Skip to content
Compare destinations

Which is better: Balneário Camboriú or Caldas Novas?

Short answer

Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC), while Caldas Novas is in the state of Goiás (GO): different regions of Brazil. Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach; Caldas Novas: the largest hot springs in the world. For this month's weather, Balneário Camboriú 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 →
Balneário Camboriú Caldas Novas
Best time to visit Apr → Sep May → Aug
Weather this month 24° · 13 days of rain 33° · 11 days of rain
By car R$ 52 · from Florianópolis R$ 113 · from Goiânia
Ideal stay 3–4 days 3–4 days
Best for Family, Adventure, Relax Family, Relax, Romantic
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 Caldas Novas if

you want a trip for families and relaxation: naturally hot pools, water parks and the perfect contrast of a dry Cerrado winter.

See guide
Comparison tool
Compare Balneário Camboriú and Caldas Novas with any other destination
Build your own side-by-side table with up to 3 destinations.
Open the comparison tool
Where to stay

Where to stay: Balneário Camboriú or Caldas Novas

The average nightly rate is around R$ 278 in Balneário Camboriú and R$ 298 in Caldas Novas; 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 Caldas Novas on Booking.com, with up-to-date prices and availability, before you book.

Best Western Suites Le Jardin Caldas Novas in Caldas Novas 9 · 26 reviews Best Western Suites Le Jardin Caldas Novas See on Booking → Acqua Bella Thermas Hotel in Caldas Novas 8.7 ★★★ · 39 reviews Acqua Bella Thermas Hotel See on Booking →
See all hotels in Caldas Novas

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

Frequently asked questions

Balneário Camboriú or Caldas Novas: which is better?
Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC), while Caldas Novas is in the state of Goiás (GO): different regions of Brazil. Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach; Caldas Novas: the largest hot springs in the world. For this month's weather, Balneário Camboriú has the edge.
What is the best time to visit Balneário Camboriú and Caldas Novas?
The best time to visit Balneário Camboriú is from April to September; for Caldas Novas, 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 Goiânia, Caldas Novas is 170 km (106 mi) and costs about R$ 113 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 Caldas Novas?
Averaged over the year, Balneário Camboriú has 11 rainy days a month and Caldas Novas has 9. Caldas Novas 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 Caldas Novas, December. For temperature, Caldas Novas is the warmer one (average high of 31° versus 25°).
How many days should you spend in Balneário Camboriú and in Caldas Novas?
To see the main sights without rushing, Balneário Camboriú calls for 3–4 days and Caldas Novas, 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 Caldas Novas with kids?
Both work with kids: Balneário Camboriú (urban beach, skyscrapers, and cable car) and Caldas Novas (hot springs, hot pools, and water parks). The choice usually comes down to getting there, not to infrastructure. With small children, weather matters: Caldas Novas 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 Caldas Novas: Hot Park, diRoma Acqua Park, Lagoa Termas Parque. These are the sights that show up most in first-trip itineraries for each destination; the full guide to each has the whole list.