Santa Catarina Island

Santa Catarina Island is considered the pearl of Brazil, located off the southeastern coast. Due to the large number of beaches and picturesque nature, there are always a lot of tourists here.

Initially, its population consisted exclusively of fishermen. The first-ever fortress on the island was built by the Spaniards in the 16th century, and at the end of the 17th century, the Portuguese began to settle the territory. Today, the population of Santa Catarina Island is 421,000 people. The island has an area of 523 km2, and bridges connect mainland Brazil and the island.

Interesting places on Santa Catarina Island

The main feature of the island is its beaches with incredibly clean sand and amazing palm trees. The beaches of this island are the best place for those who like to go diving and surfing. In addition, the local authorities have paid special attention to the beach infrastructure, so there are a lot of restaurants, cafes and places where you can rent deck chairs, diving equipment, etc.

Fishing settlements inhabited by Portuguese deserve special attention here. Every tourist will be delighted by the unusual beauty of their Azores architecture. There are many oyster growing companies on the territory, visiting which you will be able to learn more about the technologies and standards of production of the best seafood in the world.

One of the main attractions of Santa Catarina Island is the fort of San Jose da Ponta Grossa, where lace production is carried out. Travelers enjoy visiting the fort and getting to know more about the intricacies of this craft, as well as the traditions of the population.

Lagoa da Conceicao Lake is located in the central part, near which there are many modern entertainment venues and shady alleys. The Palacio Cruz y Sousa Castle houses the Santa Catarina Historical Museum, whose exhibitions tell about the historical events of the island and its settlement. There is also a museum where paintings by contemporary artists are on display.

Large-scale celebrations are often held here, and one of the most famous is the World Film Festival, dedicated to short films, which takes place on the island in the middle of the summer. Many tourists claim that the entire scale of this festive event cannot be explained in words, because during this period all the guests of the island and the local population rest.