I was taken to Garopaba by friends who actually were born in southern Brazil.
I have always known that southern Brazil is not as warm as the rest of the country - which I love, fresh summerish weather. More like the european summer really.
I loved the unpaved roads - not all but many of them are still unpaved.
People are clean and tidy - the beaches are clean and there are all sorts of restaurants and bars - many sophisticated ones if you are with a car you can explore a bit more.
The main beaches in the area are the Long Beach, Siriu (which is quite deserted), Rosa Beach and Ferrugem Beach. Rosa and Ferrugem are usually visited by lots of surfers - and there are anual
surfing competitions going on on these beaches.
So, if you like to try your
surfing skills these two beaches are the ones to go to.
There are plenty of hostels (both cheap and expensive) it's up to you how much you want to spend on your comfort.
Garopaba is like a village - you can be there on your own and you will feel comfortable.
There are two main supermarkets where you can get your food from.
It is possible to walk all around Garopaba - but Ferrugem and Rosa beaches are quite far away and where the night life happens in a big way. So you might like to hire a car or find a cab to take you there in the evening as it is a long ride on an unpaved road. You dont want to walk there and be full of road dust! Oh! No!
The best view you can ever get is from the top of a hill behind the colonial church on the far south side of the town. It is amazing. Further north, walking by the seaside, then on unpaved roads there will be lots of dunes and waterfalls on the mountain side of the road.
The best waterfall is called the Slide. It is adrenaline mind blowing!
If there are any more especific questions about this place I am happy to answer.
Review added 17 September 2009