Florianópolis, the capital of the state of Santa Caterina, is an comprised on a large island, a bunch of small islands and some continental land.
Our hotel was located on the northern part of the island on Praia dos Ingleses. The beach was about 3 miles long with mountains on either side of us and islands in front of us.
The beach was immaculate containing the whitest and softest sand. High tide arrived around 2 pm each afternoon, but the beach was large enough that it did not impact the tables (as some other beaches have). It was peaceful and serene, a place you could easily lose yourself to.
Our hotel, offered us a splendid view of the beach and we fell asleep each night to the sound of the waves crashing along the beach. The hotel contained an outdoor pool and whirlpools, a heated indoor pool, two hot tubs and a sauna if the ocean was not enough for you. The boys, of course, had to try everything! While the air temperature was perfect, the water was a little too chilly for my liking. As Brasil is currently experiencing what they consider Fall (though we are all still in shorts and tanks), the water temperature is affected by this slight change in air temperature.
Food and drinks were plentiful. Vendors walking the beaches offered everything from Sorvete (ice cream), to fresh oysters. Some offered frango on a sitck (chicken) and some had churros. The Hotel catered to you on the beach, but had an amazing restaurant as well. We are not so great at remembering to take pictures of our food! Here are a few!
Restaurant at the hotel. This is fish and shrimp with potatoes and seasoned rice with toasted almonds.
Fresh fruit sorvete. If I recall correctly, I believe they both had coco (coconut).
A restaurant on the beach. The boys ordered shrimp.
After a long day, we decided carry out would be nice. Here you see an amazing garlic shrimp pasta, loaded fries (fries are a big thing here!), grilled shrimp with palm, and rice with broccoli and seasonings.
We are lucky that our boys are adventurous and will try new foods, though Alden might need more coaxing. Every day we had seafood, and every day they asked for more, especially sushi. Once we returned and were talking to others about the amazing seafood, we learned that this area is one of the main suppliers of shrimp for the country! No wonder it was so delicious!
Highlights of the trip:
Finding live creatures while digging in the sand and creating motes and castles.
Our daily walks on the beach together as a family.
The nighttime beach exploration!
Watching a guy catch an eel!
Sitting in a life-guard chair
and getting on the plane through the back door!
The beach itself rivals some of my favorites every visited in the Caribbean. This is a place we would love to visit again!
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