History
Garopaba Historic Center
The old whaling station: a church from 1795, the administration house and the Culture House, facing the bay.
From the Residencial: About 15.8 km by car
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Photos: Garopaba Por Aí (@garopabaporai_tv) (opens in a new tab); Stanglavine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab); Renato Soares/MTur, domínio público, via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab); Fecorte, domínio público, via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab); Antônio João, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab); Renato Soares/MTur, domínio público, via MTur Destinos (Flickr) (opens in a new tab); Parzeus, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (opens in a new tab); PREFEITURA DE GAROPABA (opens in a new tab).
The historic center keeps the memory of the São Joaquim whaling station, from the days when Garopaba lived off whale hunting.
São Joaquim Church was begun in 1795 as a small chapel with a dirt floor; it gained its tower and stairway in 1937 and was listed as Santa Catarina heritage in 1998. Next to it, the historic manor house, built 1793 to 1795, was the headquarters of the whaling operation and is considered the only such building still standing in Brazil. Today it houses a local crafts shop.
The Culture House brings together the Tourist Information Center, the town library, exhibitions by local artists, the fishermen's shared boat shed, whale bones and panels about the whaling era. A few meters from the church, the Historic Center viewpoint is one of the best places in town to watch the sunset over Praia de Garopaba.
Points of interest
- Praça 21 de Abril: the heart of the Historic Center, with colorful houses and stone streets.
- Historic Center Viewpoint: next to the church, overlooking the bay and the boats.
- House of Culture and Tourist Center: tourist information, library, exhibitions and the whaling history.
- Fishing shacks: the wooden shacks on the sand of the central beach.
- Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto: on Rua São Joaquim, facing Preguiça Beach.
- Preguiça Beach: the small beach just below the Historic Center.
Getting there
At the right-hand end of Praia de Garopaba, on Rua São Joaquim and around. Visiting is free.
Features
The old São Joaquim whaling station, facing the bay and the fishing shacks: São Joaquim Historic Church (1795), the Casarão mansion (1793 to 1795), the House of Culture with the Tourist Information Center, and Praça 21 de Abril, with stone streets and old houses.
Things to do
Visit the church and the mansion, see the whale bones and exhibitions at the House of Culture, get information at the Tourist Information Center and watch the sunset from the Historic Center viewpoint. A few minutes' walk away are Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, Praia da Preguiça, the Escadinha and Praia da Vigia. The Mullet Fishing Festival is held in Praça 21 de Abril.
Safety tips
Opening hours of the church, manor house and Culture House change through the year: check before you go.
Source: Site oficial de turismo de Garopaba (opens in a new tab). Information checked on 10/01/2026.
