FLORIANOPOLIS...
Surfers Paradise In Southern Brazil
Florianopolis: Night view - © Christian Knepper/Embratur
Florianopolis or Floripa, as commonly known, is one of the hottest tourist destinations in Brazil.
Capital of the State of Santa Catarina, the city is located on the west coast of Ilha Santa Catarina and linked to mainland by Hercilio Luz bridge - longest suspension bridge in the country.
The island is lined with stunning beaches - more than 32 of them - drawing vacationers from across South America each year.
In fact, it triples its population during summer month (December to March) and a famous destination for visitors from Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.
Florianopolis: Galheta Beach - © Christian Knepper/Embratur
You will find the most varied type of beaches there: those with strong waves and the ones with calm sea. Some civilized, some deserted with access by trail only. Some small, others large like Praia Moçambique.
Among the best ones we find...
- Campeche
- Armaçao
- Matadeiro
- Riberão da Ilha
- Lagoa de Conceiçao
- Mole
- Galheta
- Joaquinia
- Barra de Lagoa
- Canasvieiras
- Jurere
- Praia dos Ingleses
Florianopolis: Armaçao do Pantano do Sul Beach - © Christian Knepper/Embratur
And if you love water sports, you couldn't find a better spot for your summer holidays...
- sailing
- paragliding
- hang-gliding
- kite surfing
- wind surfing
- surfing
- snorkelling
- scuba diving
- fishing
- kayaking
- sandboarding
Apart from the charm and friendliness that characterizes Brazilian people, Florianopolis has also a rich and varied cuisine.
Please don't forget to try secuencia de camarão (the sequence of shrimp).
It consists of a number of different shrimp dishes served one after the other: casquinha de siri (baked crabmeat), steamed shrimp, breaded shrimp, garlic shrimp and fish fillet with shrimp sauce.
Fantastic
The State of Santa Catarina is considered the most European State in Brazil.
In the early 19th. century many Germans and Swiss arrived, followed by Russians, Poles, Ukrainians and Japanese nationals.
In fact, nowhere the German influence is so evident than in the State's two largest cities: Blumenau and Joinville.
Bavarian-looking city - Blumeanu was founded in 1850 by Otto Blumenau - where you could almost forget that you are in South America.
It has a German architectural flavor, German cuisine, pastries, beer gardens, etc.
Furthermore, the city hosts annually the world's second beer festival - Oktoberfest - after Germany's Munich, with celebrants consuming almost 100.000 gallons of beer in three weeks.
It also has one of the highest standards of living in Brazil, as well as the lowest rate of illiteracy and violence.
Joinville, the largest city in the State, was also founded by German immigrants.
It was named after François Ferdinand Philippe de Joinville.
Florianopolis: Barra de Lagoa - © Christian Knepper/Embratur
How to Get There:
By air:
Through Hercilio Luz International Airport.
By road:
From Curitiba: BR-376 and BR-101
From Porto Alegre: BR-460
At Rita Maria bus station you could also take international buses to Buenos Aires (Argentina), Montevideo (Uruguay) and Asuncion (Paraguay).
Where to Stay:
Florianopolis has over a hundred hotels, lodges, flats and chalets for rent.
Some of the most well known Hostels include...
- Pousada Sitio dos Tucanos - Estrada Rosalia Paulina Ferreira, 2776
- Pousada Vila Tamarindo Inn - Av Campeche 1836,
- Pusada Mar dol Este - Rua Dorvalina Carolina Florindo, 37, Barra da Lagoa
- Pousada Jureremirim - Rua Renato Barbosa 361, Jurere Beach
- Estaçao Sol e Lua - Rua Professor Ademir Francisco, 181 - Barra da Lagoa
- Pusada Pouso do Marujo - Rod. Joao Gulaberto Soares,17421 Barra da Lagoa, SC
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