Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
9
Igreja Santo Antônio dos Anjos
Praça Vidal Ramos • Daily 7am-7pm • Free
Not all of Laguna's old town dates from the eighteenth century, but its general aspect is
that of a Portuguese colonial settlement. The oldest streets are those extending off
Praça
Vidal Ramos
, the square that holds the
Igreja Santo Antônio dos Anjos
. Built in 1694,
the church retains its late eighteenth-century Baroque altars and, though rather
modest, is considered the most important surviving colonial church in Santa Catarina.
Casa de Anita
Praça Vidal Ramos • Daily 8am-6pm • R$2.50
A small museum in a tiny house built in 1711, the
Casa de Anita
is dedicated to
Anita
Garibaldi
(1821-49), the Brazilian wife of Giuseppe Garibaldi, maverick military
leader of the Italian unification movement. Garibaldi was employed as a rebel
mercenary in the Brazilian
Guerra dos Farrapos
(1835-45), the war between
republicans and monarchists, and it was in Laguna that a short-lived republic was
declared in 1839. Anita was born in Laguna (the house belonged to her godparents),
but died of malaria in Italy - Garibaldi was said to have been heartbroken. There are
some fine photographs of nineteenth-century Laguna on display, but - oddly perhaps -
there's little on Anita's life and republican activities; scissors and hairbrushes that once
belonged to her are typical of the exhibits.
Farol Santa Marta
About 19km out of town (via a short ferry) to the south is the
Farol Santa Marta
, a
lighthouse that was transported piece by piece from Scotland in 1891 (the interior is
off limits). The third-tallest lighthouse in the Americas, it's surrounded by bleak but
beautiful scenery offering wild seas (suicidal for even the strongest of swimmers, but
popular with local surfers nonetheless) and protected beaches. Between June and
September this stretch of shore is a popular spot from which to watch the migrating
right whales
, which are clearly visible from the shore with binoculars. There are no
buses here, so you'll need your own transport (most of the road is unpaved, so drive
especially carefully after heavy rain), to take a taxi or boat, or walk along the beach.
Expect serious crowds in the summer.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
LAGUNA
By bus
The rodoviária (
T
48 3644 0208) is at Rua
Arcângelo Bianchini, a couple of minutes' walk from the
waterfront and the old town. There are around eight buses
daily to and from Florianópolis (2hr 15min), and six daily to
Porto Alegre (6.5-7.5hr).
Tourist information
Located at the official entrance
to town, 3km from central Laguna on Av Calistralo
Muller Salles (Mon-Sat 8am-6pm, Sun 8am-1pm;
T
48 3644 2441).
ACCOMMODATION
Pousada Mar Grosso
Rua Criciúma 36, Bairro Mar
Grosso
T
48 3647 0298,
W
pousadamargrosso.com.br.
The best mid-range choice in town, 50m from the beach
with clean, compact, simple en-sui
te roo
ms in a great
location, with TV, free wi-fi and fans.
R$120
The Serra Catarinese
The region known as the
SERRA CATARINESE
(
W
serracatarinense.com) is the most
picturesque part of inland Santa Catarina, well worth exploring if you have your
own transport. Until the road-building programme of the 1970s, the mountainous
hinterland of the state was pretty much isolated from the rest of the region. Even
today it remains well off the beaten path for tourists - the area is time-consuming to
access without your own car - despite boasting some scintillating mountain scenery
(it sometimes snows here in winter, the major draw for Brazilian tourists).
