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Which is better: Balneário Camboriú or Belo Horizonte?

Short answer

Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC), while Belo Horizonte is in the state of Minas Gerais (MG): different regions of Brazil. Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach; Belo Horizonte: capital of Minas Gerais, a mountain city with a boteco (neighborhood bar) on every corner and Niemeyer's architecture on the shores of Lagoa da Pampulha. For this month's weather, Belo Horizonte has the edge.

Sources: INMET (updated 2026) · ANP · OpenStreetMap
Most reviewed activity in Balneário CamboriúBeto Carrero World Day Trip★ 8.8 · 56 reviews · from US$ 15 · via CivitatisSee dates and price →
Most reviewed activity in Belo HorizonteOuro Preto & Mariana Day Trip★ 8.9 · 197 reviews · from US$ 71 · via CivitatisSee dates and price →
Balneário Camboriú Belo Horizonte
Best time to visit Apr → Sep May → Aug
Weather this month 24° · 13 days of rain 29° · 8 days of rain
By car R$ 52 · from Florianópolis R$ 360 · from São Paulo
Ideal stay 3–4 days 3–4 days
Best for Family, Adventure, Relax Food, Family, Romantic, Adventure
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
Choose Belo Horizonte if

you want a trip for food lovers and families: capital of Minas Gerais, a mountain city with a boteco (neighborhood bar) on every corner and Niemeyer's architecture on the shores of Lagoa da Pampulha. The gateway to the historic interior of Minas.

See guide
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Where to stay

Where to stay: Balneário Camboriú or Belo Horizonte

The average nightly rate is around R$ 278 in Balneário Camboriú and R$ 391 in Belo Horizonte; what changes in practice is each place's season. Check current prices for your dates before deciding.

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

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

Ouro Minas Hotel Belo Horizonte, Dolce by Wyndham in Belo Horizonte 8.8 ★★★★★ · 128 reviews Ouro Minas Hotel Belo Horizonte, Dolce by Wyndham See on Booking → Nobile Inn Pampulha in Belo Horizonte 8.6 ★★★ · 106 reviews Nobile Inn Pampulha See on Booking →
See all hotels in Belo Horizonte

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

Frequently asked questions

Balneário Camboriú or Belo Horizonte: which is better?
Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC), while Belo Horizonte is in the state of Minas Gerais (MG): different regions of Brazil. Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach; Belo Horizonte: capital of Minas Gerais, a mountain city with a boteco (neighborhood bar) on every corner and Niemeyer's architecture on the shores of Lagoa da Pampulha. For this month's weather, Belo Horizonte has the edge.
What is the best time to visit Balneário Camboriú and Belo Horizonte?
The best time to visit Balneário Camboriú is from April to September; for Belo Horizonte, it is from May to August, 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 Florianópolis, Balneário Camboriú is 82 km (51 mi) and costs about R$ 52 each way (fuel plus tolls); leaving from São Paulo, Belo Horizonte is 586 km (364 mi) and costs about R$ 360 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, Balneário Camboriú or Belo Horizonte?
Averaged over the year, Balneário Camboriú has 11 rainy days a month and Belo Horizonte has 8. Belo Horizonte is the drier of the two over the year as a whole, but what decides the trip is the month: the rainiest month in Balneário Camboriú is January and in Belo Horizonte, December. For temperature, Belo Horizonte is the warmer one (average high of 27° versus 25°).
How many days should you spend in Balneário Camboriú and in Belo Horizonte?
To see the main sights without rushing, Balneário Camboriú calls for 3–4 days and Belo Horizonte, 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.
Balneário Camboriú or Belo Horizonte with kids?
Both work with kids: Balneário Camboriú (urban beach, skyscrapers, and cable car) and Belo Horizonte (capital of Minas; boteco and food; Niemeyer architecture). The choice usually comes down to getting there, not to infrastructure. With small children, weather matters: Belo Horizonte has fewer rainy days over the year.
What should you not miss in each?
In Balneário Camboriú: Parque Unipraias and cable car, Praia Central, Laranjeiras Beach. In Belo Horizonte: Praça da Liberdade, Mercado Central, Church of Saint Francis of Assisi (Pampulha). These are the sights that show up most in first-trip itineraries for each destination; the full guide to each has the whole list.