A Tropical Germany

In Most town of Santa Catarina, one has to take a second look to remember one is not in Germany. But it was not only German settlers who made the state what is today, one of the country's fastest growing economic regions, but also Italian, Portuguese and Polish immigrants. 

Santa Catarina's capital built on an island halfway down the coast is surrounded by 42 beaches and several lakes. Indeed, Florianopolis is one of the country's most beautiful state capitals. Some of its beaches have not yet been invaded by big crowds, providing calm and tranquility. But for those who want sophistication with an exciting night life, Florianopolis has got it. Excellent hotels, good food at low prices and a temperate climate make the city one of the most pleasant. And its Carnival is famous nation-wide for being on of the funniest. Aside from the island there is a whole state waiting to be explored. The Itajaí River Valley, developed by German immigrants, is among the most industrialized regions of the state and is also one of the prettiest. Blumenau, the region's best known city, has a wholly German appearance with its chalets, flower boxes and typical German architecture. Blumenau has excellent hotels and inns, as does the nearby city of Joinville, farther North, on the coast another industrial center with definite German flavor. Enjoy draft beer and wurst in these and other towns, as well as Brazilian food and international dishes. Joinville is called the "City of Princes" as well as the "City of Flowers". On their way to work every day, local workers ride bicycles along tree-lined streets full of colorful flowers. Driving into the city, one passes through a kind of gate looking like a covered bridge with the inscription "Joinville" in gothic letters. Farther down the coast, on the way to Florianópolis, are some of The Santa Catarina most famous and well-loved beaches. Camboriú is the famous and most sophisticated resort, featuring luxury beach front hotels and excellent cuisine. For those who are looking for a more peaceful setting there are the beaches of Porto Belo and Itapema, with big and sophisticated hotels but where one can also stay in tiny inns or rent beach houses. At the Penha resort is Beto Carrero World, the fifth largest theme park in the world. South of Florianopolis there are more beaches, each one more beautiful and attractive than the other. Laguna, located on a peninsula just 100 kilometers from the capital, is a historical town of carefully also preserved architecture and lovely beaches. In the interior of Santa Catarina, particularly in the highlands, there is a whole world of rural tourism to be explored. The best known places are Fraiburgo, the largest producer of apples in South America, and São Joaquim, which boasts an excellent mountain climate. In the winter there is always a snowfall, due to the altitude, attracting tourists from all over Brazil. The area is also known for its mineral water spas and the hospitality of its inhabitants, a charming cultural mix who welcome the visitor with open arms. 

A Pleasant Resort

The beach resort of  Camboriu, located 1,000 kilometers from Rio de Janeiro and 75 kilometers from Santa Catarina's capital, Florianópolis, is one of the most sophisticated and developed resort-towns in Brazil. Preferred by Uruguayans and Argentines, with excellent hotels and numerous apartments and houses for rent, Camboriú boasts and exciting night life. Aside from the beach itself, with placid waters and a benevolent sun, there are many other places to be enjoyed and the proximity of other attractions or even towns to be visited, using Camboriú as a hub. Atop the Cruz Hill one can enjoy a beautiful view of the town and the ocean, and the Camboriú Park, a lovely shady area where important traditional festivals are held, particularly in October, when the whole state is a party. Also worth a visit is the Troquilidário with its thousands of hummingbirds, as well as the aquarium collection and the oceanographic Museum. There is also an amusement park called Vila das Crianças, with rides and shows for all ages.

Tropical Germany

Blumenau, a typically German city hidden away on the banks of the Itajaí-Açu River, receives over a million visitors every year, who got there to see its lovely natural settings and German style of its urban layout, architecture and customs. its friendly people, its industry and commerce, its knit wear, crystal, porcelain and folk art are some of the many reasons why the city has become such a tourist success. Aside from the multicolored gardens and bucolic environment, Blumenau offers its famous café colonial, wonderful leisure areas, excellent regional food - a combination of South Brazilian and German -, as well as international cuisine, from the simplest German-style inn to the most sophisticated five star luxury hotel and a big convention center located downtown. The city was founded by the German naturalist Hermann Bruno Otto Blumenau in 1850 and in 1880 was incorporated, with its founder becoming the central figure of German colonization in the Itajaí-Açu River Valley, where other 36 towns were formed. Situated in one of the most beautiful regions of Santa Catarina, Blumenau is today an important tourist center, a typically combination of European homes, lovely parks and public squares, good hotels, and excellent restaurants and grills rooms. Blumenau is also known for its booming industry, with over 500 factories whose products can be found in more than 2,000 stores around the city. In the rural area one will find remarkable scenery, with more than 30 hunting clubs. Every year these clubs hold celebrations, crowning their king and queen, with a lot of folklore, country dancing and gallons and more gallons of beer. There are many things to be seen, such as the Colonial Family Museum, the Founder's Mausoleum, São Paulo Apóstolo Cathedral - one of the most fascinating examples of modern Brazilian sacred architecture -, the Blumenau ship, a replica of the primitive boat that transported cargo and passengers between the port of Itajaí and Blumenau, the Fritz Mueller Museum and Library, the Edith Gaertner Botanical Park, the Cultural Center, the Minimundo - a miniature-city -, and the Rudolph Gerlach Little Theater. Blumenau is city very well equipped to receive visitors, with dozens of hotels, restaurants, snack-bars, grillrooms and bars. A local tradition is the Café Colonial (like the 5 o'clock tea but with coffee). Traditional are also the sweets, cookies and candies made with local fruits, as well as the night beer-houses, one of witch has a capacity for 5,000 people. Although Blumenau is a party all year round, in October it really shows its German roots with the Oktoberfest and its polkas, pink-cheeked faced, flowers and free draft beer served at numerous points of the city, and from a wagon driven all day long through the main streets and avenues of the city. It is the only time Blumenau stops being a party, to become a true beer festival.

Joinville

Located in a beautiful region between the ocean and the mountain range, Joinville exhibits strong signs of this German colonization, notedly in customs and habits easily identified all over the city by the great number of wooden frame brick houses characteristic of the German settlement, the flowery gardens and the traditional and very tasty typical dishes - a must for any tourist visiting the place. The local population presently numbers over 350,000 inhabitants and the city is unique thanks to its remarkable industry of over 600 factories, constituting the biggest economic complex of Santa Catarina State. Among other attractions to be seen, are four museums - the most important is Brazil's Colonization Museum -, many shady places and public parks and gardens peaceful and full of flowers. Like Palm Trees Street, the Belvedere, a lookout point on top of a hill, offering a panorama 250 meters high of the town and the ocean, and Saint Francis Bay. As options, there are many possibilities for shopping at attractive prices. A great variety of factory sales outlets. Made articles are offered at locally. At the main entrance of the city the visitor is greeted by typically clad girls at the "Pórtico" resembling a typical house. There is a covered bridge travel center where receptionists offer information with a smile representing the so-called "Happy Town", as Joinville is also know. A seaport 45 kilometers from Joinville, São Francisco do Sul, settled centuries ago by Azorean colonists, has as its main attraction, the architectural beauty of old mansions, built in the typical style of the time of colonization and preserved until today. In São Francisco do Sul are some of the loveliest beaches in Brazil, such as the Praia do Ingles, Paula Beach and Capri, all sheltered in the bay, besides Ubatuba, Enseada and Praia Grande on the ocean shore, and the old Forte Marechal Luz. São Francisco do Sul is said to be the second oldest town in Brazil. Contrasting with the beauty around São Francisco do Sul, of Portuguese settlement, there is São bento do Sul, of German colonization, a town high in the mountains at 839 meters above sea level, with a pleasant climate. A must for all who visit Santa Catarina. There the visitor is offered woodcraft and hardwood furniture, a great variety of chocolate and other regional items. On the way back to Joinville, a stopover in Jaraguá do Sul is recommended for purchases at the local factories. Barra Velha is one of the nicest spots on the Santa Catarina's coast line, where one can buy a very good "cachaça" as well as beautiful wood carvings. Another interesting point on the coast is Piçarras, where one can the state's most famous seafood served in bars and restaurants along the ocean front.