The Off Seasoner:

Some places just require more time to get to know than others. I spent 10 days exploring Florianóplis, referred to as “the magical island.” It is the capital of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil and often shorten to “Floripa.” When I picture a magical island with a lot of witch lore surrounding it, I do not picture Floripa. First and foremost, I though it would be much smaller. The island itself is quite large, and while there is a well run public transportation system, unlike in São Paulo and Rio Uber is not the best here. You really need to rent a car or motorcycle to get around. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to drive the entire length of the island. During the peak summer season there will be a lot of traffic. As I tend to do, I went during the off season and didn’t experience much of a crowd.

I stayed right on the beach in the sleepy area of Campeche, on the southern part of the island. While there is a well known and lively night club scene on the northern side of the island, I mostly spent my time alone, hiking and walking in the sand enjoying the less developed southern area.

My favorite hike by far was to Praia da Lagoinha do Leste. This is a completely undeveloped beach that is only accessible by hiking in or by boat. There are two ways to access the beach, one way is starting from the nearby beach Praia do Matadeiro. This route is a little more intense, but also offers better views. You trek along the coast line and will get to take in many dramatic view points. It takes between 2-3 hours and involves some scrambling up and down rocky areas.

The other option is to arrive from Pantano do Sul, a sleepy fishing village. The route takes about an hour and while it is steep in some places there is no climbing. There is also more tree cover, you are walking through a forest most of the time with one good view point on the way if you take a side trail.

I chose to start at Praia do Matadeiro and end at Pantano do Sul. I ate lunch at Bar do Vadinho, where the food was delicious and the portions were enormous. Bar do Arante also comes highly recommended. I was able to easily catch a bus back to where I had parked, with buses running about every 20 minutes.

At the southern most point of the island sits Praia de Naufragados. This is another remote beach that can only be accessed by walking or by boat. This trail was more popular and less strenuous than the trials to Praia da Lagoinha do Leste. There is a campsite and a restaurant right on the beach.

I really enjoyed the drive along the coast to get here. I passed through a charming little area of Praia do Ribeirão da Ilha, that features the well rated and wonderfully named Ostradamus Restaurante. This is a romantic spot where the restaurant extends into the ocean on a pier and would be perfect for watching the sunset. Floripa is famous for oysters, and is the biggest supplier for the rest of Brazil.

I spent one lovely day exploring the city center. The public market features live music, caldo de cana, and pasteles. From there I strolled to the nearby Parque da Luz and Ponte Hercílio Luz, which connects to the mainland and was open only to foot traffic on this day.

I went all the way north to Canasvieiras and the nearby beach Praia de Jurere. I drove south to Praia de Santo Antônio de Lisboa just in time for sunset. This harbor features a small market and several romantic restaurants to enjoy a nice dinner out.

I didn’t get a chance to explore the famous dunes of Praia da Joaquina during the day, but I went to the nearby Bar DeRaiz to dance Forro to live music one night. There was a good crowd even during the low season, and people were friendly and welcoming.

The last area that I was able to explore is the Lagoa Da Conceição. This area has lots of shopping and restaurants, and you can go for a long walk around the lake.

I didn’t get to talk to many locals to hear their version of why the island is know as being magical, and has such a strong association with witches. From what I was able to gather, most of the legends became popularized post colonization by people from the Azorean region of Portugal. Franklin Cascaes is credited as having written about the majority of the folklore surrounding the island. He compiled local stories that were publish in his work “O fantastico na Ilha de Santa Catarina” (The fantastic on Santa Catarina Island). Regardless of the reason, it’s hard to leave this place not feeling changed. A little more connected to nature, and a little more connected to your inner magic.