This is the capital city of Santa Catarina State, in the southern part of Brazil; Florianopolis is nicknamed the “Magic Island”, in spite of also being connected to the continent. The island is connected to the continent by the Hercílio Luz Bridge. It was inaugurated in 1927 and 820m long and it is considered as an icon of the city. The “magic” in the title refers to the supernatural stories told by the ancient colonizers who came from Azores.
The settlement began around 1675, and was known as the “Vila de Nossa Senhora do Desterro” (Our Lady of Exile Village). The name Florianopolis has been around since 1894 in homage to Marechal Floriano Peixoto, a Brazilian national hero.
There are around 500 thousand inhabitants nowadays in the city. The streets and avenues are located between the seacoast and the foothills. Modern constructions are built amidst historical colonial-type monuments. And the 42 beaches assure intense tourist business throughout the summer months. The local economy features almost 300 information technological companies, as well tourism, and artisanal fishing.
Unesco has nicknamed the city as one of the “Creative Cities for Gastronomy”. Besides oysters, the local typical dishes feature a strong seafood influence, such as fish broth thickened with cassava meal, mullet served fried, stuffed, or roasted and fried cockle pasties, a typical shellfish found there. As well as the beaches and seaside restaurants, the tourist attractions in the capital city include locations where the first communities of the immigrants from the Azores, the historical downtown of the city, the fortresses, and the metropolitan cathedral.