Floripa, as the island is popular called by locals, is in southern of Brazil. It is linked to the continent by 3 bridges in the central portion of the island. It is 700 km from São Paulo, which means 7 hours drive, or 1 hour flight.

There are about 10 flights a day from Sao Paulo to Floripa, and about 5 flights a day from Rio de Janeiro to Floripa. The flight from Rio takes about 1,5 hour.

There are direct flights from many cities from the US or from Europe to Sao Paulo. From there you can get a direct flight to Floripa.

It depends on your nationality. Best thing is to consult the website of the Brazilian Foreign Ministry for a list of offices around the world.

Floripa is great all year round, it depends on what you are looking for!

Summer high season months is the busiest and liveliest time to como to Floripa. This means January and February. Temperature is usually warm during the day (about 30º.Celcius or 86 Fahrenheit) and very confortable during the night (about 20 to 25º Celcius or 72 Fahrenheit). This is the time when Brazilians and Argentinians usually come to the island for their summer vacation, then expect to find popular beaches like Praia Mole, Riozinho in Campeche Beach and Jurere packed, vibrant, with a great atmosphere.

March, April and May are great months to come, actually i would say the best months if you want to explore the island and enjoy nice weather.  Average temperature during the day is 25º Celcius or 77 Fahrenheit, and 18º Celcius or 65 Fahrenheit during the night . The beaches are not crowded – except in the weekends, when Floripa natives flow to the beaches. General atmosphere is more relax, since the crowd has gone home.

June and July can have warmer days and cooler days, hard to predict, since the weather has been very unstable. This is the time when the big swells start hitting Floripa´s coast, and you will sea a happy smile on every surfer face! It is a great time of the year to explore the island through hiking. Temperature is mellow therefore perfect for hiking in the beautiful trails the island offers.

August, September, October and November are the dream months for wind and kitesurfers. The wind blows steadily during these months, and it is a good time either to learn in the beautiful Lagoa da Conceição, or for the experienced kitesurfers to enjoy the Campeche and the Moçambique beaches.
It is also the time when our most noble visitor comes to the island: the Arctic Right Whale! This whale has been under protection, and they are coming everytime more and more to our coast. And they come really close to the coast! Surfers and kitesurfers usually have the priviledge of getting very close to them!

Dezember is the month that announces that the beach & summer busy season is coming up. The beaches start to get busy again, weather is warm, willing to reach the 30º Celcius or 86 Fahrenheit soon!

Floripa is considered a safe place, therefore it was announced 4 times in a roll as the capital with the best life quality in Brazil. Basic rules of safety should be observed, like not leaving valuables in the car while it is parked on the street, or not walking around on your own late at night on empty streets.

The entire island’s power supply is 220V so converters are necessary for any electronics that are not bi-volt. Actually most of the things the travellers bring have bi-volt chargers (laptops, blackberries, iPods), but be careful not to plug anything 110V into outlets directly!

The bus travel service in Florianopolis is good in the city center, but not so good in the beach side of the island. It is a reliable service, since they run on time, which is always a bonus! But it does not run so often as it could. The buses are confortable.

You can easily flag down a taxi in the city center but don´t expect to do the same on the beaches or in the Lagoa town. If you intent to get a cab back from a beach, you might as well take a taxi telephone number and schedule that.

Yes, definetely! While in the mainland, drive north along the coastline road to discover some of Santa Catarina’s most tranquil bays. So small that they are often deserted, they make the perfect pit stop for a quick dip.

Ponta dos Ganchos also makes a good base for trying other activities the area is famous for. Chug out to an oyster farm with a local fishermen to taste oysters scooped straight from the sea. Hike to hidden waterfalls. Sip potent caipirinhas made with locally brewed cachaça. Or catch a speedboat to the ancient fort of Anhatomirim Island, where the Portuguese fought both Spaniards and pirates. Nature lovers should visit Garopaba Bay, south of Florianopolis, to spot whales migrating wo warmer waters between June and November. It seems even the ocean-going whale finds the Emerald Coast too alluring to ignore!

By travelling with us, you will get to know Floripa from an insider´s perspective, which is worlds apart from traditional tourism. Brazil Trails team is made of persons absolutely passioned for the island, who know every corner of it and will be very glad and proud to show it to you.

We have been tourists in many places in Brazil and around the world, and know what a tourist needs to know in a country where we don´t speak the language nor are used to its customs. Also we will be glad to give you the best indications to enjoy things like the incredible gastronomy of the island, and its vibrant nightlife scene.

Popular driving excursions from Florianopolis include Guarda do Embaú, a renowned surfing beach less than 30 miles to the south and close to the hills of the Sierra do Tabuleiro State Park, and Garopaba, a little further south, about 60 miles south from Floriaópolis. Garopaba is neighbour to the famous Praia do Rosa, awarded many times as one of the 10 most beautiful bays in the world. On the Ilha de Santa Catarina itself, the Sambaqui village, in the northwest portion of the island is another popular tourist destination for the beautiful views and the great many seafood restaurants. Further away from Florianópolis, at a distance of 86 miles, the town of Blumenau has a distinctly German flavour, including its own version of the Oktoberfest, which is one of the biggest annual attractions in Brazil. Visitors to Florianópolis should be aware that Brazil is not renowned for the quality of its roads or its drivers. In fact, the intercity roads in Brazil are recognized as some of the most dangerous in the world, due to poor road conditions, undisciplined driving and the high density of trucks on the road. Driving in Brazil is on the right, with speed limits of 60 kph (37mph), 80kph (50mph) and 120 kph (75mph) respectively and anyone found without the appropriate documentation will inccur an on-the-spot fine. Drivers are required, by law, to carry a driving licence (preferably of the international variety) in their vehicle at all times, along with road tax documents, a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. Other Brazilian idiosyncrasies include penalties for driving in improper footwear or with your elbow protruting from the window of the vehicle.

In the same way as cheap car rental Heathrow is available to travellers to the world´s busiest international airport, visitors to Florianopolis can take advantage of competitive local car rental companies that can be found through local travel operators or at Localiza, the largest car rental company in Latin America and other companies at Hercilio Luz International Airport. The airport is situated less than 8 miles from downtown Florianopolis and is as well served by domestic flights from all major Brazilian airports.