Most people come to Santa Catarina
for the beaches or the parties and end up not seeing the diversity that
the region has to offer in terms of nature, culture and gastronomy.
Brazil Ecojourneys
offer trips that showcase this diversity: you can choose to visit an
Old Azorean Villages or a German town, to taste oysters or drink a
local Bier.On our trips you
also get to know places in an active way: rafting, trekking, surfing or
biking can be an enjoyable part of your holiday.
Az
orean Villages & East Coast
Fish market, Lagoa da Conceição and East Coast
Immigrants
from the Azores Archipelago settled along the Santa Catarina Coast
during the 17th Century. In Florianopolis they founded small villages
around the island where they survived from small-scale farming and
cottage fishing. They left an important cultural inheritance in terms of
architecture, culinary, folklore and a very particular accent that
still keep alive expressions from Old Portuguese.
Some
of the villages they founded, the “Freguesias”, still have examples of
the simple but charming architecture they brought to the island. These
communities, with their peaceful atmosphere, are also ideal places to
try the delicious local seafood.
Naufragados Beach and Oyster farms of Ribeirão da Ilha
Florianópolis
in recent years became the centre for oyster production in Brazil. The
old Azorean fishing village of Ribeirão da Ilha is one of the main areas
for oyster farming on the Island. We combine a trip to one of the local
farms with a short trek to one of the most beautiful beaches on the
Island to make a full day trip of light adventure and gastronomic
experience.
Deutsch Santa Catarina
South
Brazil, in special the northern part of Santa Catarina State, received a
large influx of German immigrants in the middle of the 19th Century. In
the region known as the European Valley, a number of small villages
still retain the influence of its Germanic origins in the architecture,
the local dialect and cuisine.
This full day
tour -which can be done by bike-will take you to rural Pomerode, which
preserves its immigrant culture on hundreds of timber-framed houses,
surrounded by neat tropical gardens. Afterwards taste authentic German
food and beer in one the regions breweries or kaffehaus.
Rafting in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz
Santo
Amaro, only 40 km away from the island, is the closest rafting base to
Florianópolis. Rafting in the River Cubatão, with rapids class II-III,
is ideal for beginners.
The scenery along the river is beautiful:
the right margin borders the Serra do Tabuleiro National Park, the
biggest Atlantic Rainforest reserve in the vicinity of Florianopolis.
Day treks on Santa Catarina Island
The Island of Santa Catarina,
part of the city of Florianopolis,
has 45% of its area covered in Atlantic Rainforest, making it an ideal place
for walks. Around the coast, paths with dramatic scenery lead to deserted beaches.
Inland, some trails opened by the original Azorean settlers still are the only
link to isolated communities. Other trails cross nature reserves with lagoons
and waterfalls, allowing for wildlife spotting, specially bird life.
Contact us for more details