São Joaquim is a municipality in the state of Santa Catarina, situated in southern Brazil. It is located at latitude 28° 17' 38" south and longitude 49° 55' 54" west, with an altitude of 1360 m. Its population in 2020 was 27,139 inhabitants. Located in the Planalto Serrano, it lies 136 km from Tubarão, 81 km from Lages and 227 km from Florianópolis. The town is home to a variety of ethnic groups, including Italian, German, Portuguese, Japanese and Afro-Brazilians. There are also many people from other states in Brazil, especially from Rio Grande do Sul.
The town's economy was once based on livestock, but recently the cultivation of fruits such as apples has become more prominent. Today, São Joaquim is the largest producer of fruit in the state, with over 1000 small producers. Tourism is also important for the town, as it is one of the coldest places in Brazil and sometimes receives snowfall, a rather uncommon occurrence in most of Brazil (although refrozen snow, not present in most of Brazil, seldom happens in many tropical areas as it does in about half of Southeastern Brazil). The town is also known for its wines, such as Villa Francioni, Joaquim, Quinta da Neve, Núbio and Suzin, which are reaching international recognition, especially in East Asia.
