Skip to content
Compare destinations

Which is better: Balneário Camboriú or Campos do Jordão?

Short answer

Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC), while Campos do Jordão is in the Serra da Mantiqueira (SP): different regions of Brazil. Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach; Campos do Jordão: Brazil's highest town, at 1,628 m in the Serra da Mantiqueira. 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 →
Most reviewed activity in Campos do JordãoCampos do Jordão Sightseeing Tour★ 9.1 · 72 reviews · from US$ 20 · via CivitatisSee dates and price →
Balneário Camboriú Campos do Jordão
Best time to visit Apr → Sep Jun → Sep
Weather this month 24° · 13 days of rain 21° · 12 days of rain
By car R$ 52 · from Florianópolis R$ 94 + tolls · from São Paulo
Ideal stay 3–4 days 3–4 days
Best for Family, Adventure, Relax Romantic, Food, Family, Relax
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 Campos do Jordão if

you want a trip for couples and food lovers: the "Brazilian Switzerland" of cold weather, pine nuts and the Winter Festival.

See guide
Comparison tool
Compare Balneário Camboriú and Campos do Jordão 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 Campos do Jordão

The average nightly rate is around R$ 278 in Balneário Camboriú and R$ 197 in Campos do Jordão; 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 Campos do Jordão on Booking.com, with up-to-date prices and availability, before you book.

Hotel Dan Inn Campos do Jordao in Campos do Jordão 8.5 ★★★ · 85 reviews Hotel Dan Inn Campos do Jordao See on Booking → Hotel Castelo Nacional Inn Campos do Jordao in Campos do Jordão 8.6 ★★★★ · 35 reviews Hotel Castelo Nacional Inn Campos do Jordao See on Booking →
See all hotels in Campos do Jordão

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

Frequently asked questions

Balneário Camboriú or Campos do Jordão: which is better?
Balneário Camboriú is on the Santa Catarina Coast (SC), while Campos do Jordão is in the Serra da Mantiqueira (SP): different regions of Brazil. Balneário Camboriú: Brazil's most vertical beach; Campos do Jordão: Brazil's highest town, at 1,628 m in the Serra da Mantiqueira. For this month's weather, Balneário Camboriú has the edge.
What is the best time to visit Balneário Camboriú and Campos do Jordão?
The best time to visit Balneário Camboriú is from April to September; for Campos do Jordão, it is from June 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 Florianópolis, Balneário Camboriú is 82 km (51 mi) and costs about R$ 52 each way (fuel plus tolls); leaving from São Paulo, Campos do Jordão is 170 km (106 mi) and costs about R$ 94 each way (fuel only, tolls not included). 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 Campos do Jordão?
Averaged over the year, Balneário Camboriú has 11 rainy days a month and Campos do Jordão has 11. The two are practically tied over the year, but what decides the trip is the month: the rainiest month in Balneário Camboriú is January and in Campos do Jordão, January. For temperature, Balneário Camboriú is the warmer one (average high of 25° versus 21°).
How many days should you spend in Balneário Camboriú and in Campos do Jordão?
To see the main sights without rushing, Balneário Camboriú calls for 3–4 days and Campos do Jordão, 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 Campos do Jordão with kids?
Both work with kids: Balneário Camboriú (urban beach, skyscrapers, and cable car) and Campos do Jordão (Brazil's highest town, mountain cold, and Winter Festival). The choice usually comes down to getting there, not to infrastructure.
What should you not miss in each?
In Balneário Camboriú: Parque Unipraias and cable car, Praia Central, Laranjeiras Beach. In Campos do Jordão: Campos do Jordão State Park (Horto Florestal), Morro do Elefante, Pico do Itapeva. These are the sights that show up most in first-trip itineraries for each destination; the full guide to each has the whole list.