Praia da Vila, Beach in Imbituba, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Praia da Vila is a sandy beach on Brazil's southern coast known for moderate waves and clear water. The shoreline has a gentle slope that makes wading and swimming accessible for different skill levels.

Whaling was officially established in Brazil in 1602, when Philip II of Spain and Portugal granted the right to hunt right whales. In 1796, by order of the Marquis of Pombal, Brazil's fourth whaling station was installed at Imbituba. Its oil lit the streets of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and was mixed into mortar for local buildings.

Imbituba calls itself the national capital of the right whale, and the town's whaling heritage is visible in its place names and local memory. The name Imbituba comes from Tupi: imbé, a philodendron vine, and tyba, abundance. The old whaling station, the fourth established in Brazil, processed whale oil used for public lighting in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

The beach has parking areas, restrooms, and food stalls, with lifeguards watching during summer. The water is calmest in the mornings, making it a good time for swimming or relaxing.

Imbituba, where Praia da Vila lies, is known as Brazil's national right-whale capital, and the harbour tide gauge there defines the country's vertical datum because sea level varies least at this point. The municipality holds 43 mapped archaeological sites, 42 from pre-colonial sambaqui and Tupi-Guarani peoples and one tied to colonial whaling.