Florianópolis

Florianópolis — or “Desterro”, as it was originally called — was founded in 1700 and settled fifty years later by immigrants from the Portuguese mid-Atlantic islands of the Azores. Since then, it has gradually developed from a sleepy provincial backwater into a sleepy state capital. With the construction of the bridges linking the island with the mainland, Florianópolis has all but ceased to function as a port and now thrives as an administrative, commercial, and tourist centre. Land reclamation for a multi-laned highway and new bus terminals has eliminated the character of the old seafront, taking much of the city’s former charm with it. Despite these changes, the late nineteenth-century pastel-coloured, stuccoed buildings still faintly recall an older world, while the relaxed, small-town atmosphere makes a gentle contrast on 11-day Brazil trips that also include the intensity of São Paulo or Rio.