Arriving at Ponta dos Ganchos Exclusive Resort, in the idyllic southern province of Santa Catarina, guests will find 25 beautifully appointed bungalows carefully distributed around a private peninsula. Each provides a distinct view of Ganchos Bay, where daybreak yields vistas of fisherman in their boats casting nets for fresh oysters or mussels. But why merely watch when you can get a taste of life on the bay?
Climb aboard Edézio Santos's boat and embark on a fishing excursion that includes tasting fresh oysters, sipping sparkling rosé, and hearing the stories of Portuguese immigrants who began arriving in the region back in the mid-1700s. The program was launched in 2000, when Edézio, a local gancheiro as the locals are affectionately known, became a friendly face around the resort. He began taking interested guests out for trips on his boat, and he hasn’t stopped since.
Sample fresh oysters, sip sparkling rosé and immerse yourself in a vignette of colonial-era Brazil.
Edézio's boat, Jutae, is named for his children, July, Tayane, and Edézio Jr. Board the small vessel on the bay near the property, then relax as the boat slowly skims the waters near the picturesque resort along Brazil’s Emerald Coast. Your captain will share stories from a nearly 300-year fishing village, visible on the horizon, that began with the first Portuguese immigrants from the Azores to Santa Catarina.
It is here that Edézio and other fisherman, descendants of those first families from Portugal, keep up the tradition of making a living on the water. Passengers experience this lifestyle first-hand, as Edézio leads the boat through local oyster and shellfish farms—ingredients that are foundational to many of the area's typical seafood dishes.
In this remote peninsula, fishing is a family tradition that has been passed down from generation to generation. What better way to connect with the region, the locals, and their time-honored traditions than with a day at sea experiencing the bounty of the ocean?
To learn more about Ponta dos Ganchos Exclusive Resort, or to reserve a fishing excursion with Edézio, please contact the concierge upon making a reservation.
