After spending close to 20 hours in a flight, evening in a different continent, and having slept at the airport the previous evening, Sao Paulo wasn’t exactly the place I was looking for. I had a faint memory of a friend suggesting me ‘Florianopolis’ so I took the first convenient bus out of the city. It wasn’t an easy task though without knowing any Portuguese but like everywhere else the people were extremely helpful. A lady held my hand and took me to the ticket counter I was looking for when I couldn’t understand what she was trying to explain.
I took an evening bus to Florianopolis and was there the next afternoon.
Getting to Florianopolis:
It’s easily accessible by road and air. I took a bus from Sao Paulo that took 14 hours to reach and cost 120 Reals (Around Rs. 2600)
First Impression
It initially seemed to me like just another city and it bothered me a little bit. In hindsight maybe it was just the added trouble of not being able to talk as NOBODY spoke English. I left for a beach the same afternoon and it changed my perception of the place. Not only was the beach really beautiful but the way was wonderful as well.
Things to do in Florianopolis:
Beaches:
The place has 42 beaches and some are extremely beautiful and surprisingly not crowded either.
Hiking:
There are some day hikes that can be done like ‘Caminho de Ratones a Costa da Lagao’. It took about 40 minutes to reach and then one can swim under the waterfall. The water was freezing cold though.
Partying:
Brazilian parties are a must visit whether you like partying or not. The Samba music is fun to listen to and dance is a treat to watch. I appreciated the fact that the people hold their culture so closely in Brazil.
‘Ilha do Campeche’ is supposedly another nice place from Campeche beach but I did not go there as it requires you to take an expensive boat ride to the island.
Ideal time to spend:
I was there for 8 days and I could easily stay longer but then I love beaches!
Pain Point:
The bus system needs a lot of improvement. Even though the places were pretty nearby I could not travel much as it takes forever to take a bus and reach your destination. Buses are few and there’s a standard ticket price of 3.5 Reals irrespective of the distance you’re traveling. It’s good when you’re traveling long distance within the city though.
A really good depiction of Floripa. I am waiting for more updates from your on going wanderlust 🙂
Thank you! Time for some critical feedback please.
You don’t write often, which you should
This I’m working on 🙂
I am feeling jealous because I love beaches and swimming (though I don’t know how to swim) I’m missing Andamans now.. 😞😞
Lovely pictures.. Liked them all. ✌✌
Thank you so much 🙂 Why don’t you make a trip to a beach place?
Hi, I am stumnled on your blog while I was looking for details of Brazil as to how long is it valid for.
Kudos !. Usually Indian backpackers get to south america after wandering a lot in asia and europe . I am surprised to see you choosing south america as a destination for your second international trip(ignore of I am wrong). Great job.
Just wanted to know how did you fly from India to Sao paulo? How much did it cost you. ?
Hey, thank you so much. Yes, you’re right, It’s only my second international trip and the first one was very brief (a week) and very near to India as well (Sri lanka).
I chose Ethiopian airlines to fly, it was around 60k return ticket but if I had to do this again, I would only book a one way ticket no matter how expensive it is. Flexibility comes at a cost and I’m okay with it.
Let me know if you have any other questions.