Estado de Santa Catarina Travel Forum

Hello everyone,

Will be arriving Florianopolis around the 18th or 19th of June.
Looking for a place to stay preferably in the Lagoa the Conceicao area.
Poussada, stay with a family or other possibilities.
Need internet access.

Also looking to take some private lessons in Portuguese.

Also, how about cell phones?? Is it possible to rent one, or have a SIM card for my own cell phone??

Anyone from the Forum going to be there in June or July? Would like to meet as many people as possible.


Any and all info appreciated.
Thanks
fbak

try here:
http://www.webpousadas.com.br
Once I've been in a Pousada at Barra da Lagoa and my pousada had xDSL for free... I just used to check emails, nothing else.
Lagao de Conceicao is... "close water", not one of the best place, Ingleses it's a good place.

Floripa at June? Could be not "too hot". I would suggest NE Brazil, i.e.: Porto de Galinhas

Thanks CQF.. Will check the websie for the Poussadas.
Everyone seemd to favor Lagoa area for some reason. I guess it was mainly because of the night life.

thanks again
fbak

"I guess it was mainly because of the night life."
Ingleses, no doubt

I guess I will out Ingleses..
Have you been there?

I know I am going at the wrong season, but this is the only time I have off for now. Compared to Ithaca weather (where I am now), i will probably get more sun there than here.

Thanks for the input

I've been to Floripa end 2003, as I wrote I was at Barra da Lagoa (I wanted something not too crowded) but I had a look around, talked with people.. Ingleses has a lot of night life.. during their summer. As Floripa has tourists mainly from Brazil and Argentina and who arrives from other countries (all together) is less than two figures percentage, I do not actually think it will be a lot night life at beginning of winter, many places will be closed, ocean water could be cold... have a look here for hystorical weather and temperature of Floripa.

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/SBFL/1972/6/18/PlannerHistory.html?dayend=30&monthend=6&yearend=1972

Nice winter, isn't it? but Floripa is not like Natal

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/SBNT/1972/9/18/PlannerHistory.html?dayend=30&monthend=9&yearend=1972

or Fortaleza

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/SBFZ/1972/9/18/PlannerHistory.html?dayend=30&monthend=9&yearend=1972

where you'll find night life all year around.


p.s. Delta seems to be the cheapest for a flight from JFK to Fortaleza/Natal via S.Paulo.. be flexible, it could be a big difference from one day to an other... You may choose TAM (good airline) from NYC to S.Paulo and using low cost GOL in Brazil if you can't get a good fare from GRU to FOR/NAT with TAM.

Hi CQF, thank you fro the information. I will check the websites you sent me. I hope that if I decide on Florianopolis it won't be too dead or cold. My main interest in Florianopolis is that they give "beginner" portuguese lessons at the university - I have not been able to find this in other cities yet. Also, it seems very safe from what I hear. I may still go there to check it out for a week or two and then maybe continue on somewhere warmer and more lively.

It will not be beach weather in the south (Floripa). I actually gets rather cold.

My suggestion would also be to consider the Northeast. TAM flies from Miami direct to Salvador, where the winter temps are higher and there is plenty of nightlife.

If you do not need college credits, you could take Portuguese lessons from Sheila Waksman, who is an excellent teacher, in Salvador. She also arranges inexpensive home stays for her students.
See:
http://www.basicalingua.com/brazil-study-contents.htm

Or consider going further into the northeast to Recife or Natal or Fortaleza, where it will also be warmer.

Hi Bahiana, thank you for the information. I will probably change my travel plans ... I definitely would prefer somewhere warmer. Salvador sounds like a good option. It seems like there may be more things to do there too.

thanks for the advise.. I decided to head to Salvador instead of Floripa.