Land exchanged for refrigerator and bird in SC, which today is among the most expensive in Brazil

Praia Brava, in Itajaí, with Balneário Camboriú in the background (photo: Alfabile Santana, Itajaí City Hall)

The story is so surprising that it is already part of the local anecdote, but the fact is that, before becoming one of the most expensive neighborhoods in Brazil, with projects costing tens of millions of reais and attracting everything from big businessmen to celebrities like Gisele Bündchen , Praia Brava, in Itajaí, was not exactly what you would call a desired destination.

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It hasn’t been that long. Until just over two decades ago, land in Brava was exchanged for refrigerators, motorcycles, and even birds with some market value. It is common to find people in Itajaí who tell stories like these, of people who handed over areas in Praia Brava for a bargain – and today they could be millionaires.

The lack of financial interest in the land, in the recent past, has an explanation: the beach took a long time to have public infrastructure. For a long time, it had unpaved streets, was poorly lit and was considered dangerous in some areas.

The counterpart to the project that “transforms” the last iconic hotel in Balneário Camboriú

On the other hand, it was a clean beach, very popular with beautiful surfers, and a place for sandy bars that soon became fashionable. With cheap land, many people were able to build good houses by the sea – which was impossible in neighboring Balneário Camboriú. Brava has become a private paradise.

Over time, however, the privileged location prevailed. The beach is just 10 minutes from the Center of Itajaí, and the Center of Balneário Camboriú. This made it an alternative for civil construction, which was beginning to find no more space to expand on Praia Central de Balneário.

The buildings came, and Brava was transformed. Land increased in value to the point that, in some regions, the neighborhood left the neighboring Balneário Camboriú behind. This year, Avenida José Medeiros Vieira – on the seafront of Praia Brava – surpassed Avenida Atlântica de Balneário in the list of the 10 most valued streets in Brazil. It is in seventh place in the country, against tenth place in neighboring Balneário.

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Brava has some of the most expensive properties in Santa Catarina, such as the penthouse costing more than R$34 million where Gisele Bündchen usually stays in SC.

Today, it is impossible to find a little piece of land in exchange for a refrigerator or a bird on Praia Brava. The challenge for the neighborhood now is to maintain the same characteristics that made the place a paradise, with clean waters, surrounded by nature and quality of life.

Recently, the Itajaí Master Plan authorized changes that allow for an increase in the number of floors in Praia Brava buildings – which has caused a lot of concern among residents, especially given the population overload.

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