Anyone who visits the island for the first time has the impression that they just arrived in paradise. The smell of nature, the green mountains, the ocean, and the contagious beauty embraces everyone who steps on this particular island.
Florianopolis is the capital of Santa Catarina state which is both cosmopolitan and provincial. The marks of Azorean settlement are still present in the daily life of the city. The architecture is found in colonial style houses and churches. Florianopolis is a 451 km2 of oceanic island with 100 beaches and 290,000 inhabitants. The Island is long and slim, with 53 km from north to south and up to 18 km from east to west.
Shopping centers, universities, skyscrapers, broad avenues coexist with churches, Azorean houses and forts whose walls were made of shells and whale oil, which still stand strong through centuries. All these elements give the island of Florianopolis this special and unique taste. There are people born in other lands, and those who are native born. They are friendly and hospitable, living among the new and the old, with nature and technology. There are fishermen sharing the sea with surfers, colorful sailboats and all kinds of vessels. You can see imported cars driving along sinuous dirt roads while ox carts roll over asphalt. Houses nestled in the Atlantic Coastal Forest are connected to the rest of the planet by satellite, optic fibers and the Internet. Florianopolis is known as the most blessed and one of the most beautiful islands of travelers from all times and seasons.
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