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Which is better: Angra dos Reis or Balneário Camboriú?

Short answer

Angra dos Reis is in Rio de Janeiro and its surroundings (RJ), while Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC): different regions of Brazil. Angra dos Reis: gateway to more than 360 islands in Ilha Grande Bay; Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach. For this month's weather, Balneário Camboriú has the edge.

Sources: INMET (updated 2026) · ANP · OpenStreetMap
Most reviewed activity in Angra dos ReisIlhas Botinas Boat Trip + Angra dos Reis Beaches★ 10 · 6 reviews · from US$ 35 · via CivitatisSee dates and price →
Most reviewed activity in Balneário CamboriúBeto Carrero World Day Trip★ 8.8 · 56 reviews · from US$ 15 · via CivitatisSee dates and price →
Angra dos Reis Balneário Camboriú
Best time to visit May → Aug Apr → Sep
Weather this month 28° · 13 days of rain 24° · 13 days of rain
By car R$ 293 · from São Paulo R$ 52 · from Florianópolis
Ideal stay 3–4 days 3–4 days
Best for Adventure, Relax, Family, Romantic Family, Adventure, Relax
Choose Angra dos Reis if

you want a trip for adventure seekers and relaxation: a schooner in the morning, green sea in the afternoon and Ilha Grande a boat trip away.

See guide
Choose Balneário Camboriú if

you want a trip for families and adventure seekers: a skyscraper waterfront, a cable car over the Atlantic Forest and a summer that never sleeps.

See guide
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Where to stay

Where to stay: Angra dos Reis or Balneário Camboriú

The average nightly rate is around R$ 242 in Angra dos Reis and R$ 278 in Balneário Camboriú; what changes in practice is each place's season. Check current prices for your dates before deciding.

Compare hotels and places to stay in Angra dos Reis on Booking.com, with up-to-date prices and availability, before you book.

See all hotels in Angra dos Reis

Compare hotels and places to stay in Balneário Camboriú on Booking.com, with up-to-date prices and availability, before you book.

Hotel Sagres Praia in Balneário Camboriú 8.9 ★★★ · 31 reviews Hotel Sagres Praia See on Booking → Hotel Pires by Pires - Balneario Camboriu in Balneário Camboriú 8.5 ★★★★ · 38 reviews Hotel Pires by Pires - Balneario Camboriu See on Booking →
See all hotels in Balneário Camboriú

Rates change with the dates: confirm the price on Booking.com.

Frequently asked questions

Angra dos Reis or Balneário Camboriú: which is better?
Angra dos Reis is in Rio de Janeiro and its surroundings (RJ), while Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC): different regions of Brazil. Angra dos Reis: gateway to more than 360 islands in Ilha Grande Bay; Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach. For this month's weather, Balneário Camboriú has the edge.
What is the best time to visit Angra dos Reis and Balneário Camboriú?
The best time to visit Angra dos Reis is from May to August; for Balneário Camboriú, it is from April to September, based on INMET's climate normals (temperature and rainfall for each month). If your trip already has a date, check each destination's page for your month.
Which of the two is cheaper to get to?
By car, leaving from São Paulo, Angra dos Reis is 384 km (239 mi) and costs about R$ 293 each way (fuel plus tolls); leaving from Florianópolis, Balneário Camboriú is 82 km (51 mi) and costs about R$ 52 each way (fuel plus tolls). The calculation assumes a car that gets 11 km/L. Lodging and activities vary with each place's season.
Where does it rain less, Angra dos Reis or Balneário Camboriú?
Averaged over the year, Angra dos Reis has 12 rainy days a month and Balneário Camboriú has 11. Balneário Camboriú is the drier of the two over the year as a whole, but what decides the trip is the month: the rainiest month in Angra dos Reis is January and in Balneário Camboriú, January. For temperature, Angra dos Reis is the warmer one (average high of 29° versus 25°).
How many days should you spend in Angra dos Reis and in Balneário Camboriú?
To see the main sights without rushing, Angra dos Reis calls for 3–4 days and Balneário Camboriú, 3–4 days. These are distant regions: with a week or less, it is usually better to pick one of the two and make the most of it.
Angra dos Reis or Balneário Camboriú with kids?
Both work with kids: Angra dos Reis (365 islands in the bay; schooner trip; green sea and Atlantic Forest) and Balneário Camboriú (urban beach, skyscrapers, and cable car). The choice usually comes down to getting there, not to infrastructure. With small children, weather matters: Balneário Camboriú has fewer rainy days over the year.
What should you not miss in each?
In Angra dos Reis: Schooner trip around the islands, Ilha Grande (day trip), Lopes Mendes Beach. In Balneário Camboriú: Parque Unipraias and cable car, Praia Central, Laranjeiras Beach. These are the sights that show up most in first-trip itineraries for each destination; the full guide to each has the whole list.