GUARDA DO EMBAÚ
BRAZIL
OVERVIEW
Guarda do Embaú is home to a world class wave that breaks consistently year-round and is known as one of the best surf spots in Brazil. It is situated directly adjacent to the Serra do Tabuleiro State Park, the largest conservation area in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, which boasts a stunning natural environment including the Madre River, an intact estuary system, and a mature sand dune system. The combination of world-class waves in a pristine coastal setting has nurtured a vibrant, conservation-minded surf community that seems to grow stronger by the year. The influence of the local community and the legacy of the late Brazilian surfing legend and Guarda do Embaú local, Ricardo Dos Santos, lends national significance to Guarda do Embaú’s approval as a WSR.
The World Surfing Reserve approval holds the promise to harness Brazil’s love of the sport for a deeper commitment to coastal activism and protection amongst the Brazilian surf community and policy-makers.
- Approved October 2016
- Dedicated October 2019
- 9th World Surfing Reserve
- 3 Waves
Why GUARDA DO EMBAU?
Guarda do Embaú is home to a world- class wave that breaks consistently year-round and is known as one of the best surf spots in Brazil. It is situated directly adjacent to the Serra do Tabuleiro State Park, the largest conservation area in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, which boasts a stunning natural environment including the Do Madre River, an intact estuary system, and a mature sand dune system. The combination of world-class waves in a pristine coastal setting has nurtured a vibrant, conservation-minded surf community that seems to grow stronger by the year.
Home to the late Brazilian surfing legend, Ricardo Dos Santos, Guarda do Embaú’s approval has national significance. Brazil’s booming surf industry and growing dominance on the professional surf tour (WSL), has made it the second most popular sport after soccer. The World Surfing Reserve approval holds the promise to harness Brazil’s love of the sport for a deeper commitment to coastal activism and protection amongst the Brazilian surf world and policy-makers.
Marcos Aurélio Gungel (“Kito”), former President and current Director of Communications for the Association of Surfing and Preservation of Guarda do Embaú was the principal organizer for the WSR application. Kito said ‘The World Surfing Reserve approval represents the possibility to trace the history, the culture, and the environmental characteristics of Guarda do Embaú. We seek to create a management plan to preserve and protect our coastline in response to the environmental issues that might threaten our waves and local tradition.”
Attributes of a World Surfing Reserve
Guarda do Embaú is home to a legendary wave that breaks at the mouth of the powerful Do Madre River throughout the year. The best months for waves are during rainy season (summer and part of autumn), but waves are on offer throughout the year. The rainy season sees consistently long, hollow left-hand barrels the break off of a scenic rocky headland. The wave works best with a East swell reaching up to 10 feet. Guarda do Embaú hosts professional and amateur local, state and national surf competition such as Rip Curl Groom Search 2007 when Gabriel Medina and Felipe Toledo were crowned.
For generations Guarda do Embaú was just a small, sleepy fishing and agricultural village. In the 1970s, surfers discovered the epic waves and it is now internationally recognized as one of the best surf spots in Brazil. Each decade has ushered in an expansion of local surf culture and witnessed a growing influence over other aspects of the community. Guarda do Embaú is now a full -ledged surf community and surfing has played an important role in creating a strong environmental ethic in the village.
Guarda is also a multi-generational fishing village so there is a deep inherent respect for their coastal resource. From May to July, Guarda do Embaú beach closes down for mullet fishing and surfing is not allowed. During this period, Prainha, a small deserted beach where the access is made by the coast of the North side of the beach of Guarda is a good option. The history of surfing in Brazil cannot be written without mentioning Guarda do Embaú. Early 1970s. 1979.
Guarda do Embaú is located in a pristine coastal environment flanked by rivermouths, protected areas, and mature sand dune systems. The village is situated directly adjacent to the Serra do Tabuleiro State Park, the largest conservation area in the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, which boasts a stunning natural environment including the Do Madre River, and an intact estuary system, The combination of world-class waves in a pristine coastal setting were strong attribues in their favor during the selection process.
Serra do Tabuleiro State Park, created in 1975 is the largest conservation area with full protection in the state of Santa Catarina and occupies an area of approximately 87,405 ha, taking up about 1% of the territory of Santa Catarina that protects a wide diversity of habitats (mangrove, restinga, dense and mixed rain forest, cloud forest and fields, altitude fields, distributed in plains and mountains) where 9 municipal districts are partially inserted in the park. This park provides water to agricultural food production and industrial processes and also holds the main water supply source of capital Florianópolis and surrounds.
Guarda do Embaú and Serra do Tabuleiro State Park are home to several endangered species, incliuding: the macuco (Tinamussolitarius), the piping guan (Pipile jacutinga), the parrot-of-breasted purple (Amazona vinacea), the Rufous-conic (Triclariamalachitacea), the howler monkey (Alouatta fusca), Cat -do-mato-small (Leoparustigrinus), puma (Puma concolor), among others (CATARINA, 2002).
Guarda do Embaú village is located in a sandbank area (herbaceous/shrubby coastal sand-dune habitats) and the beach is separated from the village by the Da Madre River. The river has its mouth in the north part of the beach and its water has good quality. The river is responsible to form a sandbank that stretches for several kilometers between the river and the sea.









RESOURCES

Marcos Aurélio Gungel
Geraldo José da Rosa
Carlos Santos Montesinos
Carlos Alberto Manger Knoll
Renan Tavares Rocha
Amaury Pereira Junior
George Washington de Almeida
Plínio Bordin
Haliskarla Moreira de Sá
Luiz Henrique Fragoas Pimenta
Nodin Varela Silveira
Scharlene Luciara Amarante
Morgana Hertz
Adriano Manoel da Silveira
Manoel da Silveira
Marcos Antonio de Souza
Felipe Leal Estevão
Armando Ramos Maciel Junior
Mariana Fraga da Rosa Nichnig
Caio Rogério Nichnig
Monica Gomes
Artur Fernando Prass
Cristina Filomeno
Sandro Vidal
Gabriel Corrêa
Flavio Santos
Prof. Dr. Marcos Bosquetti
Marcos Aurélio Gungel
Geraldo José da Rosa
Prof. Marcos Antonio de Souza
Haliskarla Moreira de Sá
Manoel da Silveira
Prof. Marcos Bosquetti
Scharlene Luciara Amarante
Morgana Hertz
Marcos Aurélio Gungel
Geraldo José da Rosa
Carlos Santos Montesinos
Carlos Alberto Manger Knoll
Renan Tavares Rocha
Amaury Pereira Junior
George Washington de Almeida
Plínio Bordin
Haliskarla Moreira de Sá
Luiz Henrique Fragoas Pimenta
Nodin Varela Silveira
Scharlene Luciara Amarante
Morgana Hertz
Adriano Manoel da Silveira
Manoel da Silveira
Marcos Antonio de Souza
Felipe Leal Estevão
Armando Ramos Maciel Junior
Mariana Fraga da Rosa Nichnig
Caio Rogério Nichnig
Monica Gomes
Artur Fernando Prass
Cristina Filomeno
Sandro Vidal
Gabriel Corrêa
Flavio Santos
Prof. Dr. Marcos Bosquett
Stewardship plan
Planejamento Estratégico / Strategic Planning
Surfonomics study
GUARDA Do EMBAÚ WSR News

Representatives from All 12 World Surfing Reserves Convene at Coalition Summit
The Coalition Summit held in Santa Cruz on June 7 through June 9 was a historic event for Save The Waves and the protection of surf ecosystems more broadly. It was the first time in the history of the World Surfing Reserves program that we brought the entire network together with all 12 WSR’s represented

Guarda do Embau World Surfing Reserve Water Quality Project Update
Guarda do Embau, the ninth World Surfing Reserve, has continued to work diligently towards the long-term protection of the most important ecosystem attribute for the coast, the Rio do Madre. It is this river that flows from the mountains of the Serra do Tabuleiro State Park down to the breaking waves at Guarda that is

Guarda Do Embaú LSC Update on Rio da Madre Project
Considering the damage and impact, the Local Stewardship Council of the 9th WSR stated that intervention at the mouth of Rio da Madre is necessary.

Guarda do Embaú Completes Surfonomics Study
Guarda do Embaú is home to a legendary wave that breaks at the Da Madre River mouth throughout the year. For generations Guarda do Embaú was just a small, sleepy fishing village. In the 1970s, surfers discovered Guarda’s epic waves and it is now internationally recognized as one of the best surf spots in Brazil. World-class