Activities
Surf, beach sports, gyms and wellness. These are the schools, courts and studios I'd actually send you to — ask me if you need the right person for anything else.
18 things to do
South
Snorkelling with green turtles at Ilha do Xavier — twenty minutes out by speedboat from Barra da Lagoa, then a couple of hours over the reef. Three hours all in, or four if you want the intro scuba dive. Gear and a bilingual guide included, ten people maximum. Turtles are likely, not promised.
Snorkelling
South · R$70–140
Ernesto's school — small and instructor-led, teaching since 2000. Group and solo lessons with boards and wetsuits sorted, right by the beginner-friendly Barra beach.
Surf
South
Tandem paragliding off the Barra da Lagoa hill, out over the beach and the open Atlantic. No experience needed — the pilot flies, you sit. Book ahead; last flights leave well before dark.
Paragliding
South · R$290
The big friendly operation 50 m from the sand on Praia do Campeche — lessons from first wave to video analysis, SUP, board storage, café and showers. Open every day, all year.
Surf
South
Four beach tennis courts in the LayBack compound opposite Praia do Campeche, with a skate park, surf and kite schools, a food village and the LayBack brewery bar around them.
Beach tennis
South
Three sand courts inside a family garden venue in Novo Campeche — futevôlei, beach tennis and beach volley alongside restaurants, a kids' zone and sunset live music. Pet-friendly.
Futevôlei · Beach tennis
South · R$140–650
Bali-styled spa on Pequeno Príncipe — Lomi Lomi and Ayurvedic massage, long rituals for one or two, baths, dry sauna and hot yoga. Massages from R$140, rituals R$530 up.
Massage · Yoga
South
Family-run club that brought racquet sports to the south — tennis, padel and pickleball with coaching for all levels, courts booked through their app. Open every day.
Tennis · Padel · Pickleball
South
Boutique studio in the SKY open-air centre on the SC-405 — hot pilates, sculpt and yoga. Timetable and booking on their site.
Pilates · Yoga
South · R$80 drop-in
The Campeche box of a local three-unit affiliate — CrossFit, Metcon, powerlifting and endurance programmes. Book classes ahead; unlimited months run about R$550.
CrossFit
South
Weights floor and a big fight mat under one roof in Canto da Lagoa — musculação plus boxing, jiu-jitsu, muay thai and hot yoga. Not cheap, by local standards.
Gym
South
Small pilates-and-physio studio on the Osni Ortiga corridor between the Lagoa and Rio Tavares — rehab, posture work and pilates for pregnancy, mother-and-baby and seniors.
Physio · Pilates
South · R$220–340
Proper day spa in the centre of the Lagoa — Ayurvedic abhyanga, shiatsu, hot stones, lymphatic drainage and aromatherapy baths. English-speaking therapists; book ahead.
Massage
South
Deco has taught since 1992, here and across Portugal and Spain. Kids and adults at Escola Engenho (Tue and Thu evenings) and Clube Bandeirante (Mon and Wed, 18:30), plus a Tuesday class at Yoga Rio Tavares. Warm-up, movement, musicality, then a roda.
Capoeira
Centro
Three dedicated padel courts over the bridge in Estreito. Book through the Gripo app.
Padel
North
Covered courts on the SC-401 next to Fazendinha — padel, beach tennis and pickleball booked by the hour through their app, so rain doesn't cancel the game.
Padel · Beach tennis · Pickleball
R$150
White water on the Rio Cubatão at Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, about half an hour off the island — routes from calm Class II floats up to the four-hour Cânion Preto. Running since 2003; book on WhatsApp.
Rafting
Tandem jumps from over 3 km at the DropZone 47 airfield in Tijucas, an hour up the coast — about a minute of freefall, then five or six under the canopy. Own airstrip, café and climbing wall on site.
Skydiving