In short: Florianópolis has 15+ Muay Thai gyms, but only a handful are a natural fit for English-speaking expats and travelers. The standouts are Thai Brasil Floripa (the all-round safe bet, English & Spanish spoken, where UFC contender Marina Rodriguez started), Thai House 442 (open-air ring, closest thing to training in Thailand), Estúdio Chang (most drop-in-friendly for short stays, train without Portuguese), and CT Mooving Thai (best for those wanting a female head coach). Most other gyms are excellent but largely Portuguese-speaking and local — fine if you speak some Portuguese or are staying long-term.
Florianópolis has quietly become one of Brazil’s most popular landing spots for remote workers, long-stay travelers and digital nomads — and its Muay Thai scene has grown right alongside that crowd. The island has more than a dozen serious gyms, but if you’ve just arrived without much Portuguese, the real question isn’t “which gym is best?” It’s “which gym will actually work for me — in English, on a flexible schedule, without signing a year-long contract?”
That’s a different list. We went through every gym in the city and focused on the ones where international students have genuinely trained and said so. Here are the standouts for expats, followed by an honest note on the rest.
A scene with real pedigree
It’s worth knowing what you’re walking into. Florianópolis isn’t a backwater for the sport — it’s the city where Marina Rodriguez, who rose to become one of the top-ranked strawweights in the UFC, took her very first Muay Thai class. She began as a complete beginner under Mestre Marcio Malko and he remains her coach to this day. That gym, Thai Brasil Floripa, still trains everyday beginners alongside professionals, which tells you something about the island’s culture: serious striking, but open doors.
The top picks for expats
Thai Brasil Floripa — the all-rounder with a story
If you want one safe bet, this is it. Beyond the Marina Rodriguez connection, Thai Brasil is the gym where international visitors most consistently report being well looked after — English and Spanish are spoken, and one Danish fighter described simply messaging the club on Instagram and being welcomed in by coach Igor on arrival. The team spans professionals, amateurs and a growing number of recreational students, with a notably strong women’s group and multiple class times through the day.
It sits on Praia dos Ingleses in the north of the island, a popular area for visitors. The atmosphere reviewers describe is the opposite of intimidating: discipline and high standards, but a team that treats newcomers like family from the first session. For an expat who wants quality, flexibility and a soft landing, it’s the most complete choice in the city.
Thai House 442 — the closest thing to training in Thailand
This is the one that international travelers rave about, and for a specific reason. Thai House 442 is an open-air gym in Campeche, built around a covered tatami and a genuine outdoor ring, surrounded by nature. Reviewers who have trained in Thailand itself repeatedly call it the closest experience to authentic Thai training they’ve found in Brazil — one fighter who’d trained around the world singled it out, and several visitors mention dropping in during short stays in Floripa.
Mestre Aluízio is the heart of it: someone reviewers describe as having devoted his life to the sport, teaching with clarity and patience to a crowd that genuinely spans the globe. Classes are lively, women often make up the majority, and the whole place has a calm, outdoors-in-nature feel that’s hard to find elsewhere. If the experience of training matters as much as the training itself, put this at the top of your list.
Estúdio Chang — the most drop-in-friendly for short stays
If you’re only in town for a couple of weeks, this is the clearest fit. Estúdio Chang in Pântano do Sul (south of the island) earned one of the highest review counts of any combat-sports studio in the city, and the standout signal for expats comes from an international student who trained there for two weeks while traveling: she was able to train without speaking Portuguese, and the studio didn’t even want to charge her for it.
That generosity sits alongside genuinely good coaching. Instructors Ari and Maike are praised for solid technique and dynamic classes, and the culture puts respect and wellbeing first — whole families train there, and beginners say they felt safe from day one. One honest caveat: this is a Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu studio, so it’s a multi-discipline setting rather than a pure Muay Thai camp. For most traveling beginners, that’s a feature, not a problem.
CT Mooving Thai Floripa — best if you want a female head coach
Worth highlighting separately because it fills a specific need. CT Mooving Thai in Capoeiras is led by Professora Ju, a female head coach whom members single out, again and again, as the best Muay Thai instructor they’ve had — qualified, patient, demanding and kind in equal measure. The space itself draws constant praise: large, bright, airy and well-equipped.
Several reviewers specifically note it’s ideal for women — including mothers — wanting to get back into sport without feeling out of place. For expat women who’d feel more comfortable learning a striking art from a woman, in a welcoming and beginner-friendly environment, there’s no better pick on the island.
The rest — strong gyms, but know what you’re getting
The four above stand out because international students have left a clear trail there. That doesn’t make the others worse gyms — several are excellent — but their communities are largely local and Portuguese-speaking, which is worth knowing before you show up:
- CT Muay Thai Brasil has one of the strongest review profiles in the city and a beloved women’s program, but feedback is almost entirely in Portuguese — a great choice if you speak some, or want to immerse.
- CT Apocalipse (Campeche) and CT Raja (Trindade) are both technical, well-run gyms with highly-rated head coaches, geared toward committed local students.
- Mestre Airton Correia (Abraão) offers a personal, family-style studio — wonderful if you’re staying long-term and want close coaching, less suited to a quick drop-in.
- CSF and Distrito da Luta are multi-discipline academies (Muay Thai alongside Jiu-Jitsu and boxing) — good if you want striking as part of a broader martial-arts routine.
Practical tips for training as an expat in Floripa
A few things that come up repeatedly across reviews and are worth planning around:
The island is big, and the gyms are spread across it — the north (Ingleses), the centre (Trindade, Capoeiras) and the south (Campeche, Pântano do Sul) each have options. Pick a gym near where you’re staying rather than the single “best” one across town; consistency beats commute.
Most gyms run multiple class times through the day, which suits flexible remote-work schedules. Drop-in and trial classes are common, so try a session before committing. And while a few gyms clearly operate in English, a handful of Portuguese phrases and a friendly attitude go a long way at the more local ones — the culture across the island is genuinely welcoming to newcomers.
Want the full picture? See our complete guide to every Muay Thai gym in Florianópolis, with ratings, neighbourhoods and honest discipline labels for all 15.