Spa Camboriu has been dubbed ‘The Brazilian Dubai’ and it’s easy to see why.
The city of just over 145,000 residents and located in southern Brazil has an impressive record.
Although much smaller than the larger cities of São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, the spa is home Six of the 10 tallest apartment buildings in South America, According to data from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, an international nongovernmental organization.
But there is literally a dark side to these numbers.
Most of the skyscrapers are located along Praia Central Beach, the city’s most popular beach.
Make this the focus of giant buildings The beach “miss” the sun.
“After 2 pm, the skyscrapers block the sunlight and throw the beach in the shade,” Sabrina Silva, a local resident, told the BBC. “It’s that simple.”
It looks like the sunset in Central Beach.
Skyscrapers projected ashore shadow This makes one even cooler and darker.
“What’s worse is that people are forced to crowd into the cramped, sunny spaces left by the space between buildings to sunbathe,” Silva adds. “It’s Hell.”
Perpetual popularity
However, Praia Central Beach remains the most popular beach in the city.
Even in times of COVID-19, It was crowded on sunny daysThe Pestas are challenging the limitations of controlling the epidemic.
Some locals like Isaque Borba, a historian specializing in Balneario Camboriu’s past, believe there is too much fuss about nothing.
“Times have changed,” Burba told the BBC. “A lot of people don’t want to stay in the sun because that could pose a risk to their health. The shades allow people to exercise in the park and not to sweat.”
“If skyscrapers really are a problem, why do people keep coming? Maybe they are really enjoying Praia Central as it is now.”
Tourist arrival point
Balneario Camboriu is a very popular destination.
Approx A million people visited The city in 2019, according to the Tourism Department, making it one of the most visited places in all of Brazil.
The city too It attracts the rich and famous: According to local media, footballer Neymar bought a $ 5.7 million penthouse apartment earlier this year in one of the latest luxury developments.
Visitors – both national and international – are attracted by the wide presence of bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
There’s even a file Giant panoramic noria Similar to the London Eye in Central Beach.
Also, compared to well-known coastal cities like Rio de Janeiro, Balneario Camboriu It is also more secure.
The Camboriu Resort, nicknamed “The Dubai of Brazil”, contains six of the tallest residential buildings in South America.
Adair Square
Although locals like Isaque Borba don’t see the shadows in Praia Central as a big deal, Mayor Fabricio Oliveira announced before Christmas Remodelacin plan for Central Praia.
The goal is to double the existing beach’s width of 25 meters by placing more sand.
“We don’t do this for Shadows, but it is clear that with A wider beach we will have more sunlightOliveira told the BBC.
This panoramic Ferris wheel, one of the tallest on the continent, was a recent addition to the Balneario Camboriu skyline.
Vertical
Vertical construction is the most common form of this spa.
This helps local legislation Do not set limits on height Due to its popularity as a vacation destination over the past four decades, the demand for real estate has skyrocketed.
But there are other concerns about this “vertical”.
Environmental scientist and professor Marcus Pollitt is one of the authors of a study published in 2018 that warned against this Balneario Camboriu He may face serious water shortages By the year 2028 due to the growth and density of its population.
Praia Central was a completely different place in the 1960s.
“The The population of the city is actually increasing by approximately 3% every year And this will only get worse once the Praia Central redesign makes it more attractive, ‘Pollitt believes.
There have been supply crises in recent years, especially at the height of the summer vacation.
“During this period, the local population increases dramatically with the arrival of tourists and vacationers, and it could easily reach more than 800,000 people,” he adds.
Compared to this, the Shadow on Central Beach It’s just a fixed problem, “the scientist concludes.
