With 42 pristine beaches and a thriving SURF, SUN and FUN culture it's no
surprise that Veja magazine, a Brazilian publication, named
Florianópolis"the best place to live in Brazil."Florianópolis is
also among the safest cities in Brazil. There is no better place to begin your
Brazilian experience...
WHY CHOOSE
Florianópolis?
One
of the safest cities in Brazil
Incredible beaches, great weather and friendly
inhabitants
An
ultra-hip and varied
nightlife
A
setting of unparalleled natural beauty - beaches, sand dunes,
rainforest and mountains...
An
array of extra activities to choose from during your project -
surfing, sand boarding, snorkelling, whale watching, paragliding,
white water rafting, yoga, hiking, kayak expeditions... the list
is endless
Please go
here to select from a list of projects you can
do in Florianópolis.
ABOUT
Florianópolis Florianópolis, or Floripa as it is more commonly known, is the capital city
of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. It is composed of one main island,
Ilha de Santa Catarina, and a number of surrounding small islands. It has a
modern, cosmopolitan feel, but its location nestled amongst sand dunes, rain
forest, beach and mountains make it the perfect place to sample the best of
both worlds...
In Florianópolis the natural treasures are truly
exceptional and include beautiful lagoons, stunning beaches, rolling
mountains lush with Atlantic rainforest, soft white dunes, and an array of
small offshore islands, as well as a wealth of landscapes, aromas and
colors.
The island offers opportunities for many types of tourism, from
traditional summer relaxation holidays to surfing, windsurfing, paragliding,
snorkeling, diving, boat tours, jiu jitsu, hiking, whale-watching and many
other ecotourism options.
The island truly has a bit of something for
everyone, from authentic and rustic fishing villages, to surfer's paradises
surrounded by charming small towns (which remind many people of parts of San
Diego or Santa Barbara in California), to high-end Brazilian summer getaways
(reminiscent of South Beach in Miami or San Tropei in France), as well as
pristine and untouched nature preserves, just minutes from modern shopping
malls and cinema complexes. Its numerous white and clean sand bottom beaches
continue to draw visitors from around the world in addition to the
sun-worshipping local population.
Brazil is widely known for its unbelievable parties, beautiful people,
and unrelenting passion for enjoying life, and Florianópolis is quickly
becoming known as the epicenter of this lifestyle. There are a wide variety
of nightlife options on the island from the strip of bars playing live music
in the Lagoa da Conceição to the ultra-hip and ultra-exclusive parties in
Jurerê Internacional. Whatever your poison, make sure you save your energy
because you won't want to miss a second!!!
The climate in Florianópolis is very favorable, sub-tropical and
temperate most of the year, with average temperature between 70ºF and 90ºF.
The population of the island today is estimated at approximately 400,000
inhabitants.
Click here to
see the New Beach Fun in Florianópolis Photo Gallery
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
THE BEACHES!
Florianópolis is blessed with some of the
most breathtaking beaches in the world (42 in all!). The beaches offer
everything from secluded and paradise-like getaways to nature preserves with
long stretches of untouched and undeveloped coastline. The beaches to the
north of the island are generally the most popular with many offering
excellent tourist infrastructure and leisure opportunities. There they are
the beaches of Canasvieiras, preferred place of Argentine visitors; Jurerê,
a bastion of vacation homes of many of Brazilians wealthiest (often from
neighboring economic powerhouse cities such as Sao Paulo); Ponta das Canas;
Praia Brava, a favorite for surfers; Ingleses; Lagoinha; Cachoeira do Bom
Jesus; Daniela; Sambaqui; Cacupé; and Santo Antonio de Lisboa. The latter
three are rustic and charming fishing villages with excellent sea food
restaurants.
The area near the Lagoa da Conceição is highlighted by several of the
island's most beautiful beaches, including Joaquina, a Brazilian temple of
surf and stage of world-wide surfing championships as well as immense sand
dunes that extend to the ocean; Praia Mole, another paradise of surfers and
sun worshippers and a favorite of the island's young, athletic and beautiful
crowd; Praia da Galheta, a jaw-dropping coastal nature preserve completely
virgin in its natural state, with a soft white sand beach, clear waters and
surrounded by lush green hills; and Barra da Lagoa, which concentrates the
biggest fishing colony of the Island of Santa Catarina and is popular with
backpackers.
Just 12 miles from the center of the city, this entire part of
the eastern region of the island has an advanced infrastructure and charm
very popular with tourists from around the world.
Further north along the eastern coast is Moçambique, the island's longest
beach and completely virgin, also a nature preserve, and Santinho beach, a
more populated region offering good tourism infrastructure. In the southern
stretch of the eastern coast, the beaches are more rustic, preserving the
natural fauna and flora of the region. Matadeiro beach is a great option for
surfing; Morro das Pedras has an agitated sea and a unique rock formation
advancing into the sea; Pantano do Sul beach, known for typical seafood
restaurants and local fishing boats that make the passage to the beautiful
offshore island Ilha do Campeche; and Ribeirão da Ilha, an historic district
and one of the rustic fishing villages of Florianópolis.
Click above to play the Video
Click above to play the Video
SURF CULTURE
The island is generally considered to be blessed with the best and most
consistent waves in Brazil, and in early November of each year hosts what is
currently South America’s only ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals)
World Championship Tour professional surfing competition. Brazil has played
host to many an ASP tour event over the past 30 years. Former contest sites
include Rio de Janeiro, Barra de Tijuca and Saquarema, but the past four
years have seen the tour set up shop in Florianopolis.
Falling towards the
end of the tour, the past few years have seen several ASP world champions
crowned in Brazil. In 2004 it was Andy Irons, and in 2005 it was Kelly
Slater (who had his 2006 ASP World Title already stitched up by Brazil).
You can take surfing
lessons while on your project in Floripa, whether you're an experienced
surfer or a beginner.
ACCOMMODATION FOR ALL PROJECTS BASED IN
Florianópolis
Accommodation is at a 'family guest house' means that Travellers volunteers get to eat, sleep, work, socialise and generally
live like a Brazilian. All members of the family will usually speak English, so it's not
a problem if you don't speak Portuguese. Most
of the families take more than one volunteer or student at once (some up
to 10!), so the atmosphere is somewhere between a regular family and
a hostel... Often very social, but with the benefit of gaining insights into the
Brazilian way of life from the inside - the
best of both worlds!!
Many offer the option of single or shared rooms, and generally houses
are in close proximity with each other. The accommodation is
comfortable, with a ‘western-style’ bathroom, and has all the modern
facilities you'll need.
Past
volunteers in Brazil have found that one of the highlights of living in
the culture is eating out locally in the evenings.
Therefore, to enable you to sample the endless variety of Brazilian dishes
while you're there, we've limited this project to breakfast only, which
will be served at the hotel.
Meals in local restaurants are
very inexpensive and you'll dine out handsomely on about £3.50 ($5),
although you could spend only £2.50 ($3) a day and still be eating well
(prices are correct at time of writing). In Floripa, there are many
restaurants catering for every taste, from Fast Food to Thai,
Sushi, Mediterranean, French, German and Italian cuisine as well as a
myriad of local Brazilian options.
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