Florianopolis - State capital

The capital and main tourist center of the state is Florianópolis, a city that straddles both the mainland and Santa Catarina Island, or Ilha de Santa Catarina, just off the coast in the center of the state. Brazilians have affectionately nicknamed the city Floripa. Tiny by Brazilian standards, the city only has 400,000 year-round residents. With its Hawaii-like feel, it is consistently rated the city with the highest quality of life in the country. The area has recently come to the attention of the international jet set—and Argentines, other South Americans, and now Americans and Canadians are beginning to vacation here in large numbers. Many who visit decide to stay.


 
Enjoy relaxing on the beach, activities like surfing and hiking among other outdoor activities in Florianopolis, the island that at the same time that has all the comfort of a lively and developed urban centre, provides a close contact with nature. That is one of the reasons why it is the capital with the best quality of life in Brazil. The Sea, mountains, lagoons and a well preserved large portion of the Atlantic Forest, make up beautiful scenery. The island is about 90 km long and 18 km wide. “The nature has never gathered so much beauty” defines the city anthem. The 42 beaches of the city are its major attraction. And what such beaches! Surrounding the whole island, that is not at all small, there are more than 100 kilometers of coast, and one beach overcomes the other in terms of beauty, in a fabulous sequence. There is a beach for every taste: Joaquina, for its perfect waves that fascinate surfers and for its high dunes at the back part of the beach, where the same surfers side by side with tourists are surfing on the dunes with sand boards; Campeche beach, a perfect place for your dream surf vacation in Brazil, and one of the favorite meeting points of the beautiful suntanned people in the island. There is such a big concentration of tanned persons that you feel as if you were on a TV advertisement. This beach has its biggest attractions just in front of it, in the middle of the sea: the Campeche Island, a sort of preserved natural park with such clear waters that boats seem to float in the air and bathers make shadows in the sand, deep in the sea. Still, the main treasure of Floripa is hiding somewhere else: the untouched beach of Lagoinha do Leste, considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil. It is a fascinating place hidden between two mountains and there is no access to it through land. In the North of the island, you will find urban beaches and places full of foreigners, since Florianopolis has for some time been considered one of the main destinations for Argentineans, Chileans and Uruguayans, Brazil’s neighbours in South America.   


 Florianopolis is no longer a secret kept by Brazilians only. A little more to the South of these “international villages” let’s put it this way, there are other two beaches that confirm the fame the island has: the giant beach of Moçambique, that has 12 kilometers of length and very white sand, surrounded by a natural reserve, and Praia Mole, even more beautiful not only by its landscape: along with the Campeche beach, it is one of the main meeting points of young people in the island. The truth is, no matter where on the island you are, the beaches of Floripa have the biggest quantity of beautiful people per square meter in the country. It is a gift to the eyes, but it is not surprising anymore, because everything in there looks like a postcard. Starting from the symbol of the island, the Bridge Hercilio Luz, which is more than 100 years old and used to link the island to the continent in the past. Nowadays it is a nice scenery for tourists to take photographs.


So you will ask yourself, does Florianopolis have only beaches? The answer is no! Besides having fisherman villages that seem to have stopped in time, such as Ribeirao da Ilha, Sambaqui and Santo Antonio de Lisboa (where the best oysters in the country are cultivated, and trying this shellfish together with shrimp becomes almost compulsory), almost 50% of the island is covered by the green of Mata Atlântica, a vegetation that is richer than the Amazon in terms of species. Because of that, Florianopolis has a kind of playground for nature lovers, with over 30 tracks, both marked and signalized. Surveys show that out of ten visitors, ten leave the place very happy and pleased. In many cases, they become so fascinated by the land of famous tennis player Gustavo Kuerten, that they justify the slogan of the island, that is known as The Island of Magic. Its beauty really puts a spell on people.

Immigrants from the Azores Archipelago settled along the Santa Catarina Coast during the 17th Century

In Florianopolis they founded small villages around the island where they survived from small-scale farming and cottage fishing. They left an important cultural inheritance in terms of architecture, culinary, folklore and a very particular accent that still keep alive expressions from old Portuguese. Some of the villages they founded, the “Freguesias”, still have examples of the simple but charming architecture they brought to the island. These communities, with their peaceful atmosphere, are also ideal places to try the delicious local seafood.

There are a total of 42 beaches in Florianopolis. The best known are:

• North
  • Canasvieiras
  • Praia Brava
  • Jurerê (and Jurerê Internacional)
  • Praia dos Ingleses
  • Ponta das Canas
• East
  • Praia Mole
  • Praia da Galheta (nudist beach)
  • Barra da Lagoa
  • Praia da Joaquina
  • Praia Brava
• South
  • Campeche
  • Armação
  • Matadeiro
  • Pântano do Sul
  • Solidão
  • Saquinho

 Eat

• Seafood - This coastal city is known widely for its fresh seafood.
• Portuguese Food - The city had been colonized by the "cultura açoriana". Their food is delicious.
• Italian Food - Macarronada Italiana is the main spot. Great. But there are many other good choices as well.
• Downtown- There are great "per kilo" buffets with amazing food, salads, and fruit. You can get a full meal with a fresh juice for under $6. It's good for the budget traveler and to get a sense of where many locals get a quick bite.

 Do

• Paragliding at Barra da Lagoa, Lagoa da Conceição
• Scuba-Diving at Praia Mole, Praia do Santinho, Praia dos Ingleses
• Sandboarding at Joaquina
• Surfing at Barra da Lagoa, Praia da Joaquina,Praia Mole, and Matadeiro
• Windsurfing at Lagoa da Conceição
• Trekking at Lagoa do Peri, Naufragados, Lagoinha do Leste, Costa da Lagoa

 

Active Adventures in Florianopolis - Trekking, biking and rafting

The Island of Santa Catarina, part of the city of Florianopolis, has 45% of its area covered in Atlantic Rainforest, making it an ideal place for outdoor activities. Coastal paths with dramatic scenery lead to deserted beaches. Inland, some trails opened by the original Azorean settlers still are the only link to isolated communities. Others cross nature reserves with lagoons and waterfalls, allowing for wildlife spotting specially bird life. Additionally, the nearby Serra do Tabuleiro State Park offers great opportunities for rafting.

SURFING

 

The Best Surf in Brazil

Florianopolis, the surf capital of Brazil and host of South America's only WCT pro surf tour event, offers some of the world's best surfing. Surfing in Floripa means consistent swell, great shape, incredible variety and a culture that lives and breathes surfing – you won’t find a truer surfer’s paradise anywhere in the world.

Memories That Will Last a Lifetime

Florianopolis is a destination that truly offers a vacation like no other. With so many options to choose from and so many fun activities both day and night, the hardest thing about your Florianopolis holiday will be having to leave when your vacation is up.

And not only will you be safe in the water while surfing in Florianopolis (no sharks or reefs to worry about!), you’ll also be safe outside the water as well. While the largest cities in Brazil, such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, are plagued by crime and have received plenty of negative press as a result, Floripa is the capital of Santa Catarina, one of the richest per capita states in Brazil, and there is very little crime on the island. Locals often leave their doors unlocked, kids play in the streets and residents hitchhike (and get picked up!) regularly because it’s that safe, so what better destination for your Brazil vacation.

Brazilians as a whole are incredibly friendly and are quick to open their arms to foreign tourists, so bring a positive attitude and a healthy dose of curiosity and your vacation in Florianopolis will include not only the waves and time of your life, but new friendships that will themselves last a lifetime.