A group of schoolchildren wait outside the aquarium in Balneário Camboriú. Above them, the tentacles of a gigantic orange octopus model hang over the top of the building. It’s one of the largest aquariums in southern Brazil.
“It’s really incredible,” said Augusto Barbosa, whose family traveled from the northeastern state of Espirito Santo, halfway across the country, to visit. “It’s our first time in the city. It’s beautiful. The girls have loved what they’ve seen.”
The city has been called Brazil’s Dubai for its rows of skyscrapers that line the beachfront, three of which are the tallest in the country. Meanwhile, Balneário Camboriú’s growth has changed the landscape for tourists and locals alike over the years.
The aquarium is just one of countless attractions across Balneário Camboriú. There’s a pirate adventure. An old car show. A dinosaur park. Immersive 3D virtual reality rides. A gondola trip up the mountain. A giant ferris wheel. And it’s all packed amid sky-high buildings into a 5-mile-long sandy half-moon stretch of coastline that is lit up at night.
It almost reminds you of something from the first series of “Star Wars” or a movie about a futuristic world.
Real estate agent Maria Eliza Veroneze Bayour says that’s the idea: a new world city.
And it’s driven up market demand. Balneário Camboriú, today, has the highest square market real estate price in Brazil. And it’s become a bit of a playground for the country’s rich, with families buying vacation apartments along the shore.
“It’s a paradise here. We have a very warm winter and a summer with a lot of people,” Veroneze Bayour said. ”We don’t have problems with crime. It’s relatively safe. It’s marvelous. This is what makes the price the highest in Brazil.”
Attracting tourists
Tourism is key. Balneário Camboriú is one of the top 10 family destinations in the country, according to a 2023 Airbnb report. Roughly 2 million tourists visit the city each year.
“We’ve been here three times,” said Diego Fischer, who traveled with his family from Rio de Janeiro. “But there are new things that weren’t here the last time, like the planetarium and the aquarium.”
Fischer said the growth of the city’s theme parks remind him of Orlando, Florida, which he visited when he went to Disney World.
“It’s very similar with all of the different attractions and things to do,” he said.
And in fact, Balneário Camboriú is also home to the nearby Beto Carrero World, the largest theme park in Latin America, built in 1991.
Theme park development has exploded in recent years.
“In these five years, we opened 10 attractions. So, we opened two per year,” said Kiko Buerger, the CEO of Grupo Oceanic, the company behind most of the city’s new attractions.
“Our population really looks for new innovation, attractions,” Buerger said. “So, we visit everything we can outside and try, try to bring the best quality as possible and [at an] affordable price.”
The latest attraction, Space Adventure, is a NASA-themed experience that takes you from Mission Control to the moon. It boasts the largest collection of NASA items outside the United States.
All of this has helped to spur further tourism and development. The population of Balneário Camboriú has grown roughly 30% over the last decade, and its per capita GDP has doubled over that same period. And it’s been considered a success.
But there’s a dark side to the city’s explosive growth.
The cost
Thaisa da Silva Alves is a delivery woman and Uber driver. She was born and raised in Balneário Camboriú, but she said that demographic is becoming increasingly rare.
“If you walk on the street today, you see people from neighboring states or anyplace else. But it’s hard to find people who are born and raised here,” she said.
That, she said, is because rising rental prices have far outpaced salaries, even in working-class neighborhoods far from the glitzy high-rise buildings. She now pays rent and has to share a home with several family members.
Driving up a hillside behind the city, Da Silva sees modest homes and cinder block buildings against the backdrop of skyscrapers. She explained that the city is beautiful, but it also seems like an illusion, with its hotels and amusement parks.
“Tourists come here,” she said. “And they see a shine that I don’t see. I live here. I work here. Tourists see a clean, organized city. Not me. I see a road with potholes.”
Da Silva said she still loves her city, and there are more opportunities for work than in many other places. But it all comes at a high cost: long hours and not enough reward.
Plus, no end is in sight for how high Balneário Camboriú will continue to rise.