Praia da Ilhota, Beach in Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Praia da Ilhota is a 766-metre beach in Itapema, Santa Catarina, with coarse golden sand and clear water that forms waves when the wind picks up. A rocky formation at its southern end, on the border with Praia do Plaza, gives a view over both beaches, and a golf course runs along the seafront.

Praia da Ilhota lies in Itapema, on the Santa Catarina coast about 1,300 km south of Brasília. Access runs off the BR-101 just north of the Federal Highway Police post; at the southern end, a rocky formation on the border with Praia do Plaza and the Itapema Hotel opens a view over both beaches.

The beach's name, Ilhota, means "small island" in Portuguese. Its seafront is lined with seafood restaurants, and the 766-metre stretch of sand is where most of Itapema's surfers gather, since the open-sea swell produces rideable waves when the wind picks up.

The beach is accessible from multiple points along the shore, and parking is available close by. Basic facilities are in place and easy to find.

At the southern end of the beach, a rocky formation marks the border with Praia do Plaza and the Itapema Hotel; from there you can see both beaches at once. Access is via BR-101, just after the Federal Highway Police post heading north.