FACTS ABOUT FLORIANOPOLIS: Florianópolis, the state capital of Santa Catarina, is located on the south coast of Brazil, partly on the island of Santa Catarina and partly on the mainland. The city is modern and has about 370.000 inhabitants, but for travel of leisure, the nicest site with most options of hotels is located along the beaches at the north part of the island, about 35km from downtown and the airport. The distance to Curitiba is 310km, to Sao Paulo 700km, to Porto Alegre 460km, to Praia do Rosa 86km and to Bombinhas 79km.

HOW IS FLORIANOPOLIS: The natural beauties of Florianópolis attract thousands of visitors every year. Mainly during the summer months (October to March), Brazilian and South American tourists – such as Argentineans, Uruguayans and Chileans – seek the diversity of the coast. The island has a great variety of beaches – the long ones, with large sand strip; the small ones, encrusted in backwaters; those with strong waves; and the ones of calm sea, looking like lagoons; urbanized ones full of bathers; and deserted ones, with access by trail only. This island is a paradise for surf, windsurf, sailing and fishing.

The Northern and Central regions of Florianópolis are the mostly sought after by tourists and offer a complete infrastructure of services, resorts, hotels and lodges. In the South, some districts also keep the aspect of countryside villages, and in them one can notice, in their way of speaking, in their handicraft activities, and folkloric feasts – the heritage left by their ancestors from the Portuguese archipelago of Ações, as of the 18th century. On the other side, the city gained a cosmopolitan air with the arrival of Brazilians from other States and foreigners who chose to live there. The island, which in the beginning of the colonization was an important center for whale hunting, today it is a technological pole of the IT industry.

Tourist Capital, Florianópolis is currently inhabited by about 300 thousand people, a number that triples every summer during school break (15/dec to 01/mar). Seafood is the city’s specialty. The oysters, cultivated in the south of the island can be consumed fresh out of the sea. The shrimp is the favorite aperitif, prepared and served in different ways. Tainha (Mullet) – fished between May and June, is prepared in “escalade” fashion: after salted and dried, it is grilled. Another characteristic of Florianópolis are the simple and cozy restaurants, close to the beaches and maintained by the fishermen. The city also has more sophisticated restaurants, which serve international dishes.

WHEN TO GO / CLIMATE: One can travel to Florianopolis during the entire year, as the region provides many kinds of activities and attractions, but for those that want to enjoy the beaches may visit from October to March. The city is located in the subtropical coastal region that offers a nice climate, with the most of the rainfall occurring during the summer – between December and January. In this season of the year, the mean temperature is of 25°C. In July, the coldest month, the mean temperature is 16.4°C. It is common to have short “summer days” between May and August – i.e. the occurrence of a succession of hot days even after the first day of the winter.

HOW TO GO: By Plane: The International Airport Hercílio Luz, 12 km from downtown, receives domestic flights from the country’s capital cities and also from Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina. By Road: The Rita Maria Bus Station receives buses from many capitals and cities in Brazil and Mercosur countries – Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. Main access highways: From the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro: BR-116/ BR-376/ BR-101. From Porto Alegre: BR-290/ BR-101

EVENTS
World Surf Competition (WTC)
Florianópolis is the main location of the WTC, which classifies 50 competitors, among professionals and amateurs.

Divine’s Feast
Takes place 40 days after Easter, when a group of people takes to the streets to participate in a imperial procession. There are band presentations and typical local food kiosks.

ATTRACTIONS
Hercílio Luz Bridge
Built over 70 years ago, it continues to be the island’s favorite postal card.

Cruz e Sousa Palace
Also declared as heritage, it was the Government’s Palace.

Santo Amaro da Imperatriz
First thermal accommodation of Brazil. Hotels that offer thermal baths stay in the district of Caldas da Imperatriz, in the city of Águas Mornas.

Fonte Caldas da Imperatriz – Municipal Balneary
It is a energy emitting water source reaching 39ºC, where there are baths by immersion and hydro massage. It is located at Estrada Geral Highway, km 4, Caldas da Imperatriz district.

BEACHES
Praia dos Ingleses Beach
Although the beach preferred by tourists, Ingleses keeps the tradition of the Açorian colonizers. In the summer, it is a top balneary in Argentinean tourist concentration, second only to Canasvieras. In the winter, mullet fishing, religious celebrations and folkloric presentations are beautiful local culture demonstrations. The dunes separating the Ingleses Beach from Santinho Beach are other natural attractions not to be missed. The practice of sand board is quite common there, a sport created in Florianópolis, which consists of sliding down the dunes on aboard, engaging in radical maneuvers or not. To practice it, one must have much balance and rent a board. Those looking for a different outing can go on a trek of 4 km on the dunes.

Campeche Beach
With 5 km of white sands and an agitated sea, Campeche is considered Jefrey’s Bay of the Santa Catarina Island for the quality of its waves. For those who do not understand anything about surfing, the beach offers other attractions. The paradisiacal beauty of Ilha do Campeche, for instance, located across from the beach, a soccer game on the Saint-Exupéry aviation field, or even a fishing, are some of the leisure alternatives. At night, Campeche is also an excellent attraction. The huge reflector that illuminates part of the large sand strip in front of the bars only contributes to the partying that extends until late at night. The illumination favors those who enjoy the agitation as well as the fishermen who use the time to remove their nets from the sea – the draggers.

Armação Beach
The Sant’Anna Church, built by the Armação fishing company, is part of the beach’s history. It was from it that whale harpooners and crewmen confessed and attended the mass before going fishing. Next, the priest would go down to the beach to bless the boats that would sail out to sea. Today, the boats leave there for Ilha do Campeche, one of the most visited islands around Florianópolis. It is also in Armação where one can find one of the most important archeological sites of the State of Santa Catarina.

Joaquina Beach
Won fame as of the 1970’s, when its waves were discovered by surfers from around the world. Many surf cups began to emerge, highlighting great Catarinense personalities. It is one of the beaches that offers the best tourist facilities, receiving on the hot days of spring and summer a large number of excursion from around Brazil and the world. The agglomerate of rocks situated to the left of the beach, the night illumination and public showers are some of the trademarks of Joaquina. There is a big paid parking lot, toilets, tourist bus parking lot, lifeguards, police station, handicraft shop, bars, restaurant and hotels. In addition to the beach, it is possible to enjoy the most famous dunes in the South of the country as well as sand board. The boards used in this sport can be rented on the spot.

Praia do Santinho Beach
Almost untouched by man, Santinho Beach is mainly sought by tourists who look for contact with nature, the location’s paradisiacal beauty and tranquility. Surfers are the main visitors and consider Santinho to be the best beach of the North of the Santa Catarina Island. And on the left coast – where bathers do not dare swim that they share space with fishermen to practice sports. Forty kilometers away from the center of Florianópolis, another great attraction of the beach are the stone writings made by hunters, fishermen and collectors of the Island 5 thousand years ago. The name Santinho comes from a human figure engraved on an isolated block of rock. One of Brazil’s best beach resorts is situated here.

Outdoor Sports
Florianópolis has a privileged geography that favors the practice of tens of outdoor sports, mainly radical sports: surf, dicing, hang-gliding, para-gliding and mountain bike.

Surf
Full of slang, fads and neologism, surf, many years changed from being a simple form of recreation to a mania in Florianópolis – there are even surf schools in the city beaches. Main location of one of the World Surf Competition legs, Florianópolis is the home of two world champions, brothers Teco and Neco Padaratz.

Neighboring areas – Santo Amaro da Imperatriz

Hang-gliding in Morro Queimado
Morro Queimado hill is 680 m tall. Its is the take-off ramp for hang-gliding, and is located in the State Park of Sra. do Tabuleiro. From the ramp where the hang-gliders takeoff, it is possible to view, at a 180 degrees angle, the entire East coast and part of the South of the Santa Catarina Island. The view also includes the Conceição Lagoon, right ahead, surrounded by the beaches of Joaquina, Mole, Capeche, Morro das Pedras and Armação.

Golf - Plaza Itapema Resort & Spa
First gold course installed in a national hotel venture, the Plaza Itapema Resort & Spa was inaugurated in 1975. Although it is a short course, with just nine holes, it attracts many players due to the difficulty face in the competitions because of its setting, between sea and mountain, located in the most privileged spot if the Catarinense coast. Just 72 km from the capital, Florianópolis attracts south American, Sao Paulo golfers, as well as from neighboring states of the Southern Region.

Duck expedition in River of Cubatão do Sul.
Descending the river last four hours in inflated kayaks – seat for two people – it is a wild stretch of the river, on the margins of Tabuleiro mountain range. The river is classified in Classes of difficulty: Class II, III and IV verticals. To do rafting here require experienced participants, must have done at least one rafting downstream before.

Rafting in the River of Cubatão do Sul
Descent pf 2 hr duration that passes through two stretches of the river –one basic and the other radical – with level III verticals.

Shopping
Ceramics
Florianópolis handicraft artists produce ceramic utensils – pots, vases and jugs – and decorative items, representing the folklore, religious feasts and the people of the island. Most are descendents of Açorian immigrants.
- Casa da Alfândega - Av. Paulo Fontes, next to the public market, Downtown district.
- Casa Açoriana - Rua Cônego Serpa, 30, Santo Antonio de Lisboa district.
In São José, 6.5km from Florianópolis, the best ceramics are in Escola de Oleiros - Rua Frederico Afonso, 5545

Handicraft
- Lampshades made on banana leaves – Rua Des. Flávio Tavares da Cunha Melo, 343, Coqueiros, on the continent.

Spool lacework
Av. das Rendeiras, Lagoa da Conceição