Palhoça
Brazil · Americas
About Palhoça
Palhoça is a municipality in eastern Santa Catarina, Brazil. It is located on the Atlantic coast, 17 km (10 mi) from the state’s capital, Florianópolis.
Palhoça was founded in 1793, when the city was part of the route between Lages and Florianópolis, in order to protect the state capital from possible invasions. Its name comes from “straw roof,” so called because of the large number of houses with this type of roof at the time, when the first inhabitants of Palhoça were natives.
Palhoça is located in the Greater Florianópolis region. It is bordered to the north by São José, to the west by Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, to the south by Paulo Lopes, to the east by the southern bay of Santa Catarina Island, and to the southeast by the Atlantic Ocean.
Its coastline consists of an extensive mangrove area and beaches to the south.
The municipality contains part of the 84,130-hectare (207,900-acre) Serra do Tabuleiro State Park, a protected area created in 1975. The lushly forested park protects the sources of the Vargem do Braço, Cubatão and D'Una rivers, which supply most of the drinking water for Greater Florianópolis and the south coast region. The highest point...
Palhoça travel guide
Getting there
By car BR-101 cuts across the city from Palhoça and the South of the state, and from Balneário Camboriú and other points north BR-282 connects from Lages and other cities in the Serrana region to the west, and with Florianópolis just to the east
See
Historic Downtown (Centro Historico). 1 Parish Church of Saint Joseph (Igreja Matriz de São José). Founded in 1750, rebuilt in 1845, and remodelled many times. (updated Mar 2025) 2 São José Max Hablitzel Botanical Garden (Jardim Botânico de São José), Potecas neighborhood, [email protected]. M-F 08:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-18:00. 160,000 m2 of Atlantic Forest. Free parking. Guided tours with biologists can be arranged Tu-Th by email. (updated Mar 2025) Kobrasol neighborhood (Bairro do Kobrasol). Pedra Branca Hill (Morro da Pedra Branca).
Do
1 Balneario Guararema Beach. A beach with restaurants.
2 Guarda do Embaú Beach, Palhoça. A clean beach with a fishing village, beautiful views, and very good trails. Folia do Zé. Refounded in 2025, the city's carnival lasts a week in lafpte February and early March. The city's samba school parades on the Passarela Nego Quirido, there are block parties, and a seniors' ball. It is celebrated as a safe and family-friendly event. (updated Mar 2025)
Buy
1 Continente Park Shopping, BR-101, Km 211 - Distrito Industrial, ☏ +55 48 3094-9268. The newest shopping mall in the region, opened in 2012 with 8 movie screens and over 200 stores. (updated Jun 2018) Shopping Center Itaguaçu.
Overview adapted from Wikipedia, travel guide fromWikivoyage (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.