Joaquina
Praia da Joaquina, or Joaca, was "discovered" by surfers, first Brazilians and then foreigners, starting in the 1970s. There are two legends that claim that the name was given in honor of Dona Joaquina, a resident of the beaches from the east of the island of Santa Catarina, who taught other local women how to make domestic utensils from intertwined threads, in addition to feeding the fishermen who came to her house. One of the legends says that around 1850 she carried out her work on the rocks on the shore of that deserted and nameless beach and one day, distracted by the magic of the place, she didn't notice time passing or the tide rising and was carried away by the sea along with her lace, that allowed it to float until it disappeared. The other legend tells a love story that occurred in the same century and ended in a great tragedy. Joaquina was married to Alberto, a young fisherman, and she always asked him not to return to the high seas, because of his constant absence. Alberto promised her that that would be his last time. Unfortunately, the unexpected happened. Albertinho (as he was called by those closest to him) never returned from the sea, at the same time he lost his mother and grandfather, leaving only his father.
Joaquina started crossing the dunes to the beach, to take shellfish from the rocks on the shore to help financially at home. Some say it was an excuse to be able to look at the sea that brought their happiness amid the waves. Three years later, death took her father's life, so Joaquina leaves Lagoa to live in front of the beach at the foot of Costão. On a certain day in September, on the beach, Joaquina is found dead. Loneliness and sadness took his life, and from then on, the place became known as Praia da Joaquina. To this day, the two distinct legends permeate the Island.
