Florianopolis

Florianópolis ("Floripa" for short) is a coastal city in southern Brazil, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina. Most of the city's area consists of the island of Santa Catarina, connected to the mainland by two bridges, and only a small part of the island can really be called urban—the rest is full of gorgeous beaches and nature, including a large lagoon. Though famous for its beaches, Floripa also has great hikes and beautiful forested mountains. Here you can enjoy the outgoing culture and natural beauty of coastal Brazil in a less dangerous place than Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, or Recife.

Florianópolis gets busy in the summer, when its population of about 500,000 swells with tourists (both domestic and foreign) to 1.5 million. Naturally, this causes lots of traffic and generally strains the local infrastructure, so it's better to come in the off-season if you can. Make sure to visit when the weather is nice so you can enjoy all the outdoor activities.

Understand
Florianopolis is on an island of 424.4 km² (54 km by 18 km) (163.9 square miles) in the Atlantic Ocean, and a small peninsula of 1210 km² on the mainland of southern Brazil. Three bridges link the island to the continent, including the Hercílio Luz Bridge, a landmark of the city.

Florianopolis has become a popular destination in Brazil for people who are looking for superb beaches, beautiful scenery, interesting culture and friendly people. It has also experienced a real estate boom, with Brazilians looking for a better quality of life away from the chaos of the big cities, especially from the states of São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. The City proper has an estimated population of 420,000 people. The Greater Florianopolis metropolitan area is home to about 1 million people.

The northern beach resorts Jurerê, Daniela, Canasvieiras, Brava and Ingleses get very busy during the summer and there are plenty of hotels, restaurants and other conveniences for the tourist. Eastern beaches, like Joaquina, Mole and Moçambique are among the best surfing beaches and popular with young people. Beaches heading south include Campeche, Armação and Morro das Pedras, which are all very beautiful and also good for surfing. Isolated and unspoilt beaches, like Lagoinha do Leste and Naufragados, can be found at the southern end of the island and can only be reached only by trail. Lagoa da Conceição is a famous natural attraction, and the centerpiece of the island; it is relatively shallow, with high winds making it a world-class location for windsurfing. Peri Lagoon is quieter, on the other hand, and great for nature walks.

Florianopolis is quite modern with large shopping malls, chain and high-end restaurants and many bars and nightclubs. The highway system serving the city is very good, though traffic can get bad in the tourist season.

The island is known as "Ilha da Magia" or Magic Island, probably because of its incredible natural beauty, more than 100 beaches with 42 being well known, rocks, mountains, lakes, lagoons, waterfalls, bays, inlets, rich houses and buildings and young population and visitors. Florianópolis is also known for its high standards of living since it is located in the rich area of Brazil. Since the attraction is also heat, the best months to visit the island are December–March. The winter in South Brazil might be cooler than tourists expect.

Climate
Florianópolis has a subtropical climate with defined seasons. There is no dry season, but it rains more in summer. The summer months are hotter, sunny and humid, and in the summer, the sea has a pleasant temperature for swimming. There may be occasional showers of rain, which only last for a few minutes and then sunny weather returns. The average temperature reaches up to 29 ºC (84 ºF) in January and the lows can be 20 ºC (68 ºF) in December.

Winters, despite being drier, are quite cold, windy and unsuitable for spending time on the beach, with the exception of surfers, since at this time the ocean waves get higher. Average temperatures at this time vary between average highs of 21 ºC (70 ºF) and average lows of 13 ºC (55 ºF).

Talk
Although Florianópolis is the second most visited city by foreigners in Brazil, most locals are monolingual Portuguese speakers, as in practically all of Brazil. Due to the strong number of tourists coming from Argentina and Uruguay, Spanish is also used in many hotels and tourist facilities. However, you are unlikely to find English speakers except in a few very touristy hotels.

By plane

 * The Brazilian airline LATAM provides international and domestic services to Florianópolis. Flights are available from JFK International (NYC), Miami, Madrid, London, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris and main cities in South America. Most of the flights require a connection in São Paulo.
 * Airlines Gol, Avianca and Azul operate domestic flights to the city. Gol also operates destinations in South America, like Buenos Aires, Montevideo and Santiago.
 * Summer months (December through March) several daily charter flights arrive from Argentina and Chile.
 * Summer months (December through March) several daily charter flights arrive from Argentina and Chile.

By bus


Destinations include:
 * São Paulo – Many early morning and late afternoon connections for around R$125, 12 hr.
 * Foz do Iguaçu – The night trip takes around 12-14 hr. There are several late afternoon/evening connections for R$180-350. Instead of the expensive leito bus, you might just opt for a flight, which costs the same.
 * Ciudad del Este – Two daily connections. From Ciudad del Este at 15:30 and 17:00, 14-15 hr, GS.270,000.

By car

 * You should use the Route BR-101 (cross Brazil from north to south), the entrance to Florianopolis will be at km 206. From there read the signs and get the express route BR-282 which leads to Florianopolis.

Get around
From the city center, dozens of buses go to all the beaches on the island. The bus system has drawbacks since transfers are necessary at regional terminals to get around. The cost for riding the buses is R$6 (June 2023), and it takes about 35-60 minutes to get from the city center to the beaches. Additionally, there is an air-conditioned yellow bus (Linhas Executivas) that goes direct to downtown from the main beaches for R$15 (June 2023). A car is recommended to explore all the beaches and places of interest. There are car rentals on the island and at the airport. Renting can be expensive (R$120/day with A/C), but can be worthwhile as it makes exploring the island more convenient. During the high season traffic can be intense, and could easily take 2 hours to get to the beach from the city center.

See



 * Anhatomirim Island and its Fortaleza de Santa Cruz
 * Forts - Constructed as early as 1739, the forts served to protect the city from possible Spanish attacks.
 * Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (1742)
 * Fortaleza de Santo Antônio (1740)
 * Fortaleza Santana (1761)
 * Fortaleza São José da Ponta Grossa (1740)
 * Anhatomirim Island and its Fortaleza de Santa Cruz
 * Forts - Constructed as early as 1739, the forts served to protect the city from possible Spanish attacks.
 * Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição (1742)
 * Fortaleza de Santo Antônio (1740)
 * Fortaleza Santana (1761)
 * Fortaleza São José da Ponta Grossa (1740)
 * Fortaleza de Santo Antônio (1740)
 * Fortaleza Santana (1761)
 * Fortaleza São José da Ponta Grossa (1740)

Beaches


There are a total of 42 beaches in Florianopolis. The best known are:
 * North
 * East
 * South
 * East
 * South
 * East
 * South
 * East
 * South
 * South
 * South
 * South
 * South
 * South

Do

 * Paragliding at Mole Beach, Lagoa da Conceição
 * Scuba-Diving at Praia Mole, Praia do Santinho, Praia dos Ingleses
 * Sandboarding at Joaquina, Lagoa Sandboard
 * Surfing at Barra da Lagoa, Praia da Joaquina, and Praia Mole
 * Windsurfing at Lagoa da Conceição
 * Kitesurfing at Lagoa da Conceição
 * Hiking at Lagoa do Peri, Naufragados, Lagoinha do Leste, Costa da Lagoa, Barra da Lagoa
 * Stand-up paddleboarding at Lagoa da Conceição
 * Stand-up paddleboarding at Lagoa da Conceição
 * Stand-up paddleboarding at Lagoa da Conceição

Florianópolis is a destination for beaches and outdoor activities—when it rains, there's not much to do.

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 R$6. It's good for the budget traveler and to get a sense of where many locals get a quick bite.

Drink
Most of the nightlife is concentrated around the beaches in the summer. During the winter, the night life is concentrated in Lagoa da Conceição, where most of the bars and clubs are located.



Budget

 * Albergue da Juventude, Rua Duarte Schutel 227, +55 48 225-3781. Hostelling International hostel is 10 minutes away from the bus terminal and close to the beach. Prices vary according to season.
 * Albergue da Juventude, Rua Duarte Schutel 227, +55 48 225-3781. Hostelling International hostel is 10 minutes away from the bus terminal and close to the beach. Prices vary according to season.
 * Albergue da Juventude, Rua Duarte Schutel 227, +55 48 225-3781. Hostelling International hostel is 10 minutes away from the bus terminal and close to the beach. Prices vary according to season.

Splurge

 * Nexus Surf, Tel. +1 310 256-4339 (from outside of Brazil) / +55 48 9626-9029 (from within Brazil), directly in front of Praia Mole beach, just minutes outside of the charming Lagoa downtown area. Offers unique vacation packages that include accommodations (wireless internet, international phoneline and air conditioning standard), rental car, surf lessons, adventure sports activities, guided nightlife access, local cell phone, and breakfast service.
 * Nexus Surf, Tel. +1 310 256-4339 (from outside of Brazil) / +55 48 9626-9029 (from within Brazil), directly in front of Praia Mole beach, just minutes outside of the charming Lagoa downtown area. Offers unique vacation packages that include accommodations (wireless internet, international phoneline and air conditioning standard), rental car, surf lessons, adventure sports activities, guided nightlife access, local cell phone, and breakfast service.

Stay safe
As a coastal tourist town and a summer tourist destination, Florianópolis is safer than most large Brazilian cities. Many tourist areas are well policed and safe, and you'll see people walking around and using their phones outside, even at night. But this is still Brazil, there are still favelas, and robberies do happen, so know where you're going and take sensible security precautions:


 * Be mindful of your personal belongings, especially in busy tourist areas, beaches and on public transport;
 * Pay special attention to your valuables, such as cash, passports and electronic devices;
 * Don't trust strangers, especially those who seem excessively helpful;
 * Avoid showing valuables such as clothes, jewelry or expensive watches that make you stand out;
 * Avoid withdrawing and carrying large amounts of money.

Currents
Some beaches in Florianópolis can have strong currents, especially in the winter months, between May and September, when the waves tend to be bigger, and on the beaches to the east of the island (such as Joaquina, Ingleses, Praia Mole, Barra da Lagoa, Armação and Campeche), which are more directly exposed to ocean winds. It is important that you follow the advice of local lifeguards, respect safety flags and avoid swimming in unsupervised areas.

Stay healthy
As elsewhere in Brazil, some beaches in Florianópolis are not suitable for bathing, and conditions can change from day to day. On the day of your visit, check the map of the bathing report (in Portuguese, relatório de balneabilidade) of the state's Environment Department (IMA).

Go next

 * Balneário Camboriú
 * São Joaquim
 * Laguna
 * Garopaba