Kayaking in the mangroves...in Florianopolis!

One of my favourite destinations in South Brazil is the Lagamar Estuary in Paraná, where you can find the largest tracts of Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil(+mangroves+ deserted beaches+ the unique Caiçara culture…) Lagamar is a magical place set against the background of the stunning Serra do Mar. Our Rainforest Expedition offers a 2-night stay at a simple lodge in the middle of the forest from where we do lots of outdoor activities around the area. I love everything about this trip but for me the best time there is to be had kayaking down the mangroves, watching all the aquatic birds and quite often meeting dolphins at the bay of Pinheiros… Unfortunately this paradise is a few hours from Florianopolis so I don’t get to go kayaking in the mangroves that often.

Well, this is about to change… today I found out that I can kayak in mangroves about 5 min from my home! The possibilities for outdoor activities in Santa Catarina Island in Florianopolis has always amazed me, and, yes, I already knew of many mangroves in the north and west of the island but they are either inside nature reserves or in the middle of the city. I could not imagine that I could kayak in mangroves literally down the road from my house.

The Sangradouro River is a small river that meets the sea between the beaches of Armação and Matadeiro on the south coast of Floripa (both gorgeous beaches on their own). Today, tipped by a local resident that rents out kayaks, I just paddled up that river and within minutes it seemed I was miles away from anywhere. On the way I met kingfishers, 3 or 4 species of herons (white-necked herons, small blue heron and the yellow-crowned night-heron) besides numerous egrets. I didn’t see any but I was told that yellow-throat caimans can be seen on this stretch of the river.This non-aggressive species is the only caiman found in South Brazil.

What a great place!

Tips from Brazil Ecojourneys:

• You can also rent kayaks in the nearby Lagoa do Peri. This a beautiful fresh water lake inside a nature reserve that is really worth visiting. If you go up the river at the far end of the lake early in the morning you might spot red-breasted toucans ;
• Lagoa do Peri is also home for the endangered Brazilian River Otter- you can volunteer for a week in a conservation and scientific project studying these otters, staying right in the middle of the nature reserve;
  

• If you are in Florianopolis area and want to do some paddling contact us: we can put you in touch with kayak rental places, arrange for a private guided tour of Peri Lake or even take you kayaking down rapids at nearby Caldas da Imperatriz;