Florianopolis

Florianopolis is the capital of the island, Santa Catarina.  Surrounded by 42 beaches, it has a landscape sprinkled with lakes, sand dunes and small islands along its coast.
The waves are so good that both national and international surfing championships are held here. 

Steeped in history, Florianopolis boasts a series of fortresses built to withstand invasion by the Spanish and Dutch during the 16th and 17th centuries.   Originally colonized by the Azorian Portuguese, Florianópolis retains many traces of its early years. The small village of Santo Antônio de Lisboa is an example of the architecture of that period and in Ribeirão da Ilha, the oldest part of the capital, the inhabitants still speak the Azorean dialect, which is difficult to understand at first.

Cuisine has become more sophisticated over the years, due to the Brazilians and foreigners who moved here and includes delicious seafood, all caught locally.