For most visitors, Florianópolis encapsulates the perfect beach destination, and satisfaction comes in the simplest of ways: a beach recliner [sun-lounger] a sunshade and a beach. But even the most sedentary of tourists will at one stage or another want to leave the comfort of the beach where they are staying to visit other parts of the island. This entry is part of a trilogy (that also includes entries on the North and the Centre) with tips and basic guidance on the most interesting points on the island.

As it is the case with the centre of the island, in the south of Florianópolis there are two well-defined parts. To the west, the coastline facing the continent, where there are a pocket of villages showing trails of the Portuguese colonization. It is here where oysters are cultivated. There are no beaches on this part of the island. To the east, some of the most beautiful beaches on the islands and places where most tourists hardly ever go.

Ampliar el mapa

On the continental side of the southern part of the island, the most interesting point is Ribeirão da Ilha, a village founded by Portuguese emigrants from the Azores islands, where some traditions are still maintained, like bobbin lace or basket making. The district of Ribeirão is the largest producer of oysters in Brazil. In the centre of the village there is an interesting sample of Portuguese colonial architecture.

Following the road southwards, pass Ribeirão, you will reach Caieira da Barra do Sul, where there is a tiny beach of calm waters.

On the eastern side of the island, from north to south, we find the following points of interest:

Leave your general queries on Florianópolis at the entry Destination: Florianópolis.

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Accommodation in Brazil has five new blog posts, with full listings of accommodation in Campeche and Praia dos Ingleses, both in Florianópolis, and Porto Seguro, Praia do Rosa and Trancoso.

Veteran readers of the blog might recall the fight for the title of most beautiful beach in Brazil between two oceanic giants: the praia do Forno, in Arraial do Cabo, and the praia do Sancho, in Fernando de Noronha. Well, a new contender is on the line: the Campeche island (in Portuguese, Ilha do Campeche), in Florianópolis.

The Ilha do Campeche is on the southern half of Florianópolis, on its east coast, just across the Campeche beach. As you can see on the satellite image, the beach is on the western side of the island, sheltered from the ocean winds. The east side of the island is rocky and has no beaches.

Enlarge map

There are three different ways of getting to the island:

• by boat from Armação do Sul. It takes about 40 minutes and the price during the low season was R$25 in 2008. There are several sailings during the morning. During the high season, there are afternoon boats to the island as well.
• by boat from Barra da Lagoa. A few boats reach the island from the north, the trip takes one hour and fifteen minutes aproximately.
• on rubber dinghy from the Campeche beach. The trip takes little over 5 minutes, and during the low season the return trip cost R$30. There is no fixed timetable, the service depends on the demand. The same dinghy that takes you to the island will take you back from it.

From the three options, the last one is our favourite one. As well as being much faster, there is little time left for those prone to sea-sickness..

The island is a unique place, as it is part of the natural and cultural heritage of Brazil. There are 10 archeological sites on the island, and for that reason there is a limit to the number of visitors allowed every day. It should also be noted that the island is not opened to visitation during winter. IPHAN, the Brazilian government’s body responsible for the national heritage, has a number of monitors on the island, who are always eager to help tourists with their explanations.

As soon as you land on the island it is hard not to marvel at two of the main features of the beach: whiter than white sand and turquoise waters. On the approximately four hours you are allowed to stay on the island (this time limit is enforced and your boat will leave back to the main island after those four hours) you have basically three options:

- stay at the beach. The right-hand side of the beach is wider. The places where you can swim are clearly marked by buoys separating the beach-goers from the constant traffic of boats coming and going. On the left-hand side of the beach there is a tiny beach you can reach walking across the giant rocks at that end. Bring good footwear. This is the best part of the island for snorkelling.

- do some of the treks on the island. As you will be visiting archeological sites, you can’t go on your own, you have to follow a monitor. There are two monitored treks, one lasts for an hour and costs R$5, and the other one lasts three hours and it costs R$10.

- do a snorkelling trip. You can pay R$35 to go on a shortish (one hour) snorkelling trip to a part of the island where visitors can’t get on foot. The price includes a wet suit.

With crystal-clear waters as the ones enjoyed at the island, snorkel is the most attractive option. If you have a mask and a tube (flippers are not essential), take them with you. The best part of the beach to snorkel on is on the left-hand side, right next to the big rocks.

To be honest, the transparency of the water is more impressive than the variety of fish seen there. For those new to snorkelling it will be an exciting experience; veterans might be slightly dissappointed. You can’t snorkel beyond the rocks.

There are two bars at the beach where you can order a beer or even a meal. Prices at the end of February 2008 were: mineral water, R$2; beer, R$5; caipirinha, R$5; fish with rice, fries and a salad, R$15; fried squid, R$25.

Before I forget. Once again, Sancho reigns supreme as the number one of all the Brazilian beaches. The massive presence of tourists at the island of Campeche at certain times of the day, and the presence of bars and quite a lot of litter (in spite of the efforts by the monitors to keep it clean) detracts quite a lot of points from the “unspoiled” factor. But Campeche came close. It’s time for some changes at the Brazil Travel Blog‘s Top 10: beaches ranking.

For those wanting to see more photos: PHOTO ALBUM OF CAMPECHE AND THE ISLAND OF CAMPECHE

General information on Florianópolis on the following blog entry: Destination: Florianópolis.

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RELATED POSTS:
Destination: Florianópolis
Hotels and pousadas in Campeche

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The island of Florianópolis, object of desire of Argentinians, Uruguayans, Paraguayans as well as thousands of Brazilians (mainly from Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo), is a well-rounded holiday destination that touches on the heavenly in some places. The combination of an excellent quality of life with beautiful beaches and hills make of Floripa, as it is known familiarly, the guarantee of a succesful holiday.

The island is roughly divided in three main regions: the north, where the beaches popular among Argentinians are; the centre, where the capital of the state is found as well as the Lagoa da Conceição; and the south, with beautiful beaches that attract less visitors than their northern counterparts.

WE LIKE THE MOST: the beaches, the gentle nature of the natives, food, landscapes, affordable prices, safety.

WE LIKE THE LEAST: poor infrastructures; it seems hard to believe that a tourist destination that generates so much revenue should have a road network in such a precarious state. Going places during the high season is torture. Getting to some of the beaches, hell. We also profoundly disliked all the building work completed and in progress in environmentally protected areas.

HOW TO GET THERE: by car, bus or plane. The first option is chosen by many Argentinians, Uruguayans and Paraguayans. There are regular bus services from Porto Alegre, Curitiba and São Paulo. GOL, TAM and Varig airlines all fly to Florianópolis airport. As well as numerous charter flights from Argentina and Chile.

CAREFUL WITH: the high season: a sizeable part of the island becomes a gigantic traffic jam; water supply to the northern part of the island becomes a problem too.

FAVORITE PLACES: Campeche island, Campeche beach, the Joaquina dunes, the Lagoa da Conceição

PIECE OF ADVICE:

• around the Lagoa da Conceição, and especially in the part known as Canto da Lagoa, there are numerous restaurants popular among Brazilians where few foreign tourists venture.
• one of the traditional dishes of the island is the seqüência de camarâo, several servings of prawns [shrimps] cooked in different ways, accompanied by fish and crab. It is found all throughout the island, but the most traditional place to eat the seqüência is the Lagoa da Conceição.
• although it is not impossible to travel by public bus throughout the island, it is an exercise that demands quite a lot of patience. If you are in Florianópolis for a short stay, our advice is for you to rent a car. For longer stays, when you will only be visiting one beach per day, you can use the public transportation system.
• crime rates in Florianópolis are lower than in other big Brazilian cities; it doesn’t mean crime doesn’t exist but, in this regard, Florianópolis is much safer than São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro or Recife.
• during the coming weeks we will publish detailed information on the blog on the beaches and places of interest of Florianópolis. Links to the new material will appear here as the entries are published.

ACCOMMODATION: We have full listings of accommodation for Campeche, Canasvieiras and Praia dos Ingleses.

LINKS: Guia Floripa, Visite Floripa.

WEATHER FORECAST: The weather in Florianópolis for the next 10 days

WEATHER: Average temperatures and rainfall in Florianópolis across the year

GOOGLE MAPS: Florianópolis

PHOTO ALBUMS: North (Santo Antônio de Lisboa, Jurerê, Canasvieiras, Brava, Ingleses, Santinho, Barra da Lagoa), Center (Mercado Municipal, Lagoa da Conceição, Praia Mole), South (Armação, Ribeirão da Ilha, Pântano do Sul), Campeche and Campeche island and sandboard in the Joaquina dunes.

OTHER BLOG ENTRIES ON FLORIANÓPOLIS:
- Map of Florianópolis
- Brazil in pictures: Florianópolis
- Florianópolis North: what to do and where to go
- Florianópolis Centre-Lagoa: what to do and where to go
- Florianópolis South: what to do and where to go
- Ilha do Campeche
- bar do Arante, Florianópolis

[Don’t forget to check out the list of other destinations already covered in this blog, here]

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