Praia da Lagoinha do Leste, Remote beach in Florianópolis, Brazil

Praia da Lagoinha do Leste is a sand beach set within a protected bay, where the shoreline stretches between steep cliffs and dense native forest. Beyond the salty waters, a freshwater lagoon fed by mountain streams lies near the shore.

In 1992 the Municipality of Florianópolis created the Lagoinha do Leste Municipal Park, covering 453 hectares and classed as a Permanent Preservation Area under municipal law no. 3.701/92. Before that, the beach was reached mainly by fishermen from Pântano do Sul, and its difficult access kept one of the last stretches of Atlantic Forest on Santa Catarina Island intact.

The name comes from the small freshwater lagoon shaped like an "S" that sits behind the sand, between the beach and the hillside. Until recently the beach was frequented mainly by fishermen from Pântano do Sul; today it draws walkers on the ecological tourism routes. The lagoon and the surrounding Atlantic Forest lie within the 453-hectare municipal park created in 1992.

Two trails reach the beach: from Praia do Matadeiro a roughly 4 km path passes the Toca da Baleia, a sea-carved rock cave; from Pântano do Sul a shorter 2.3 km route climbs more steeply. On arrival, the Morro da Coroa trail starts on the right side between rocks and shrubs, and the stretch to Ponta da Felicidade is poorly marked, so return the same way.

The beach lies at the foot of Morro da Coroa, reached by a trail starting on the right side of the sand between rocks and shrubs. The climb is steep and rocky, and from the top visitors see pointed rock formations and the whole bay of Lagoinha do Leste below.