Guide de Florianopolis

• Northern Glamour of Florianopolis ( 0 Articles )
  

  The Beira Mar Norte runs from the bridges into the highway of SC401, the road that was built in the 1940´s to open up the northern beaches to tourism. It runs up the western coast of the island which is home to residential beaches and coastal fishing villages such as Santo Antônio de Lisboa and Sambaqui.
  
  Very close to the city, these are some of the oldest communities on the island, and the traditional lifestyle hasn’t changed much since they were founded in the 18th Century. Both are excellent places to find cheap seafood in simple restaurants with excellent views to the mainland.
  
  The marshy nature reserve of the Rio Ratones estuary has a visitors centre where you can learn about the flora and fauna of the area. Crossing the river takes you into the built-up areas of northern Florianópolis with beaches such as Jurerê, Daniela, Canasvieiras, Ingleses and Brava.
  
  Daniela is the residential area at the start of a spit of land reached by turning off the main road and then again from the Jurerê road. The beach is worth a look and a walk on a quiet day.
  
  Jurerê is a surprising place for those who know something of the island. The most expensive area on the island may give rise to ideas of a Florianópolis version of St Tropez, especially having seen advertisements along the way for huge clubbing nights with world-famous DJ´s such as Fatboy Slim and Paul van Dyk playing to huge crowds. Outside of the clubs and a couple of lounge bars on the beach, Jurerê is a surprisingly residential place. Don´t go there early expecting the streets to be full of glamorous bars and people winding their way down the cobbled streets to the clubs. People either live there, or drive to the clubs and leave immediately afterwards. The streets are wide and empty of pedestrians, with huge detached houses barely separated from each other. Jurerê is one of the few places in Brazil where you will see such houses without any gates, fences and security, and also where you don´t find many shops or kiosks.
  
  Canasvieiras is the original holidaymakers´ area of Florianópolis, springing up at the end of the road built to bring tourists to the island beaches in the 1940´s. Brazilian and Argentinean package tourists come from far and wide to spend a few weeks close to the calm waters, and much of the crowd seems to have aged with the surroundings, as the Canasvieiras glamour moved west. There are bars and restaurants close to the beach and lining the roads to it, although nothing too sophisticated these days. A water park is one of the more traditional amusements of this area.
  
  The northern tip of the island includes the larger resorts of Cachoiera de Bom Jesus, the residential beach of Lagoinha and Praia Brava, the first of the wilder Atlantic beaches. The rough surf here explains why this beach is also the first in our circuit to attract a principally younger, surf crowd. The beaches at here are all built up, although the headlands between them are as yet undeveloped and can feel quite remote when you walk between them, although you may need help to find the trails.
  
  Further down on the Atlantic side, Praias Ingleses and Santinho have a good mix of residents, holidaying families and surfers, with dunes, offshore islands, and rocky headlands making up the scenery. Development in these areas has taken over a little too much and is still continuing, but it is still possible to enjoy the charms of nature on the easternmost points of Florianopolis.

• Scenic South of Florianopolis ( 0 Articles )
  

  The South of Florianopolis has the wildest natural scenery on the island, with a real beauty in the wildness of the remote beaches, the mountains, the rocky headlands and the lesser known of Floripa’s large lagoons, Lagoa do Peri.

  The mountainous terrain means that the two coastal roads leading down from the city and from Lagoa da Conceição don’t meet at the southernmost point of the island. The rocks dropping steeply into the sea make it impossible to build a road here, and the beaches of the very south can only be reached via a rough track or even on foot only. Roads north and south of Lagoa do Peri connect the two coasts, with Morro das Pedras marking the start of the south.

  This small hill is topped by an old convent, and the rocky point separates the beach of that name from Praia Armação. Both are popular surf spots, although currents and undertows make them unsuitable for everyone. The lagoon is a nature park, with paths for walking or cycling through the trees and along the shores, leading to waterfalls in the forest.

  The quiet little village of Armação is one of the oldest settlements on the island, with a church that dates from 1782. It is also the gateway to Matadeiros, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Both communities have roots strongly associated with the Azorean fishing communities who were among the first to come from Europe.

  A footpath leads over the river to and around the rocks to Matadeiros, and from the far end of the beach around the rocky headlands to Lagoinha do Leste, an almost uninhabited and undeveloped beach at the south-eastern corner of the island. Only reachable by boat or by the trails, many people spend the day on the beach or surfing the waves. Some stay and camp amongst the dunes between the curving channel that leads to the green lagoon behind, and the deep blue Atlantic in front.

  The mountains around the beach have to be negotiated in order to avoid walking back the same way, with the path over the hill to Pantano do Sul the quickest way to and from the beach at around 80 minutes walk through the trees.

  Pantano do Sul is the first beach that faces south on the island, with many fishing boats and a few seafood restaurants on the beach including Arantes, a Floripa institution. Another traditional community this is possibly the most popular place for tourists in the south, with a long beach and dunes occupying the arch of the witches’ foot.

  Costa de Dentro is the village at the far end of the beach and the end of the road on the eastern side of the island. Tracks do lead down through small fishing communities and Praias do Rio das Pacas, Saco do Caldeirão and Saquinho. This is the start of the remote south of the island, with a trail leading around the southern tip to Naufragados.

  Another beach with a name related to the whaling activities of the coast is Praia do Saco da Baleia, and after this beach, the mountains drop straight into the sea, making even a footpath impossible.

  Praia dos Naufragados is the last beach of the island, and one whose name probably comes from the narrow entrance to the South Bay at this point. The southern tip of Florianópolis is only a kilometre or so from the mainland at this point, and with the Three Sisters and other rocky islands guarding the entrance, it is very easy to imagine the amount of ships and boats seeking shelter in the calm waters of the bay that would have crashed into the rocks on a dark, stormy night.

  The shipwrecks and the shipwrecked would have washed up on Praia dos Naufragados and had a difficult journey up the western coast of the island. Even now with a lighthouse, the journey north is not easy, with a winding trail to negotiate before you reach the road.

  The route north has to hug the coastline on a spectacular journey between the bay and the mountains. Small beaches and villages line the road until Riberão da Ilha, the oldest and best preserved of them all. Colourful one storey houses and a photogenic church line the streets, while boats dot the bay. This is the centre of Floripa’s historical culture. A little further north and the mountains flatten out into the central plane which was the perfect place to construct Hercílio Luz Airport. From here, the city is just 12km to the north and Lagoa da Conceição and the east coast beaches around the same distance away.

• Lagoa da Conceição ( 0 Articles )
  

  Lagoa da Conceição is the heart of Florianopolis, a 13km long saltwater lagoon that occupies the area between the central spine of mountains and the eastern beaches.

  The lagoa is one of the most picturesque parts of the island, with the mountains dropping directly into the western side, a pine forest occupying the eastern banks and the hills around Praia Mole providing wonderful views.

  The town of Lagoa da Conceição or Centro da Lagoa (or just Centrinho if you want to try blending in with the locals) sits under the lowest part of the hills, where the road comes from the city, and also at the narrowest point between the two distinct halves of the lagoon.

  A sandbank is all that separates the two halves, with much of the water just a few feet deep in places, and swirls of sand blown from the dunes to the south are visible from the air.

  All the best sporting activities on the island can be found around Lagoa da Conceição, with the best surf and the dunes for sand-boarding just a short walk away while sailing, kite-surfing, wind-surfing, kayaking and the occasional jet ski can be found on the calmer waters of the lagoon.

  Walking trails lead around the edges of the lagoon through the Atlantic Rainforest with toucans, parrots and monkeys for company, to the community of Costa da Lagoa, which can only be reached by foot or on one of the boats that take visitors and residents together. On the opposite shore, another trail leads through the pine forest, in and out of the tall trees although walking on the sand in warm ankle-deep water can be more fun.

  The strip of grass and sand lining the beach road of Lagoa attract families with young children, who play happily in the shallow, warm lagoon waters, paddle kayaks and pedal boats around the rocks to the tiny beaches and sandbanks of the forest, or to spot crabs, fish and even the resident winter penguin. Boat trips can also be found in this corner of the lagoon, and taking a schooner trip around Lagoa da Conceição is the perfect way to see the views from the middle, and generally very cheap too.

  Restaurants and bars line the other side of Avenida das Rendeiras, which takes its name from the small wooden shops selling clothes and bags made by the Rendeiras of the island. This method of making clothes is as traditional as fishing by hand, which is how the residents of Centro da Lagoa still work. At night, the road lights of Rendeiras help local fishermen to spot their catch in the water. The shallow sands are full of people casting nets for fish, and catching crabs and prawns by hand.

  Rendeiras at night is also full of people hitting the restaurants bars and clubs along its 4km length, and along with Centrinho itself, this is one of the best areas for nightlife on the island. The holiday season of late December through past Carnaval time in February or March is especially lively with partying Brazilians in every street, a sight that can be almost as impressive as the natural scenery of Lagoa da Conceição.

• East Coast Adrenaline of Florianopolis ( 0 Articles )
  

  The eastern coast of Florianopolis contains most of the reasons why people come to the island. Beaches curving for miles, busy with beautiful people on the sand and in the surf at the ends, almost empty in the middle; bars on the beaches for seafood, beer and a caipirinha at sundown; hills between them with killer views in every direction; sand dunes, small and picturesque or large enough for sand-boarding; a turtle sanctuary and an island ecological reserve with clear waters for snorkelling; petraglyphs from unknown civilisations, thousand of years old; and that feeling that every day is a holiday.

  Praia do Moçambique is the longest beach on the island, with strong surf along most of its length and dunes behind to protect it from development. At the southern end, the beach is protected by Galheta Point, which might explain why sea turtles are attracted to the area.

  The Projeto Tamar Turtle Sanctuary is close to the beach in Barra da Lagoa, a small town which has developed around the entrance to the channel connecting Lagoa da Conceição to the sea. ‘Barra’ is the place where a river meets the sea.  The town itself is a mix of the traditional wooden island houses, large modern houses with private jetties lining the riverbank and cruisers passing between the lagoon and the Atlantic, and surfers and backpackers mingling with the locals on the beach and in the bars. Fortaleza de Barra is the name given to the side of the river sheltering under the hill, with restaurants and decking on the banks.

  Walking over the hill takes you to Praia da Galheta, the island nudist beach which can only be reached on foot or by boat. The trail from Fortaleza da Barra is tricky in places but has some of the best views on the island from the top. It might be wise to keep your clothes on until you reach the beach though - the vegetation can be quite thick up on the hills.

  The trail to Praia Mole is an easier one, and both beaches are refreshingly free of development, very clean in the water and on the sand, and always a great place to spend your days. With surfing, kite-surfing and paragliding from the headland on to the beach, you can also try to impress the locals. Praia Mole is also the point the lagoa is closest to the sea, and the main road here has a couple of mirantes with excellent views across the shimmering lagoon to the central hills if you can’t manage those trails.

  Dropping back down to the lagoa, the road to Joaquina encapsulates the whole of Floripa in its 2km length. Surf shops; cheap cafes; expensive restaurants; fruit growing wild; rural scenes of wooden houses with cars rusting outside alongside large houses with balconies and 4x4 on the drive; cows tied up in fields; and badly planned hotels  all overlooked by tree-covered hills; golden sand-dunes and a clear blue sky on the way to a beautiful beach.

  The best dunes on the island roll their way from the lagoon down to Joaquina Beach, with the largest ones for sand-boarding reached from the beach road. They flatten out until Campeche, with nothing but sand and vegetation for the length of the beach. The dunes prevent any construction, and with the hollows filled by heavy rain, hopefully this will always be the case.

  The dunes finish at Campeche, a sprawling settlement part traditional fishing village, part rural smallholdings and part surf and student hang-out, with occasional reggae and electronic music parties on the beach. The moon rises out from behind Ilha do Campeche on these nights, lighting up the nature reserve.

  Boat tours to the island of Campeche can be found from Barra da Lagoa, Campeche and Armação, with snorkelling off the beach, trails through the vegetation and petraglyphs thousands of years old making it a very worthwhile day out when the sun is shining.

• The City of Florianopolis ( 0 Articles )
  

  Florianópolis is the capital city of Santa Catarina State and lies on the island of the same name at the closest point to the mainland, connected by three bridges just a few hundred metres long. One of them doesn’t support traffic any more but provides a nice backdrop for those entering the island by road for the first time. The lights hanging from the supports of Ponte Hercílio Luz make it look particularly charming at night with headlands jutting into the North Bay behind.

  Both the long distance and the local bus terminals are just across the bridge on the edge of the South Bay. Across the main road to the south of the island, the city centre begins. Within a short walk of the terminals, the courtyard of the Municipal Market is always bustling with people, sometimes with live music. A couple of blocks up the hill are the main shopping streets and Praça 15 de Novembro, the main square with a fig tree so large that one of the two city football teams is named after it.

  The Metropolitan Cathedral is at the north end of the square. These areas contain most of the remaining colonial buildings of the city as well as banks and government buildings. The city is one of the most modern capitals in Brazil and also one of the most relaxed.

  As well as the usual city amenities, Florianópolis does have a little more to offer, especially from the top of Morro do Cruz. The Hill of the Aerials might be a more appropriate name for it these days, as the height of the hill that dominates the city make it the perfect strategic point for radio and television masts. The road up the hill takes buses and cars, and the fantastic views from the top take in the mainland beaches and peninsulas, the city and bridges below to the distant peaks of the south.

  Behind the hill are the residential areas of Trindade, Pantanal and Itacorubi, with the two universities UFSC and UDESC allowing students from all over Brazil to come and study in Floripa. Or not, as the case often is with students, and many late-opening bars and chopperias in these areas are the perfect reason to miss daytime classes.

  North of the bridges, the Beira Mar Norte runs alongside the calm sea with wide lanes for traffic, walkers, joggers and cyclists separating the city´s affluent apartment buildings and shopping centres from the shallow beaches. Bars and restaurants line one side of the road which takes you along the highway to the northern beaches or across the centre hills to the lagoon and the eastern beaches.

  The road running between the bus terminals and the market passes the Sambodromo, home of the Florianópolis Carnaval, and hugs the coast of Baia Sul all the way to the southern tip of the island. It also takes traffic to Florianópolis Airport, Aeroporto Hercílio Luz, 12km to the south.

• Festivals and Dates ( 2 Articles )