Florianopolis Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil)



Many of the tourist attractions in Florianopolis relate directly to the city's beaches and coastline, or are located very close by. Water sports such as kitesurfing, snorkelling and scuba diving are all possible and popular, while for something a little more unusual, many tourists try their hand at a spot of sandboarding down the dunes at the Praia da Joaquina.

A leading attraction suiting all the family, the Florianopolis Agua Show Park resides just a short distance from the Praia dos Ingleses, on the northern side of the island, being located in the Vargem Grande area and just off the Highway SC-403. Seasonal whale watching is another tempting attraction in Florianopolis, as is paragliding off the cliffs above the Praia Mole, white water rafting excursions, hiking along scenic coastal trails and windsurfing on the Lagoa da Conceicao (Conception Lake).


Barra da Lagoa

Address: Barra da Lagoa, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, BR
The small and quaint fishing village of Barra da Lagoa is especially popular, since it is located at the very mouth of a strong tidewater channel, which is spanned by a pedestrian-only bridge. A number of attractions reside here, with numerous bakeries (padarias) and endless surfing opportunities around the Praia de Mocambique. In fact, the surfing is so good at the Barra da Lagoa that world-surfing champion Jacqueline Silva, a famous name in women's Brazilian surfing, has chosen to live here. Between June and August, when the water is at its coldest, it is often possible to spot penguins swimming here. Also worth looking out for are the eateries selling freshly caught shrimps and other seafood.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Lagoa da Conceicao (Conception Lake)

Located in the centre of the island, the Lagoa da Conceicao is a large and beautiful lake, surrounded by beaches, sand dunes and mountains, together with various bars and eateries. The lake is a popular spot for a variety of water sports, with many people coming here at the weekend to sail, kayak and windsurf. Water skiing, jet skiing and kitesurfing is also popular here, while others choose to take advantage of the nearby nature trails and endless opportunities for mountain biking. Close by, the biggest sand dunes are highly suitable for sandboarding.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Agua Show Park

Address: Rodovia SC 403, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 048 3369 2354
Boasting a total of ten swimming pools, this water park enjoys a scenic setting, surrounded by tropical foliage, and offers some 30 different water slides and chutes, a Pirate's Cave, a lazy river and a food court area. There are lots of fun characters decorating the slides and pools, including cartoon penguins and pandas, wizards, dinosaurs, giant turtles and the mouth of a crocodile. There is also a pirate's ship at the Agua Show Park, which is located in a shallow paddling pool and designed with younger visitors in mind.
Open hours: seasonal variations
Admission: charge, discounts for children and families

Nightlife

The nightlife of Santa Catarina is quite renowned and during the summer months, many bars and clubs open on the northern side of the island, making the most of the high visitor numbers based around the Praia dos Ingleses. Further nightlife options reside around the Lagoa da Conceicao, and these are popular with both locals and tourists alike, with bars providing live music well into the night. If you are looking for nightclubs, then be sure to consider partying at the Confraria das Artes on the Rua Joao Pacheco da Costa, next to the Lagoa da Conceicao, or at Pacha Floripa, on the Rodovia Mauricio Sirotsky Sobrinho, near to the Manguezal do Rio Ratones.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free

Whale Watching

During the winter, between the months of June and October, huge numbers of Southern Right whales can often be observed swimming along the Santa Catarina coastline. These enormous marine mammals can be almost 20 metres / 65 feet in length and migrate here from the colder waters of the Antarctica, for breeding purposes. Southern Right whales are endangered and in fact, just a few decades ago were almost extinct. Their numbers are slowly rising now and at this time of the year, both whales and their newborn calves are frequently visible from shoreline, where they can be seen breaching. For closer views, whale-watching tours are available, being operated by Turismo Vida Sol e Mar.
Open hours: June to October
Admission: free

Adventure Tours

A selection of reliable tour operators are based on Santa Catarina, offering visitors to the island all kinds of exciting day trips. Brazil Adventure Tours (Aventura Do Brasil) are particularly notable and have chosen to specialise in adventure sports on the southern side of the island, taking tourists to areas where they can try their hand at everything from hang gliding and paragliding, to rock climbing, river rafting and sandboarding.
Open hours: seasonal variations
Admission: charge

Theatres

Teatro Alvaro de Carvalho
Address: Rua Marechal Guilherme 26, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, BR
Tel: +55 048 3028 8070
Teatro Ademir Rosa (Teatro do CIC)
Address: Avenida Governador Irineu Bornhausen 5600, Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil, BR
Tel. +55 048 3953 2300
There are two main theatres that stand out in the city, each of which offer something completely different. The Teatro Alvaro de Carvalho is to be found near to the Catedral Metropolitana and dates back to the 1870s, coming with a large concert hall with seating for 470 people. Close to the coastline and the Praca Republic da Grécia, the larger and more modern Teatro Ademir Rosa (Teatro do CIC) is located on the Avenida Governador Irineu Bornhausen. Built in 1982 and boasting a capacity for audiences of just over 950 people, the Ademir Rosa regularly plays host to all manner of musicals, operas and classical music concerts.
Open hours: hours vary according to performance
Admission: charge

Outdoor Activities / Water Sports

Various water sports and activities are based on the island of Santa Catarina, suiting lovers of the 'great outdoors'. The popular beaches of Praia da Joaquina, Praia Mole and Praia de Mocambique are all good places for surfing, while at the Praia dos Ingleses, the Praia Mole or the Praia do Santinho, you might like to try your hand at scuba diving and snorkelling. Those who prefer a good walk will find endless trekking trails, the best of which overlook the coastline. Good trails can be found around the Lagoa do Peri, the Costa da Lagoa and the Lagoinha do Leste, as well as the Lagoa da Conceicao and the Praia dos Naufragados.
Open hours: daily
Admission: free, charge for equipment hire and lessons