Florianópolis is located on an island in the Atlantic Ocean of 424.4 km2 (54 km by 18 km) (= 163.9 mi2), and on a tiny peninsula in southern Brazil measuring 1210 km2 between latitude 27° 20′ and 27° 51′ south and longitude 48° 20′ and 48° 35′ west. Three bridges connect the island to the mainland, however the Herclio Luz Bridge, a municipal icon, has been closed for restoration since 2014. It is conceivable that it may open to walkers and bikes in the future.
Florianópolis has recently become a popular destination in Brazil for those seeking fantastic beaches, stunning landscape, fascinating culture, and friendly people. It has also seen a real estate boom, as Brazilians seek a higher standard of living away from the commotion of the large cities, particularly in the states of Sa Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul. The City proper has an estimated population of 420,000 people at the moment. Around 1 million individuals live in the Greater Florianopolis Metro region.
During the summer, the northern beach resorts of Jurerê, Daniela, Canasvieiras, Brava, and Ingleses become quite popular, and there are lots of hotels, restaurants, and other tourist amenities. Eastern beaches such as Joaquina, Mole, and Moçambique are popular with young people and among the greatest surfing beaches. Campeche, Armação, and Morro das Pedras are all lovely beaches that are also suitable for surfing. At the southern end of the island, isolated and unspoiled beaches such as Lagoinha do Leste and Naufragados are only accessible through a trek. Lagoa do Conceiço is a world-famous natural feature and the island’s centerpiece; it is rather shallow, with strong winds, making it a world-class windsurfing spot. On the other side, Peri Lagoon is more tranquil and ideal for nature hikes.
Florianópolis is a very contemporary city, with major retail malls, chain and high-end restaurants, as well as several pubs and nightclubs. The city has an excellent highway system.
The island is referred to as “Ilha da Magia” or Magic Island, most likely due to its remarkable natural beauty, which includes more than 100 beaches, 42 of which are well-known, as well as cliffs, mountains, lakes, lagoons, waterfalls, bays, and inlets, as well as a youthful population and tourists. Florianópolis is also noted for its high level of life, which is a result of its location in a wealthy region of Brazil. Because the island’s charm is also its heat, the ideal months to visit are December–March. South Brazil’s winters may be milder than visitors anticipate.
TOURISM AND LIFESTYLE
Florianópolis is one of the most visited cities in Brazil due to its island location, which has 42 beaches, lagoons, waterfalls, and excellent infrastructure. Originally a hippy destination, the city today draws a diverse range of Brazilian and international visitors because to its combination of untamed environment and upscale hotels, resorts, beautiful hostels, beach clubs, and vibrant nightlife. The city is unique in Brazil for its high safety standards, great quality of life, and environmentally conscious regulations.
Lagoa da Conceição (Lagoon of Conceição) is without a doubt the island’s most popular destination for international visitors and backpackers. The neighborhood is densely packed with restaurants, pubs, organic markets, and businesses. Numerous foreigners and Brazilians from other cities opt to reside near the lagoon for its breathtaking vistas, safety, natural beauty, and high quality of life.
The lagoon is surrounded by mountains and is connected to the ocean by a canal. It is a location where you may engage in a variety of activities, including kite surfing, paragliding, sandboarding, kayaking, and hiking. The history of the area around the lagoon is an added bonus, with its folklore, netting custom, ancient Portuguese architecture, graffiti, and a magnificent 18th century church perched on a hill. See below for a panoramic perspective.
The Feast of the Holy Spirit (Festa do Divino) is a feast that occurs 40 days following Easter. The festival, which stretches all the way back to the colonial period, features a procession, live music, and street cuisine.
Mole Praia (Mole Beach) Praia Mole, a few meters from the Lagoon of Conceição, is one of the most renowned beaches, notable for its rolling green hills and rock formations on each side. During the summer, the beach is largely renowned for surfing, eco-friendly lounges, and a homosexual scene. The beach is a stop on the Association of Surfing Pros’ ASP World Tour, which has 50 athletes, including professionals and amateurs. Santa Caterina is the only spot in South America where this surfing tournament takes place. The city is home to the Santa Catarina Art Museum.
Joaquina Beach (Praia da Joaquina) first gained international recognition in the 1970s, when surfers from all over the globe found its waves. Joaquina Beach is accessible through the Conceição Lagoon. Numerous surf cups and notable Catarinense surfing personalities started to emerge. It is one of the beaches with the greatest tourist amenities, attracting people from all over Brazil and the globe throughout the warm spring and summer months. The rock formations to the left of the beach, the night illumination, and the public baths are just a few of Joaquina’s hallmarks. A large paid parking lot, restrooms, a tourist coach parking lot, lifeguards, a police station, a handicraft store, bars, restaurants, and hotels are all located here. Apart from the beach, visitors may experience the most renowned dunes in the country’s south, as well as sandboarding. Boards for this activity may be rented on-site.
Barra da Lagoa (Portuguese: Barra da Lagoa) Barra do Lagoa is a sleepy fishing community, but the beach’s physical attributes make it an ideal site to learn to surf. It is a bay on the island’s eastern coast that runs 15 kilometers into Moçambique beach (9.3 mi). It is in a natural environment, with no large hotels on the beach, and is home to the southern headquarters of Projeto TAMAR (Save the Turtles). During the cooler winter months of June, July, and August, penguins swim into the canal and along the Barra do Lagoa beach. Barra da Lagoa’s canal links the Lagoa da Conceição to the open sea. It is not unusual to observe fisherman casting their nets into the lagoa at night in search of shrimp to sell to the community’s fresh seafood restaurants.
Ingleses Beach (Praia dos Ingleses) Despite its popularity with visitors, Ingleses maintains the Azorian invaders’ customs. In the summer, it is one of Argentina’s most popular beach locations, second only to Canasveiras. Mullet fishing, religious events, and regional festivities are all wonderful examples of the local culture throughout the winter. The dunes that separate the Ingleses Beach (English Beach) from the Santinho Beach are a must-see natural feature. Sand board practice is particularly prevalent there, a sport invented in Florianópolis that entails sliding down dunes on a board, participating or not in daring movements. It requires a high level of balance and the rental of a board to practice. For those seeking a more unique trip, a 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) journey across the dunes is available.
Beach of Armação (Praia da Armação) The church of Sant’Anna, erected by the Armação fishing enterprise, is an integral element of the beach’s history. Before starting fishing, whale harpooners and crewmen confessed and attended church from there. Following that, the priest would descend to the shore and bless the boats about to sail out to sea. Today, boats go from there towards Ilha do Campeche, one of the most popular islands in the vicinity of Florianópolis. Additionally, Armaço is home to one of the State of Santa Catarina’s most significant archaeological sites. In the winter of 2010, a large piece of the beach was eroded away. Tons of huge boulders were put on the shore with financial assistance from the Brazilian federal government to avoid the damage of dwellings.
Beach de Campeche (Praia do Campeche) Campeche, with its 5 kilometers (3.1 mi) of white sand beaches and tumultuous seas, is dubbed the Jeffreys Bay of Santa Catarina Island due to the quality of its waves. If you’re not into surfing, the beach has plenty of other activities. Ilha do Campeche’s paradisiacal beauty, situated just across from the beach, a football game on the Saint-Exupéry aviation field, or even fishing are some of the recreational options. Campeche is also a fantastic nightlife destination. The massive reflector that lights a portion of the vast sand strip in front of the clubs just adds to the late-night partying. The lighting benefits both revelers and fisherman, who utilize the opportunity to pull their nets in from the sea.
Santinho Beach (Praia do Santinho) is mostly sought after by visitors seeking nature, paradisiacal beauty, and tranquillity. Surfers are the primary tourists, and consider Santinho to be the greatest beach on Santa Catarina Island’s north coast. Surfers perform their sport on the left hand corner, where bathers do not go. They share the area with fishers. Another major feature of this beach, which is located 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the center of Florianópolis, are the prehistoric inscriptions produced by hunters, fisherman, and collectors who lived on the Island five thousand years ago. Santinho is derived from an etched human image on an isolated chunk of granite.
On the island, outdoor activities like as diving, hang gliding, rowing, paragliding, and mountain biking, as well as surfing, are popular.
Three bridges link the island to the mainland. The Herclio Luz Bridge, was opened 11 years before the Golden Gate Bridge, is presently closed to traffic; it is a symbol of the island and often appears on postcard photos. Traffic is permitted on the Colombo Sales Bridge and the Pedro Ivo Bridge.
Santo Amaro da Imperatriz was Brazil’s first thermal water treatment plant. The region of Caldas da Imperatriz and the city of Guas Mornas both have hotels with thermal baths. The Fonte Caldas da Imperatriz city baths provide extra thermal water, which may reach a temperature of 39 °C (102 °F), and include immersion baths and hydromassage. It is situated on the Estrada Geral Highway, kilometer 4, in the region of Caldas da Imperatriz.
