AT A GLANCE
Why go?
Mar Grosso Beach (Praia do Mar Grosso) is the long, lively shoreline of Laguna on Santa Catarina's southern coast, affectionately called the "apple of the eye" of every lagunense. With roughly three kilometres of pale sand and clear water, it is the place locals and visitors head to for swimming, sunbathing, beach games and a stroll along the promenade.↗
What sets it apart is its setting between two landmarks: to the south the stone breakwater of Molhes da Barra reaches into the sea, and to the north rare pink granite outcrops frame views of neighbouring beaches. Add a broad beach that rarely feels crowded, good infrastructure and a buzzing seafront, and Mar Grosso makes an easy base for a day—or a whole holiday—on the southern Catarinense coast.
One beach, two landmarks
At the south end of the sand, the Molhes da Barra is a stone breakwater some two kilometres long that juts out into the Atlantic, built in the 1930s to help boats reach the lagoon. It invites you out to fish, to watch the surfers lined up where the waves break well, and—most famously—to spot the cooperative fishing between local fishermen and wild dolphins that still takes place in this channel today.
At the opposite, northern tip of Mar Grosso sit striking pink granite formations—a rare sight on the Brazilian coast. From these rocks you can look along the shore toward the quieter beaches of Iro and Gi, making the headland a favourite spot for photography and a slower end to the beach walk.
