The economy of Florianópolis is heavily based oninformation technology,tourism, and services.[5] The city has 60beaches and is a center ofsurfing activity.Lagoa da Conceição is the most famous area for tourism, recreation, nature, and extreme sports.The New York Times reported that "Florianopolis is the party destination of the year in 2009."[6]Newsweek placed Florianópolis in its "ten most dynamic cities of the world" list in 2006.[7]Veja, a Brazilian publication, named the city as "the best place to live in Brazil."[8] As a result of this exposure, Florianópolis is growing as asecond home destination for manyPaulistas,Argentines,Uruguayans,U.S. citizens, andEuropeans.
Florianópolis is also commonly known by the nicknamesFloripa andIlha da Magia (Magic Island).[9][10] Most of the population lives on the mainland and on the island's central and northern parts. The southern half is less inhabited. Many small commercial fishermen populate the island.[11]
The city has been ranked as the safest capital to live in Brazil in 2024, according to the 2024 Security Atlas, released by the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA) and the Brazilian Public Security Forum (FBSP).[12] Among other rankings, it has been placed as well as the 5th best place to retire, in Brazil and the USA, by the Mongeral Aegon Longevity Institute in partnership with FGV.[13]
Florianópolis lies within theAtlantic Forest, which has an extremely diverse and unique mix of vegetation and forest types. The mainecoregion is the coastal Atlantic forest, the narrow strip of about 50–100 kilometers (31–62 miles) along the coast, which covers about 20 percent of the region. This forest extends as far as 500–600 kilometers (310–370 miles) inland, and its range is as high as 2,000 meters above sea level.Altitude determines at least three vegetation types in the Atlantic Forest: the lowland forest of the coastal plain, montaneforests, and the high-altitude grassland or "campo rupestre."
Florianópolis aerial view.Downtown Florianópolis as seen from Morro da Cruz.
The municipality contains part of the 17,104-hectare (42,260-acre) offshoreMarinha do Arvoredo Biological Reserve, a fully protected conservation unit established in 1990.[14]It also contains part of the 84,130-hectare (207,900-acre)Serra do Tabuleiro State Park, a mountainous area covered in lush forests.The park protects the sources of theVargem do Braço,Cubatão, andUna rivers, which supply most of the drinking water for greater Florianópolis and the south coast region.[15]The municipality contains the 1,532-hectare (3,790-acre)Rio Vermelho State Park in the northeast ofSanta Catarina Island, created in 2007.[16]
There is significantprecipitation, which is well distributed throughout the year. The annual normal rainfall for the period of 1961 through 1990 was 1,517.8 millimetres (59.76 in).[17] There is no dry season, and summer generally is the rainiest season. Increasedrainfall occurs from January to March, with a median of 160 millimetres (6.3 in) per month, and from April to December, there is somewhat less precipitation, averaging 100 millimetres (3.9 in) per month. The driest months are from June to August.
Florianópolis experiences a warmhumid subtropical climate (Koppen: Cfa), falling just short of a truetropical climate. The seasons of the year are distinct, with a well-defined summer and winter, and characteristicweather forautumn and spring. Due to the proximity of the sea, the relativehumidity of theatmosphere is 80% on average.
The area is threatened byclimate change, with risingsea levels expected to lead to increasedcoastal erosion.Mangroves are being planted in and around the city to help mitigate potential damage while restoring local ecosystems.[18]
The maximumtemperatures of the hottest month varies from 25 to 38.8 °C (77.0 to 101.8 °F) and the minimum temperatures are from 6 to 11 °C (43 to 52 °F). The lowest temperature ever recorded was −0.4 °C (31.3 °F) in July 2000 while the highest temperature ever recorded was 38.8 °C (101.8 °F) in February 1973.[17]
Climate data for Florianópolis (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1961–present))
Carijós Indians, aTupi people,[29] were the first inhabitants[30] of the Florianópolis area. The traces of its presence are verified through archaeological sites andsambaquis dating up to 4000 years ago. The Indians called the place Meiembipe, meaning "mountain along the channel."
Around 1514, thePortuguese landed and gave the area the name Ilha dos Patos (Island of the Ducks), but in 1526 it was renamed Ilha de Santa Catarina (Saint Catherine's Island). The area supplied the vessels that went to the River Plate (Río de la Plata) Basin.
The official settlement of theisland began in 1673 with the arrival ofbandeirante Francisco Dias Velho's agricultural company, and it continued in 1678 with the construction of achapel consecrated to Nossa Senhora do Desterro. At this time, a villa began to take form, slowly becoming acolonial settlement.
To guarantee its domain, thePortuguese Crown elevated Santa Catarina Island to the category of village in 1714 with the name of Nossa Senhora do Desterro, and already in 1726, they promoted it again, now to the category oftown.
From this date on, Vila do Desterro and mainly the port began to have a strategic function because it was situated halfway betweenRio de Janeiro andBuenos Aires, possibly two of the largest seaside cities ofSouth America at that time. For this reason, in 1739, the Capitania da Ilha de Santa Catarina was created, and Desterro became its capital. Soon, the most expressive seaside defensive ring ofSouthern Brazil started to be built: Santa Cruz, São José da Ponta Grossa, Santo Antonio, and Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Barra do Sulfortresses.
With the coming of theCaptaincy, the population began to grow, but the great population growth happened between 1747 and 1756 with the arrival of about 6,000 settlers coming from the Archipelago ofAzores and fromMadeira Island. The development of agriculture, the cotton and linen industry, and the commerce followed the Azorean occupation.In 1823, during the monarchy which ended in 1889, Desterro became the Capital of Santa Catarina Province, opening a period of prosperity with many urban works and also intensepoliticalorganization.
Regional elites, unhappy with the government centralization, staged theFederalist Revolt at the beginning of theBrazilian Republic. The movement that started inRio Grande do Sul spread to Santa Catarina and turned Desterro into the Federalist Capital of the Republic. The then president of Brazil, MarshalFloriano Peixoto, known as the Iron Marshal, suppressed the rebellion and ordered the shooting of many people who were considered enemies of the state, in theAnhatomirim Island Fortress. Possibly to show loyalty to the marshal, 1893 saw the change of the statecapital's name: from Desterro to Florianópolis, that is to say, the city of Floriano.
According to the2022 census, there were 537,211 people residing in the city. The population density was 623.68 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,615.3/sq mi). The last PNAD (National Research for Sample of Domiciles) census revealed the following numbers: 410,298White people (76.4%), 87,542Pardo (Multiracial) people (16.3%), 35,813Black people (6.7%), 2.398Asian people (0.4%) and 1,148Amerindian people (0.2%).[32]
Florianópolis has apopulation mostly composed of Brazilians ofEuropean descent. The number of immigrants started to increase in the mid-18th century, mostly with the arrival ofPortuguese colonists from theAzores Islands. The population of Florianópolis was composed mainly of Portuguese/Azoreans, Germans, and Italians. Further south, some neighborhoods preserve theirruralvillage identity. The cultural heritage left by their Azorean ancestors is noticeable in their dialect, in handicrafts, and in traditional festivities.
The smallvillage of Santo António de Lisboa (Saint Anthony of Lisbon) is an example of colonial period architecture and in Ribeirão da Ilha, the oldest part of thecapital, the inhabitants speak in an accent closer to theAzoreandialect of the first settlers. In Ribeirão da Ilha is the church of Our Lady of Lapa do Ribeirão, built in 1806. Lagoa da Conceição, with its many sand dunes, restaurants, and seaside nightlife, and where women make lace to sell in the street, has also managed to retain many traces of its colonialarchitecture.[33]
The city is densely populated, with a population distribution of 623.68 inhab./km2, the 6th highest in the state of Santa Catarina. The vast majority of Florianopólis residents live in theurban area of the municipality, corresponding to 96.2% of its inhabitants, while 3.78% live in therural area of Florianópolis.[34]
On the other side, the city has taken on a cosmopolitan air with the arrival of Brazilians from other states andforeigners who chose to live there. The island, which at the beginning of the colonization period was an important whale hunting centre, is today a technological pole of the IT industry. A State Capital of interest totourism, Florianópolis' population in 2020 was estimated to be around 508,826 people in the city proper and 1,111,702 people in the metropolitan area.
According to the 2010 Brazilian Census, most of the population (63.68%) is Roman Catholic, other religious groups include Protestants and evangelicals (12.81%), Spiritists (7.48%),Umbandists (0.66%), No religion (11.76%), and people with other religions (3.39%).[35]
Tourism is one of the staples of Florianópolis'seconomy, and relates to not only Floripa's Azorean culture but also the fact that it is situated on the coastline.[37] Its environmental restrictions on building and commercial development have been more or less strictly enforced, helping it to keep its original character.[38]
The city has invested heavily in infrastructure, from roads to schools, and Florianópolis ranks high on development measures such asliteracy (97 percent) andelectrification (near 100 percent). By the late 1990s, private companies were flocking to theisland, or emerging from atechnology "incubator" at the federal university. (Among the innovations it hatched: thecomputerized voting machines that have reduced fraud and increased efficiency inBrazilian elections.) Local officials now say they aim to be theSilicon Valley of Brazil, with beaches.[39]
A mall in Florianópolis
In addition to its white sand beaches, Florianópolis offers many historical attractions, including the sites of the original Azorean colonists, the Lagoa da Conceiçãolagoon, and Santo Antônio de Lisboa. Tourism in Florianópolis has grown significantly over the past 10 years, with increasing numbers of visitors coming from other large cities in Brazil (particularlyPorto Alegre,Curitiba,São Paulo andRio de Janeiro) as well as other South American countries (particularly Argentina, with direct flights offered daily fromBuenos Aires).[40]
During the past decade, technology and software development firms also experienced strong growth, and todayInformation Technology services are one of the top revenue generators in Florianópolis.[41] Several technology centers are spread around Florianópolis, making the city an important pole in this economic sector.
TheGDP for the city was R$323,264,000,000 (2019).[42]
The Florianópolis highschools that obtained the best results on the 2007 Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (National High School Exam) are Escola Autonomia, Colégio da Lagoa, Colégio Energia, Colégio Tendência, Colégio Expoente, Colégio Adventista de Florianópolis, Colégio Geração, Colégio de Aplicação UFSC, EEB Feliciano Nunes Pires, IFSC, Colégio Decisão, EEB Professor AníbalNunes Pires, Instituto Estadual de Educação, EEB Osmar Cunha, EEb Getúlio Vargas, EEB Presidente Roosevelt, EEB Professor Henrique Stodieck.[44]
Conceição Lagoon (Lagoa da Conceição) is the largest lagoon on the Santa Catarina Island[45] and one of the most visited areas of the island by foreign travelers and backpackers. The adjacent district of thesame name has the highest concentration of restaurants, bars, organic markets, and shops. Many expats and Brazilian people from other cities choose to live by the lagoon because of its views, safety, nature, and quality of life.
The lagoon is surrounded by mountains and has a canal linking it to the ocean. The history of the region around the lagoon is a plus with all the folklore, netting tradition, old Portuguese architecture, graffiti, and an 18th-century church on the top of the hill (see panoramic view below).
The Holy Spirit Feast (Festa do Divino) is a festival that takes place 40 days after Easter. The celebration dates to the colonial era and includes a parade, music, andstreet food.
Mole Beach (Praia Mole) is one of the best known beaches near Conceição Lagoon and is noted for its rolling green hills and rock formations on either side.[46] The beach is mostly known for surfing, eco-friendly lounges, and the LGBTQ scene during the summer. The beach is one of the locations for the ASP World Tour of theAssociation of Surfing Professionals, which classifies 50 competitors, among professionals and amateurs. The state of Santa Catarina is the only location in South America for thissurfing event.[46]Santa Catarina Art Museum is located in the city.
Joaquina Beach (Praia da Joaquina)Became well known in the 1970s, whensurfers from around the world discovered its waves. Joaquina Beach is accessible from the Lagoon of Conceição. Many surf cups began to emerge, and great Catarinense surfing personalities emerged. It is one of the beaches that offers the best tourist facilities, receiving a large number of tourists from around Brazil and the world on the warm days in spring and summer. The rock complex situated to the left of the beach, the night lighting, and the public showers are some of the trademarks at Joaquina. There is a big paid parking lot, toilets, tourist coach parking lot, lifeguards, police station, handicraft shop, bars, restaurant, and hotels. Sand boards can be rented on the spot.
Barra da LagoaBarra da Lagoa is a quaint fisherman's village. The physical characteristics of the beach make it an ideal place to learn to surf. It is a cove on the Eastern part of the island and stretches into Moçambique beach for 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). It is in a natural setting, as there are no huge hotels on the beach, and the Southern headquarters ofProjeto TAMAR (Save theTurtles) is located here. Penguins swim into the canal and near the beach of Barra da Lagoa during the colder winter months of June, July, and August. The canal at Barra da Lagoa connects theLagoa da Conceição with the open sea. It is not uncommon to see fishermen during the night tossing their nets in the lagoon to catch shrimp they sell to the fresh fish restaurants in thiscommunity.
Ingleses Beach (Praia dos Ingleses)Even though it is a beach preferred by tourists, Ingleses still keep to the traditions of theAzorian colonizers. In thesummer, it is one of the top beach destinations of Argentine tourists, second only to Canasveiras. In thewinter, mullet fishing, religious celebrations, and regional festivities are demonstrations of the local culture. The dunes separating the Ingleses Beach (English Beach) from the Santinho Beach are the mainnatural attractions. The practice ofsandboarding is quite common there, with vendors renting sandboards by the dunes. Those looking for a different outing can go on a trek of 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) over the dunes.
Armação Beach (Praia da Armação)The Sant'Anna Church, built by the Armação fishing company, is part of the beach's history. It was from there that whale harpooners and crewmen confessed and attended the mass before going fishing. Next, the priest would go down to thebeach to bless the boats that would sail out to sea. Today, the boats leave there for Ilha do Campeche, one of the most visitedislands around Florianópolis. It is also in Armação that one finds one of the most important archaeological sites of the State of Santa Catarina. In the winter of 2010, a significant portion of the beach disappeared due to erosion. With financial aid from the Brazilian federal government, tons of large rocks were dumped on the beach to prevent houses from being destroyed.
Santinho beach
Campeche Beach (Praia do Campeche)With 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of white sands and turbulent waters, Campeche is considered the Jeffreys Bay of the Santa Catarina Island for the quality of its waves. For those who are not interested in surfing, the beach offers other attractions. Atnight, Campeche is also an attraction. The huge reflector illuminates part of the large sand strip in front of the bars. Theillumination favours thefishermen with the production in this area.
Santinho Beach (Praia do Santinho) is mainly sought by tourists who look for nature and the location's tranquility. Surfers are the main visitors and consider Santinho to be the best beach in the North of Santa Catarina Island. It is in the left-hand corner, where bathers do not venture, that surfers practice their sport, sharing the space with fishermen. 40 kilometres (25 mi) away from the centre of Florianópolis, another attraction of this beach is the primitive inscriptions made by hunters, fishermen, and collectors inhabiting the Island five thousand years ago. The name Santinho (little saint) comes from a human figure engraved (apetroglyph) on an isolated block of rock, theCostão do Santinho.[47]
The island is connected to the Continent by three bridges. TheHercílio Luz Bridge, which was built in 1926, this bridge is 11 years older than theGolden Gate Bridge; it is a symbol of the island and often appears on postcard images. It is open to traffic along with the Colombo Sales Bridge and Pedro Ivo Bridge.
Santo Amaro da Imperatriz was the first thermal water facility in Brazil. Hotels withthermal bath facilities are located in the district of Caldas da Imperatriz and in the city of Águas Mornas. The Fonte Caldas da Imperatriz city baths are an additional source of thermal waters, which can reach the temperature of 39 °C (102 °F), where there are immersion baths and hydromassage. It is located on the Estrada Geral Highway, km 4, Caldas da Imperatriz district.
The centre of Florianópolis, with its alleys, rows of typicalhouses,churches, andmuseums, includes many examples of colonialarchitecture. Among these are thePalácio Cruz e Sousa [pt], formerly the Governor's residence, now restored to house theSanta Catarina Museum, renamed in honour ofCruz e Sousa, homegrown poet, journalist and founder of Brazil'sSymbolist movement; the Mercado Público de Florianópolis (Public Market since 1898), a colourful nexus of food vendors and localhandicrafts in the shade of hundred-year-old fig trees. Close to the centre is the house whereVictor Meirelles was born, one of the authors who devised the first Catholic mass spoken in Brazil. The building is registered by the Institute of Historical and Artistic Heritage and houses the Victor Meirelles Museum.
View of Florianópolis downtown
The north of the island is most visited bytourists and consequently, it bustles with the best services and visitor infrastructure. In some quarters, there is a strong influence on the population's architecture and customs. Lifelong residents of Florianópolis, especially the older generation, retain the heritage left byimmigrants fromPortuguese islands fromAzores, in the way they speak, in their artistry and craftwork and in a busy calendar of festivals.[48] The south of the island is less busy but preserves the intenselyAzorean customs that arrived in Santa Catalina throughout the 18th century.[49]
TheCarijós Ecological Station was established by Decree Number 94656, of 20 July 1987, covering an area of 7.5933 square kilometres (2.9318 sq mi) in the municipality. It preserves a significant area of mangroves on the Ilha de Santa Catarina.[50]ThePirajubaé Marine Extractive Reserve in the south bay of the Ilha de Santa Catarina protects people engaged in traditional harvesting of marine resources, mainly shellfish, from the sandbanks of the bay.[51]
It is one of the leading airports in Brazil forcharter flights, especially during the summer months and from destinations such asSantiago,Montevideo,Buenos Aires andCórdoba, besides domestic routes. The traffic has grown significantly at the airport, and therefore, the city plans to upgrade and expand the airport so that 2.7 million passengers can be accommodated annually.
The architectural design of the expansion was chosen by a public competition held byInfraero in partnership with the Brazilian Architects Institute (IAB).Among the over 150 original entries, the proposal of São Paulo architect Mário Bizelli was chosen. Normally, the projects for expansion and modernization of the 66 airports administered by Infraero are done by public tender based on the needs, criteria, and conditions presented by the company's engineering area.
The privatization of Hercílio Luz International Airport resulted in the inauguration of the new passenger terminal in October 2019, which replaced the previous terminal from the 1970s, which was deactivated. As a result, the airport capacity grew from 1 million passengers to 3.5 million passengers a year in the new and modern passenger terminal.[53]
Florianópolis Air Force Base - BAFL, a base of theBrazilian Air Force, is located in Florianópolis. The Air Base also hosts the Florianópolis Airspace Control Detachment and the Florianópolis Health Squadron. The Florianópolis Air Space Control Detachment is responsible for controlling the aircraft that cross, arrive, or leave the capital of the state of Santa Catarina, as well as for the production and dissemination of meteorological and aeronautical information, using a wide range of equipment. Detection and communications, in addition to specialized and qualified personnel. The Florianópolis Health Squadron has the mission of providing health care with excellence, carrying out preventive, assistance, forensic actions and supporting the operational activities carried out at the Florianópolis Air Force Garrison.[54]
Rita Maria is the city's mainbus 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 Florianópolis to most 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, residents and tourists alike use Rita Maria also to reachArgentina,Paraguay,Uruguay andChile.[55]
Pedala Floripa project is a university pro-bicycle program developed by the CICLOBRASIL group in the State University of Santa Catarina. The project aims to provide bicycle infrastructure projects and promote bicycle use for leisure and transport in the city.[56]
Ressacada Stadium.A sandboarder does a jump on Florianópolis dunes.
There are two professionalfootball teams in the city. The derby between them is known as "O Clássico da Capital" ("The Capital's Derby"), or simply "O Clássico" (The Derby).
Avaí FC – blue and white. It is also known as Leão da Ilha ("Lion of the Island"). Its stadium is the Aderbal Ramos da Silva, popularly known asRessacada, located in the Carianos neighborhood, in the southern part of the island. Avaí plays inCampeonato Brasileiro Série B, Brazil's national second division, and holds 18 State Championship titles.
Figueirense FC – black and white. Its nickname isFigueira and it is also known asO Furacão do Estreito. Its stadium is theOrlando Scarpelli, located in the Estreito neighborhood, in the continental part of the city. Figueirense plays inCampeonato Brasileiro Série C, the Brazilian national third division. The team has won the Santa Catarina State Championship 18 times.
Desterro Rugby Clube has male and female rugby teams competing in the Brasil Super 10 (Men's 15s) and the Super 7s (women's 7s).
Florianópolis, since the beginning of the 20th century, has had a tradition inrowing. By the middle of that century, the sport was growing in Brazil, and the city had a big influence on it. But, with the decline of the sport in the country by the late 1980s, the investment slowed, and today there is almost none. But it is still served with three schools, Riachuelo Remo, Martinelli Remo, and Aldo Luz Remo, with all three being placed betweenHercílio Luz Bridge, Colombo Salles Bridge, and Pedro Ivo Campos Bridge. Since the beginning of 2008, the sport has been experiencing a rapid growth in the number of rowers, even with people flocking from other cities to experience Floripa's rowing.
Florianópolis is the hometown of tennis playerGustavo Kuerten. There are various opportunities to practiceyoga in Florianopolis with studios that host international yoga retreats and provide teacher-training courses.Sandboarding is possible in the sand dunes near Joaquina Beach.Kitesurfing andWindsurfing are possible in the Conceição lagoon.
The island is generally considered to be blessed with the best and most consistentSurfing waves in Brazil, and in early November of each year hosts what isSouth America's onlyAssociation of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour professional surfing competition. Brazil has played host to many an ASP tour event over the past 30 years. Former contest sites includeRio de Janeiro, Barra de Tijuca, and Saquarema, but the past four years have seen the tour set up shop in Florianópolis.
Falling towards the end of the tour, the past few years have seen several ASP world champions crowned in Brazil. In 2004, it wasAndy Irons, and in 2005 it wasKelly Slater (who had his 2006 ASP World Title already stitched up by Brazil).
^"The magic island". Centro de Informática e Automação do Estado de Santa Catarina. Archived fromthe original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved3 December 2014.
^"Insolação Total (horas)".Normais Climatológicas do Brasil 1991-2020 (in Portuguese). Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia. Archived fromthe original on 24 March 2022. Retrieved25 May 2024.
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