Special Day trips in/around Florianopolis

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


Azorean 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.

Kayaking in the mangroves...in Florianopolis!

One of my favourite destinations in South Brazil is the Lagamar Estuary in Paraná, where you can find the largest tracts of Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil(+mangroves+ deserted beaches+ the unique Caiçara culture…) Lagamar is a magical place set against the background of the stunning Serra do Mar. Our Rainforest Expedition offers a 2-night stay at a simple lodge in the middle of the forest from where we do lots of outdoor activities around the area. I love everything about this trip but for me the best time there is to be had kayaking down the mangroves, watching all the aquatic birds and quite often meeting dolphins at the bay of Pinheiros… Unfortunately this paradise is a few hours from Florianopolis so I don’t get to go kayaking in the mangroves that often.

Well, this is about to change… today I found out that I can kayak in mangroves about 5 min from my home! The possibilities for outdoor activities in Santa Catarina Island in Florianopolis has always amazed me, and, yes, I already knew of many mangroves in the north and west of the island but they are either inside nature reserves or in the middle of the city. I could not imagine that I could kayak in mangroves literally down the road from my house.

The Sangradouro River is a small river that meets the sea between the beaches of Armação and Matadeiro on the south coast of Floripa (both gorgeous beaches on their own). Today, tipped by a local resident that rents out kayaks, I just paddled up that river and within minutes it seemed I was miles away from anywhere. On the way I met kingfishers, 3 or 4 species of herons (white-necked herons, small blue heron and the yellow-crowned night-heron) besides numerous egrets. I didn’t see any but I was told that yellow-throat caimans can be seen on this stretch of the river.This non-aggressive species is the only caiman found in South Brazil.

What a great place!

Tips from Brazil Ecojourneys:

• You can also rent kayaks in the nearby Lagoa do Peri. This a beautiful fresh water lake inside a nature reserve that is really worth visiting. If you go up the river at the far end of the lake early in the morning you might spot red-breasted toucans ;
• Lagoa do Peri is also home for the endangered Brazilian River Otter- you can volunteer for a week in a conservation and scientific project studying these otters, staying right in the middle of the nature reserve;
  

• If you are in Florianopolis area and want to do some paddling contact us: we can put you in touch with kayak rental places, arrange for a private guided tour of Peri Lake or even take you kayaking down rapids at nearby Caldas da Imperatriz;

Carnival 2009 in Florianopolis -II

Carnival in Florianopolis happens all over the Island, but the most traditional events, the Samba Schools Parade, Bloco dos Sujos parties and the Pop Gay Festival, all happen downtown.

During the 5 days (20-24th February), there are street parties animated by bands playing on stages distributed around the centre. Next to the Public Market, around the XV November Square ( a.ka. Praça da Figueira) and in Hercilio Luz Avenue, an area almost exclusively frequented by the LGBT crowd during Carnival. Music starts from 21h and finishes 2 a.m.

Saturday (21st Feb) is the night of the Samba Schools Parade in the local Sambadrome (Passarela Nêgo Quirido). Tickets are cheap but difficult to get hold of unless you queue for hours, so it is easier to get them from touts on the day. They should cost from around R$50. The parade starts oficially at 20h, but delays are very common, so expect to wait until 21-21:30 until the first School appears. The whole show lasts around 7- 8 h, going into the early hours of the morning. Dress warm and take a rain coat, as the stands are not covered!

Sunday is the day of Bloco dos Sujos, a very traditional part of the local Carnival. Hordes of cross-dressed man (most of them straight and married...) parade during the afternoon through the centre of town dancing, singing and drinking- loads!, frequently accompanied by their whole families. Quite a sight! Later on the smaller neighbourhood samba groups -"blocos"- compete at the Sambadrome. From 19h.

On Monday night the biggest event is the Pop Gay Festival, which is a competition of Carnival costumes for Drag Queens and Transexuals. Traditionally it was held in the Hercilio Luz Avenue (where the LGBT crowd gathers), but due to its huge success ( last year 50 thousand people attended) , it was moved this year to Tancredo Neves Square, a few blocks away from the original site. The crowd is very mixed with lots of families attending. Starts from 21h.

Apart from downtown, the neighbourhood of Santo Antonio de Lisboa has a more low-key but still very popular Carnival, with parties every night and also the Children's Carnival on Sunday. Campeche and Lagoa are also neighbourhoods that have "blocos" on Carnival Sunday.

Short trips from Florianopolis - Number 1: Pomerode

South Brazil, in special the northern part of Santa Catarina State, received a large influx of German immigrants in the middle of the 19^th 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. The most well-known city is Blumenau, home to the Oktoberfest, a beer festival that is second only to Munich in number of visitors. A more authentic experience is to be had in Pomerode, a small village nearby, where an estimated 80 % of its population still speaks a German dialect.

We just revisited Pomerode last weekend and decided to spend the night, rather than the usual day trip, so we could try the local brewery, Schornstein.

It was a good idea: the beers at this microbrewery were great- my favourite being the Pale Ale, a strong flavoured beer that will please lovers of Real Ale!

At the brewery, you can also snack in typical German fare such as sausages and hackepeter (the German version of middle-eastern Kibbe). If you want to have a proper meal of typical German Colonial cuisine, go to Wunderwald for lunch. The most famous dish is Marreco recheado (Stuffed roasted goose served with apple puree and red cabbage). For me, this is as good as German food gets! If you have any space left, visit the Torten Paradis Kaffehaus for tea and cakes in the afternoon. Next door is the equally tempting shop for the Nugali chocolates- the closest thing in Brazil to Lindt chocolates.

To burn all these calories, rent a bike from the tourist office and cycle through town up to the Enxaimel route (the timber-framed houses built in early 20^th Century by immigrants from Pomerland). Cycling is a very popular mean of transport here, with cycle lanes in all the main roads.

An interesting but sad cultural note: although German immigration to Santa Catarina preceded the Great Wars, the settlers suffered a great deal of hostility during this period and many had to change names and their way of life. A striking example is found near the end of the route. There is an old cemetery to the right of the road, where you will see the tombs of the original immigrants- all with eulogies in German, except for those that died during the Second World War, when German was completely banned in South Brazil.

Tips by Brazil Ecojourneys team:

If you do not have a car, there are frequent buses from Blumenau. Once there, rent a bike to go around town;

If you would like a guided visit to Pomerode, check our Deutsche Santa Catarina day trip from Florianopolis.

Adventure Travel World Summit 2008

Last week we participated in the Adventure Travel World Summit in Sao Paulo. The event was a great opportunity to make new contacts and meet fantastic people working in adventure and ecotourism throughout the world. We also had a unique chance of attending some amazing talks on sustainable tourism. In the opening night Gerard and Margie Moss gave a great introduction about Brazil and about their project studying the influence of the Amazon in the rainfall patterns throughout Brazil. Check http://www.riosvoadores.com.br/index.php for more information.
Antonia Neubauer from Myths & Mountains gave a great talk about how to be a responsible tour operator in developing countries. Their READ project is truly a great example to follow. See www.readglobal.org for more information. The main theme of the Summit probably was that there is a growing desire for travelling as an instrument of personal transformation. The closing lecture by Carol Bellamy was for me the most inspiring. She pointed that responsible travellers should not only look at transforming themselves but also transforming the lives of those they meet. I couldn´t agree more.