Sandboarding

The dunes that run between Praia Joaquina and the Lagoa da Conceição are amongst the largest in Brazil although not as extensive as those at Praia do Siriú close to Garopaba. There are also smaller dunes on the island at the north end of Praia Mocambique running through to Praia dos Ingleses.

Sandboards can be hired cheaply from in front of the Dunas club on the Joaquina road. On summer days, the dunes will be full of people of all ages sandboarding and tobogganing down dunes short and shallow or steep and scary. Lines in the sand show you the best paths to take and the ones to avoid. The steeper slopes may have ramps built into the middle of them for jumps so it is worth watching somebody else go down first.

But then, it is always worth watching somebody else go down the dunes first because it is such good comedy. The dunes reverberate with peals of laughter every few minutes as children and adults come out of their straps and cartwheel down the sand to resemble picanha dipped in farofa. If you haven´t done it before, you will be surprised how little these spectacular falls hurt. Usually. You may also be surprised how hard work it is to scale the smallest of dunes after you have slid or rolled your way to the bottom. Taking a breather at the top of the Joaquina Dunes is worth every second though. The views down Joaquina Beach to Campeche Island and the south of Floripa, or across the shimmering waters of the lagoa will keep you admiring them until you strap your feet in once more.