Gorgeous Florianopolis, Brasil

---

What an excellent recommendation this island was!! While we were in Cusco, Peru (back in January) we were given a recommendation by a random Brasilian traveler who was sharing our table who said to definitely make a visit to Florianopolis.

The Irish surfer, Skully and London Bloke Pete from Punto del Diablo made the journey to Florianapolis with us. We would eventually find ourselves with these same crazy guys one month later!! What a riot!

After 4 buses and 36 hrs of traveling we found ourselves crossing from the mainland town of Sáo José onto the island of Florianopolis. We met a guy (Luke) on the bus who gave us a recommendation to stay at the Sunset Hostel. Our initial intent was to get an apartment, which would make it easier on our budget... but as it was raining and Luke was just getting off the bus at the hostel's stop, we decided to check it out. As soon as we arrived we all agreed that we made the right decision. When we walked thru the front door we found the back side of the grass roofed building opened to jungle covered hillsides, beach views and the Logoa Da Conceicáo below. It was a giant open air space including tables, chairs, couches, hammocks and a bar where we ate all our meals looking out thru the palm trees to the beaches below. There was a great energy there and while walking to our room, which was in one of the many bungalows that were built along the hillside below, we passed a giant grill (later we would taste the excellent asado), a hut with free surfboards and a terraced pool that overlooked the Lagoa.

Our first night during dinner we enjoyed a fun game of trivia (our table kicked butt) and quickly met other travelers staying there. Every night there was an event; either dancing in clubs, playing cards, celebrating birthdays or watching movies!! We met tons of fun folks and would later meet up with one of our favorite couples Sophie and Chris. 😉

We spent the first couple of days on the island on its most famous surf beaches: Mole and Barra da Lagoa. I (John) was intent on learning to surf but unfortunately there had been a cyclone off the coast 2 days prior which was producing huge waves. In the end I swallowed a lot of water and got some new bruises and aching muscles for my effort. The real surfers were amazing though... 360´s, giant jumps, and loads of aerial tricks. However even some of them had to be rescued by helicopter (not joking) and flown to safety. Crazy!

Florianapolis is about 75 km long and 10 km wide with over 40 beaches. A couple of us from the hostel (Pete, Skully, Dave, Chris, Sophie, Chrissy & I) decided to rent scooters for a day to drive around the less inhabited southern end of the island. We first rode down the western coast until the road ended at the village of Caieira where we ate enormous fresh oysters and shrimp. We drove back across the island down the eastern coast to the end of the line again which was a small beach community called Solidao. We had a cheap map that showed the two paved roads that ran down each side of the island and also the dirt roads that wound up thru the jungle. Dave lived up to his crazy New Zealander reputation and took off with Pete on the back white knuckling the back rail of the scooter! Ha...we all followed suite and had some near misses with muddy potholes, gravely hillsides, cattle and one ancient dump truck! Chrissy and I had so much fun that we kept our scooters for another day and road around the north of the island where we saw Santinho, Ingleses, and Canasvieiras beaches.

After 6 busy days on the beaches and some late nights at the hostel it was time to get moving again. It was only fitting that there was a party for the Hostel Owners birthday that night at a club in town. So after a proper send off, we left Florianopolis with a bang and had no trouble sleeping on the bus headed to Iguazu Falls.

---

Comments

[Iratxe]

Is it true that....
... all men and women in Florianopolis look stunning? That's what a friend said to me after he came back from a surfing trip there some time ago. His theory: Once men and women turn about 40, they get banned from the beach..... or else, they age really, really well............

[deleted_49612]

Another great hostel recommendation. I will also be goign to Florianopolis in November. I will probably stay at the hostel in this blog. Looks worth it. :)