarding beach and a brilliant free adventure for older children, who can rent a cheap board and fly down the sand for hours. The sea itself is a powerful Atlantic surf beach with strong currents, so this is a place to ride the dunes and watch the surfers rather than swim with young children, and calmer water sits a short drive away. Bring water and sun cover for the shadeless dunes. For dune thrills on a budget, nothing beats it.
Want the gentlest swimming of all for toddlers? See our calm water beaches in Florianopolis guide for the most sheltered north coast picks.
The honest read for families
The single thing to get right in Florianopolis is the coast, because the island offers two very different beach days and confusing them is what spoils a family trip. The north coast around Jurere, Ingleses, Canasvieiras and Daniela is sheltered from the Atlantic swell, so the water is gentler, warmer and far more suitable for a swim with young children, with the most restaurants, services and easy parking. The east coast beaches like Praia Mole, Joaquina and Campeche are dramatic and beautiful but carry real surf and rip currents, wonderful for surfing, dune play and space to roam, but not the place to let a toddler splash unwatched.
The good news for value is that none of this costs an entry fee. Every beach is free public sand, so the smart family plan is to swim on the calm north in the morning, save money by picnicking or eating at the simpler beach kiosks, and spend an afternoon on the free dunes at Joaquina or Ingleses where a sandboard rents for pocket money. Where you pay for comfort, a club daybed at Jurere or a sit down seafood lunch, treat it as an optional upgrade rather than the price of the day. We never invent a lifeguard schedule, a price or an amenity, so anything we cannot confirm we mark to be confirmed.
The honest caution is about the surf. Lifeguards work the busier beaches in the peak summer months but cover is not guaranteed the rest of the year, and the east coast currents are strong, so supervise children closely, swim between the flags where they exist, and keep the youngest ones to the sheltered north beaches and the shallow shore break. Peak summer from December to February brings the warmest sea but also the biggest crowds and prices, so for calmer sand and better value aim for the shoulder months. All conditions here are typical only and never guaranteed, so use your own judgement with the water.
Beach clubs for a family day
The family friendly comfort on the north coast runs largely through the day clubs at Jurere Internacional, where a reserved lounger, shade and easy food and drink take the friction out of a day with children. For a family it is worth paying for the practical things, a settled spot near the calm water, clean facilities and a kitchen close by, rather than for a scene. The value read is simple, the beach is free, so a club is an optional upgrade for comfort on the day you want it, not a cost you must carry to enjoy the sand.
Tell us the beach and the day you have in mind and we will pass your enquiry to a beach club so they can confirm space, any minimum spend and family facilities. We never invent a venue, an event or a fee, so unconfirmed details are marked to be confirmed and checked with the club before you commit.
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Before you go
Which is the best family beach in Florianopolis?
For calm water and full facilities, Jurere Internacional on the north coast leads, a gentle, sheltered beach with free public sand, restaurants and smart day clubs. Praia dos Ingleses is the most complete family beach, warm and lively with big dunes to sandboard and seafood a step from the sand. Both are far calmer than the east coast surf beaches, so a family wanting an easy swim should look north. Conditions are typical only and never guaranteed, so watch children in the water.
Which Florianopolis beaches have the calmest water for young children?
The north facing beaches are the calmest, because they are sheltered from the Atlantic swell that hits the east coast. Jurere Internacional and Praia dos Ingleses are the easiest for a paddle, and other quiet north beaches like Canasvieiras and Daniela are calmer still. The east coast beaches such as Praia Mole and Joaquina have real surf and are better for dune play and watching the waves than for a calm swim. See our calm water guide for the full sheltered list.
Can children sandboard on the dunes in Florianopolis?
Yes, and it is one of the island's best free family activities. The giant dunes behind Joaquina and the big dunes at Praia dos Ingleses are popular for sandboarding, with cheap board rental from vendors at the top. It suits older children and confident little ones with a parent, and it costs a fraction of a paid attraction. Bring water and sun cover, as the open dunes are hot and shadeless, and let small children just play in the sand.
Are Florianopolis beaches safe for swimming with kids?
It depends entirely on which coast you choose. The sheltered north beaches like Jurere and Ingleses are usually gentle and suit a family swim, while the east coast surf beaches carry strong waves and rip currents that are not for young children. Lifeguards work the busier beaches in the peak summer season but cover is not guaranteed year round, so always supervise children closely, swim between the flags where they exist, and treat all conditions as typical only.
When is the best time for a family beach holiday in Florianopolis?
The warmest sea and surest sun come in the December to February high summer, but that is also when the island is busiest and priciest and the beaches are packed. For better value and calmer sand with still warm water, the shoulder months either side, roughly March to April and again in November, are the family sweet spot. Weather on the island is changeable and the surf beaches shift with the swell, so plan flexibly and keep conditions in mind.