Costa Norte Ingleses • Florianópolis • Santa Catarina
Praia dos Ingleses
Praia dos Ingleses resort is located in the North of the island of Santa Caratina around 33 km (20 miles) from Florianopolkis city center. The resort has 5 km (3 miles) of white sands and crystal-clear waters and the influence of the original colonists from the Azores can still be found in the culture, architecture and cuisine.
Nature puts on a spectacular show that is not limited to the sun, sea and mountains, breathtaking as this combination is. There are 4 km (2½ miles) of sand dunes, whales can often be seen just off the coast and migrant shoals of grey mullet come past once a year providing huge catches for the local fisherman, who still use traditional methods.
There are also relics of prehistoric civilizations here, with an underwater archeological site, a prehistoric stone works and rock art carved into some of the rocks in the headland. Praia dos Ingleses resort is a high-quality destination where a combination of a full range of tourism and hospitality facilities, a good selection of shops and friendly people are surrounded by an abundance of nature. The beach is 5 km (3 miles) long with medium-sized waves and blue water. Praia dos Ingleses resort is a fully-functioning small town with its own bars and restaurants, shops and nightlife. It has its own character and even the food has its own local style. The resort is home to a large number of traditional fishermen, meaning that the seafood in the beach restaurants is always freshly caught.
Natural pursuits
Nature puts on a spectacular show here on the island, with a breathtaking combination of sea and mountains that is hard to find anywhere else in the country. There is a huge range of leisure options, but we can particularly recommend the following:
- Boat trips to neighbouring islands.
- Nature trails.
- Water sports: Sailing, surfing, windsurfing, kayaking and others.
- Ecotourism: Wildlife observation, birds plants and animals, including diving and other activities.
Natural attractions
The beaches of Ingleses and Santinho are separated by a 4 km (2½ mile) stretch of sand dunes, perfect for those who like to walk, and if you’re into sandboarding, well, it’s basically party time! The beach is undoubtedly the number one tourist attraction at this resort. There are almost 5 km (3 miles) of sand, a narrow white ribbon washed by the waves of the open sea. The water is deep blue and the waves are medium-sized. During the high season the average water temperature is 22° C (72 F) and offers very pleasant bathing. Even on days when the sea is at its roughest, the waves are not large, but have a good break that the surfers enjoy. During the winter months, shoals of fish migrate up the coast from the southernmost state of Brazil, Rio Grande do Sul, in search of warmer water to spawn, providing the basis for the fishing that is still the main source of employment for many of the residents of Ingleses. The headland at Ingleses, perfect for snorkelling. The hills at Ingleses, an excellent choice for trekking.
Historically, Praia dos Ingleses was a fishing village and it holds the record for the largest number of grey mullet caught in a single net – more than 80,000 fish! Nowadays the traditional fishing industry is no longer as dominant as it once was, but despite interference from the growing tourist industry there are still many local fishermen working here. Others, however, have found other jobs or other places to fish.
This is also a residential area and now has more than 15,000 residents who live here all year round. This is to a great extent the result of the ease of access afforded by the dual-carriageway road connecting the resort with the city of Florianopolis. The resort has a large number of hotels, restaurants and bars and all the basic urban services such as banks, health centers and pharmacists are available. Ingleses is on the international tourism routes and has facilities for leisure, sport and music, nightlife, tours, camping and other activities.
Of interest.
Between 1747 and 1756, colonists from the Azores began to immigrate en masse and this, combined with the difficulty involved in reaching the different parts of the island, led the local government to decentralize power and divide the island into freguesias, which would later become intendências. Ingleses was part of the Freguesia de São João Batista do Rio Vermelho, which was founded in 1831, and it got its name from an English ship that ran aground here. There are two different versions of what became of this ship. The first is that it was re-floated and continued on its voyage, having left some members of the crew on the island. The other version is that the ship sank where it ran aground. Ingleses beach is part of the District of Ingleses of the Rio Vermelho and is 40 km (25 miles) from Florianópolis city center along highway SC 401. The beach is 4,830 m long (5,280 yds/15,850 ft) and varies from 6 to 50 m wide .
