Florianópolis, SC: the complete destination guide
Florianópolis is an island with more than forty beaches and two completely different faces of the sea. This guide gathers what the town holds, how the year divides there, how you get in, where it is worth staying and how many days the place asks for.
What Florianópolis is
Florianópolis sits in Santa Catarina, in the south of Brazil, and it is an island with more than forty beaches and two completely different faces of the sea. That sentence settles more than it seems: it says what the town has of its own and, by consequence, what there is no point looking for there.
What brings most visitors is concentrated in Lagoa da Conceição, praia Mole e Joaquina and Jurerê e Canasvieiras. They are different things from one another, and that is why the town holds more than a day without repeating itself.
What the town holds
| Sight | What it is |
|---|---|
| Lagoa da Conceição | The lagoon in the middle of the island, with dunes on one side and nightlife on the other |
| praia Mole e Joaquina | The east side, open sea and surf, where the boards are |
| Jurerê e Canasvieiras | The north, calm shallow water, aimed at families |
| Costa da Lagoa | The community reachable only by trail or boat, inside the island itself |
| Ribeirão da Ilha | The Azorean south, where the oyster farms are |
When to go
The year splits in two. From December to March, heat, warm sea and a full island; traffic between north and south triples. From September to November, open skies, water still cold and empty sand; the best time for anyone not here to swim.
There is no bad season in Florianópolis in any absolute sense: there is the season that matches what you want to do there. Whoever comes for Lagoa da Conceição and accepts crowds picks one half of the year; whoever comes for quiet picks the other.
Getting there
By air, an airport in the south of the island. By road, access is along the the BR-101 along the coast. The island has two bridges and they jam in summer.
Where to stay
| Base | Who it suits |
|---|---|
| Lagoa da Conceição | Anyone who wants to sit in the middle and reach both sides |
| the north of the island | Anyone travelling with children who wants calm water |
| the centre | Anyone arriving without a car and using buses |
How many days
4 days is the number that covers Florianópolis without rushing, counting the arrival day as half a day. With less than that something on the list above falls away — and it is worth choosing what to cut before travelling, not once you are there.
What it combines with
- Bombinhas — the clear-water headland two hours north
- Serra do Rio do Rastro — the most photographed mountain road in the south, to the south-west
Common questions
Is Florianópolis worth the trip?
It is worth it for whoever wants what the town has: an island with more than forty beaches and two completely different faces of the sea. Whoever expects something else usually leaves disappointed, and that is not the destination’s fault.
Can it be done in two days?
It can, by cutting. Two days fit Lagoa da Conceição and praia Mole e Joaquina. The rest waits for another time.