Praia do Rosa is a curve of sand backed by green hills, a lagoon and a handful of wooden houses, and it has attracted surfers, artists and travellers for decades. It lies in the municipality of Imbituba on the southern coast of Santa Catarina, about thirteen kilometres from the town, and it has resisted the high-rise development you see farther north. The beach faces the open Atlantic, so waves roll in steadily and attract surfers, while a headland at one end makes a viewpoint over the coast.
Between roughly July and November the bay becomes a nursery for southern right whales, which come up from the cold Antarctic waters to give birth and raise their calves. You can often spot them from the beach or the headlands, blowing and slapping their tails, and the area around Imbituba has been officially called the national capital of the right whale. Patience, binoculars and a quiet morning are all you need, and it is hard to describe the feeling of watching a mother and calf only a few hundred metres offshore.
Riding in is a pleasure. From Florianópolis, you take the BR-101 south through flat coastal country, then turn toward the sea on smaller roads that wind among hills and eucalyptus and past small villages. Traffic thins quickly once you leave the highway, though sandy patches, dogs and cyclists make it worthwhile to go gently, and the final approach down to the beach is a narrow road lined with pousadas and cafés. Midweek in the off-season, the village is almost empty, while January is packed.
Praia do Rosa itself is small and has limited services, so fill the tank before arriving, in Imbituba, a town of over forty thousand, or in Garopaba just to the north. The village has surf shops, simple restaurants serving fresh fish and caipirinhas, and plenty of places to stay in every price range. The sun is strong, so bring sunscreen, and keep a light rain jacket, as sea fog and showers come in from the south. Sunset from the headland is hard to beat.