Welcome to Florianopolis!

Situated just off the southern Brazilian coast, Florianopolis is connected to the mainland by two bridges. The bridge in commission, the Hercilio Luz Bridge, is the longest suspension bridge in Brazil. The older one, although not used any more, is characteristic of Florianopolis, fusing manmade and natural beauty seamlessly. Represented in postcards, this bridge is akin to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and forms a magnificent backdrop to the city when lit in the evenings.

The weather in Florianopolis is of the humid subtropical variety with distinct seasons. Visitors can enjoy the changing hues of summer, winter, fall and spring. Florianopolis temperatures average between 20 ºC and 30 ºC. Florianopolis sits at about 25 m above sea level. Your holiday in Florianopolis is sure to be great with mild year round temperatures, a great range of Florianopolis hotels to choose from, and an atmosphere second to none.

The northern part of the island is developed, with a larger concentration of people, while the southern part is remote. Most Florianopolis accommodations are found on the northern part of the island, as are most Florianopolis tour providers. Commercial fishing is a big employer on the island. Other towns in the area worth visiting are São Jose, Palhoça, Biguaçu, Governador Celso Ramos, Balneário Camboriú, and Garopaba. They are either off the island or on the mainland.

Florianopolis could be called one of those exceptional destinations where the new and the old world coexist happily, offering visitors a large number of Florianopolis tourist attractions to enjoy. December through March, which is the main tourist season in South America, the island offers great beaches which are famous for their surf, first-class shopping, efficient infrastructure, excellent dining and some of the best nightlife in the country. This is in contrast to the island's pristine natural beauty and rustic fishing villages. There are 42 beaches, with great surfing, lagoons, sand dunes, parks, nature trails, and bustling city squares that characterise Florianopolis, and these are just some of the many entertaining things to see and do in Florianopolis. Check out our map of Florianopolis to see the location of some of these great highlights and the many hotels in Florianopolis are able to be booked through our site.

Tourism, especially surfing on any one of the 42 immaculate beaches, is the most important component of the Florianopolis economy. The influence of Azorean customs can be found in everything ranging from the island's architecture and culinary traditions to its religious beliefs. These combined with good town planning and the excellent beaches give Floripa a unique flavour of its own. Join a Florianopolis tour to experience the local way of life. Apart from fun and games, the historical monuments at the Lagoa da Conceição lagoon and Santo Antônio de Lisboa convey a sense of the Azorean past. Over the past ten years, a continuous stream of tourists from the Brazilian towns of Porto Alegre, Curitiba, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro have been visiting the island. Travellers from other South American countries, especially Argentina, take advantage of the direct flights from Buenos Aires, and many international tourists have made Florianopolis their holiday destination. The biggest challenge the city faces today is to manage the large influx of tourists within the limited infrastructure available.

International publications like ‘Newsweek' have called Florianopolis one of the ten most dynamic cities in the world, while ‘The New York Times' described the town as, ‘The hippest year-round beach scene in South America.' The Brazilian magazine ‘VEJA' judged this island town as the best place to live in Brazil. In fact Florianopolis is a second home to many Europeans, North Americans, Argentineans and even Brazilians from São Paulo.

Florianopolis was originally inhabited by Brazilian Indians who were Açorianans. They came from an island off the coast of Portugal. Today the scene is different, with people from various backgrounds living in Floripa. This is the main reason for this is the high standard of living, at least by Brazilian standards. The city provides its residents with good infrastructure, schools and health care, and as tourism increases the number of hotels in Floripa increases, as other tourism services increases the local job market. The unlimited possibilities with regard to adventure sports are also a big crowd puller.

Culture in Florianopolis is divided into two distinct halves. The cosmopolitan and fashionable part is frequented by Brazilian and international tourists. The southern part of the island is rural and rustic where villagers still follow Azorean traditions, have a varied dialect, work on handicrafts and celebrate festivals with communal feasts.