Enjoy the sun, sea and scenic beauty of Matadeiro Beach, an attractive strip of sand flanked by forest-covered hills. The beach is cut off from main roads and only accessible by a pedestrian bridge. It provides a tranquil spot to relax and sunbathe. The ocean’s powerful waves attract many surfers.
Due to its relative isolation, Matadeiro is not as busy as some of the island’s other beaches. Find a good space on the beach and set up camp for a few hours or the entire day. Bring a surfboard to ride some of the choppy waves. The sea here also experiences many periods of calm, gentle enough for children and novice swimmers. Have a drink and a snack at one of the bars or enjoy your picnic.
Visit the beach’s grotto that according to locals once served as a home for indigenous peoples and a refuge for fugitives.
Investigate the countryside by putting on some comfortable shoes and trekking along Lagoinha do Leste Trail. It starts at the beach and heads into the hills and back down to Lagoinha do Leste Beach, a secluded stretch of sand with a freshwater lagoon.
The roundtrip is approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) and along the route there are many good vantage points from which to admire the coastal scenery. Look out for seagulls, hawks, lizards and many other types of wildlife. Wear long trousers because some of the low-lying shrubbery is prickly.
Matadeiro Beach is about 13 miles (22 kilometers) from the center of Florianopolis. There is no vehicle access to the beach, so you must park near Peri Lake’s drainage canal and then walk a few hundred meters to the sand.