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Ilha de Santa Catarina – Sand Dunes and a Bikini Mountain in Praia dos Ingleses

For a nice day with blue sky and fluffy white clouds, we treated ourselves to Praia dos Ingleses, one of the furthest beaches. Last year, it was the last beach we had enjoyed in Ilha de Santa Catarina and it had started to pour midafternoon.

Time to discover it again, under the sun this time.

Been there, done that. Sand, sea, Brazilians and tourists enjoying the beach, vendors pushing their cart around. After four days, we are true beach bums. Mark no longer asks if he can take off his shirt. He grabs his bucket and rushes straight to the water. I smell of sunscreen and I have strange tan lines. We find sand at the bottom of bags, in shoes, on the stroller.

I remembered Praia dos Ingleses for the sand dunes, at the far end of the beach.

“See you in a bit!”

Feng knew where I was going. It went without saying.

Despite the number of people climbing them—or am I the only crazy one?—the dunes were still there, taller than ever. The sand was burning hot and I’m pretty sure I offered a unique view of my ass in a string bikini as I was climbing. It was worth the effort, though. The beach looked nice from my sandy viewpoint.

After “swimming” with Mark, I walked to the town, hoping for a unique atmosphere, something interesting. Meh. Rodovia Armando Calil Bulos, the main road leading to the few streets around the beach, felt like Merivale Road. A Angeloni supermarket open 24/24, a few all-you-can-eat restaurants (shrimps are apparently a big hit), two gas stations and many clothing stops. Closer to the beach, businesses sold souvenirs, beach toys, towels, t-shirts and bikinis.

So many bikinis everywhere. There were the monte-seu-biquini shops where you pick whatever top and bottom you like, the poshest stores with the latest in bikini fashion, the discount stores promising 15-reais bikini tops or bottoms … and then, of course, there were carts of bikinis on the beach, just in case you somehow stumbled upon the beach by mistake thinking you were going to church and forgot your swimsuit.

I’m pretty convinced that 75% of the Brazilian textile and fashion industry is dedicated to bikinis. This is my takeaway from Praia dos Ingleses.

Ilha de Santa Catarina, Praia dos Ingleses
Ilha de Santa Catarina, Praia dos Ingleses
There are so many fishes around that they just wash up on the beach…
Ilha de Santa Catarina, Praia dos Ingleses
Food and drinks on the beach
Fishermen at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
Fishing boats at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
Shallow waters at the far end of the beach
The clouds and the sea
Sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
From the top of a sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
From the top of a sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
From the top of a sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
From the top of a sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
From the top of a sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
The town from the top of a sand dunes at the far end of Praia dos Ingleses
Praia dos Ingleses
Pineapples for sale on Praia dos Ingleses
Praia dos Ingleses
Souvenirs for sale in the town, the neighborhood of Ingleses do Rio Vermelho
Pirate on the main street, parallel to the beach
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Zhu

French woman in English Canada.

Exploring the world with my camera since 1999, translating sentences for a living, writing stories that may or may not get attention.

Firm believer that nobody is normal... and it’s better this way.

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