Hotel Costa Norte Ponta das Canas • Florianópolis • Santa Catarina
Florianópolis
Florianópolis is exceptionally beautiful. This is the home of the 100 most enchanting beaches in the South of Brazil, with magnificent landscapes and breathtaking scenery. So much beauty has attracted both leisure tourism and national and international business.
This is a magical setting that combines sand dunes, bays, lagoons and lakes, mangroves, mountains, smaller neighbouring islands and, of course, beautiful and friendly people. The area was colonized by settlers from the islands of the Azores and their influence can be seen in the local architecture, culture and cuisine.The beaches in the North of the island are the most sought-after and have the best facilities for tourism. Praia dos Ingleses and Praia de Ponta das Canas are the pick of the North beaches. Simply irresistible.
The average temperature varies from 20° C to 24° C (68° F to 75° F). The average maximum temperature during summer months varies from 28° C to 31° C (82° F to 89° F) and the average minimum temperature during the winter months varies from 7.5° C to 12° C (45½° F to 54° F). Average relative humidity is 82% for the whole year and annual rainfall is around 1,200 mm.The municipal area of 436.5 km2 (169 square miles) includes parts of the city that are on the mainland as well as the island. The population in 2003 was 369Nowadays tourists are not only attracted by the magnificent beaches; they also come to the state capital to visit the places where the first Azorean immigrants established their communities - picturesque villages such as Ribeirão da Ilha, Lagoa da Conceição and Santo Antônio de Lisboa and also the historic old quarter of the city of Florianópolis itself.
Nature Trails
The trails are very popular all year round. Florianópolis has more than 80 km (50 miles) of footpaths and trails, but few are as well signposted as they could be. It is for this reason that we recommend that if you wish to explore the trails you should contract a specialist local guide who will make your trip much more pleasant and ensure your satisfaction.
NightLife
In Florianópolis, nightlife is a serious business and it is as intense as it is varied. The city’s bars are the perfect setting to appreciate a short drink or a cocktail made with cachaça and make friends with people from all over Brazil as well as tourists from other parts of the world. Cachaça is the national spirit, a type of clear rum made from sugar cane, and the local varieties made in the traditional way are considered some of the best. The nightclubs are throbbing with life all year round, catering for those who are wild about dance music, hip-hop or forró. Forró is a popular Brazilian dance style with its own rhythm. The name is a corruption of the English “for all”, since in the past these clubs were the only places that people of all races could dance together.
Florianópolis has many parks and nature reserves that are an invitation to combine leisure with nature that’s just waiting to be taken up. Guided or self-guided trekking provides excellent opportunities for children to appreciate nature. Horse riding, mountain biking, snorkelling, scuba diving and sandboarding are just a few of the activities available for children. When they’ve had their fill of nature-related activities, you can take the children to waterparks, theme parks and a range of museums. The Acqua Show waterpark is a great favourite, located at the entrance to Praia dos Ingleses resort and the BrincaMundi amusement park is on the road to town (SC 401). The city has a wide range of museums including some with themes of interest to children, such as prehistoric archaeology, shipwrecks and the Nativity.
