Global Health Adventures: Florianópolis

Florianópolis is a city in southern Brazil that straddles the mainland and an island, the Ilha do Santa Catarina. Ilha do Santa Catarina is home to many beautiful beaches that are juxtaposed with mountains and sand dunes. I spend the last weekend of my vacation on the island, primarily at a beach, Praia do Campeche.

I arrived again somewhat exhausted after an early morning flight out of Buenos Aires. After settling into my pousada, I headed out to relax on the beach of Praia do Campeche. It was a rather quiet beach with a view of the nearby mountains without the numerous barracas that litter the beaches of Fortaleza.

On my second day in Santa Catarina, I decided to head out to an island off shore of Praia do Campeche, Ilha do Campeche. This island is home to an archaeological and ecological reserve. I spent the morning hiking through trails observing interesting rock formations, and rock carvings that were created many years ago. Returning to the main island after lunch, I spent the remainder of the afternoon on the beach before retiring to the pousada to spend several hours reading in the evening.

On my final day in Santa Catarina, I headed into the city of Florianópolis, riding a public bus to get a view of parts of the city. Later in the afternoon, I headed to the airport for my return flight to São Paulo, and was able to get on an earlier flight back to Fortaleza, arriving in Fortaleza just after midnight after a fun and relaxing vacation, ready to get back to work in the lab.

Praia do Campeche