Florianopolis is the capital of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Half of the city is located on the mainland of Brazil while the other half is on the Santa Catarina Island. It has some of Brazil's most beautiful beaches and is a popular surfing destination.
Among the city’s historic buildings are three fortresses, the Jesuit Monastery and the 200-year-old Palacio Cruz e Souza, which houses the Historic Museum of Santa Catarina. The metropolitan cathedral stands at the highest point and overlooks the main square. The church features a life-size sculpture in wood of the flight into Egypt, originally from the Austrian Tyrol. Other attractions in the city include the Municipal Market and former Customs House, now converted to contain good craft stalls, art galleries and handicraft shops.
Things to see and do
* Catedral Metropolitana
* Municipal Market
* Hercilio Luz Bridge
* Lagao da Conceicao - lake
* Forts & beaches
Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
Currency – Real (R$) (BRL)
Language – Portuguese
Population – 410,000 approx
Land Area – 436.5 km²
Electricity – 2 perpendicular flat pins USA style
Time – GMT minus three hours
International Country Telephone Code – + 55
Port Location – The port is located on the mainland side of Florianopolis, close to the Hercilio Luz Bridge.
Transport Links – Florianópolis is served by Hercílio Luz International Airport for both domestic and international flights. It is located 12 km from the city center.
Rita Maria is the city's main bus terminal, located by the Pedro Ivo Campos Bridge, on the island, serving ten thousand people daily, which can reach up to fifteen thousand during the summer season. The bus terminal connects Florianopolis to the majority of the cities, towns and villages of Santa Catarina, and to the main cities in the South, Southeast and Central-West regions of Brazil. As an international bus terminal, Florianopolitanos and tourists alike use Rita Maria also to reach Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.