Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Jurerê
The island's booming resort industry kicks into gear at
JURERÊ
, 26km north of
Florianópolis, a 4km wedge of plush condos, hotels and holiday homes that lines
the entire, sandy curve of
Praia Jurerê
. The beach is fabulous but the resort is rather
sedate - it feels a bit like a Florida retirement community.
9
Fortaleza de São José
Servidão José Cardoso de Oliveira 3547 (end of Av dos Búzios) • Daily 9am-noon & 1-5pm (Jan & Feb till 7pm) • R$8 • Buses (#272)
terminate at the base of the headland (where the single-lane road begins)
Drive to the far western end of Praia Jurerê and the road becomes a narrow, single lane
as it climbs the Ponta Grossa headland to the
Fortaleza de São José
, the island's only
major historic remnant. Built in 1740 to guard the northern approaches to the city,
this enigmatic stone fortress has been sensitively restored, with several bronze cannons
peering out and the main buildings converted into small museums - the views of the
coast and across to the mainland are stunning. The Casa do Comandante at the top
contains archeological bits and pieces (mostly glass, animal bones and pottery found
on the site, while the Paiol da Polvora (storeroom) above charts the history of the fort
(in Portuguese). Below, the Quartel da Tropa (barracks) contains an exhibit on local
lace-making (with some English labels).
Praia do Forte
Along the road from the Fortaleza de São José, the
Praia do Forte
is a totally
undeveloped stretch of white sand below the fort, with just a couple of laidback beach
bars and a car park (this is the end of the road). Keep walking south and you'll find a
series of coves fringed by luxuriant vegetation between here and Daniela - they can be
reached by climbing over the rocks that separate one from another.
Daniela
DANIELA
, a few kilometres south of Jurerê, is now similarly developed, though the
condos are separated from its great swathe of sand by a thick barrier of vegetation,
making this beach a lot more appealing. Another bonus: the beach extends all the
way to the tip of the
Ponta da Luz
promontory, where it is almost always deserted.
Canasvieras
Just around the headland to the east of Jurerê, the long, gently curving bay of
CANASVIERAS
is the most crowded of the northern resorts, largely geared towards
Paulistanos, Argentine and Uruguayan families who own or rent houses near to the
beach. Most of the bars along the beach (Av das Nações) cater to the tourists, playing
Argentine and North American pop music, and serving Argentine snacks accompanied
by Brazilian beer. By walking away from the concentration of bars at the centre of the
beach, towards the east and
Ponta das Canas
, it's usually possible to find a relatively
quiet spot.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
CANASVIERAS
By bus
From Canasvieras (TICAN) you can take: #842 to
Lagoa Da Conceição (TILAG); #276 to Balneário Canasvieras;
#231 or #233 to Floripa (TICEN).
Praia da Lagoinha and around
The bay to the east of Canasvieras is now one long strip of development, through
dusty Cachoeira do Bom Jesus and Ponta das Canas to the utterly soulless condo
resort of
Praia Brava
on the other side of the headland. Tucked in between, at the
extreme northern tip of the island, is the kilometre-long
Praia da Lagoinha
- by far
the prettiest beach hereabouts and with the island's warmest water. Seagulls and
turkey vultures happily share the sand with sunbathers. Though the beach here is
