Florianópolis is the capital of Santa Catarina state in southern Brazil, straddling a mainland section and the Ilha de Santa Catarina — the island that holds most of what's worth seeing. The city has over a hundred beaches spread around the island's coastline, ranging from calm, family-friendly bays in the north to serious surf breaks in the south that draw Brazilians and Argentines throughout the summer. It also has a good old colonial quarter in the centre with baroque churches, an 18th-century historic museum, and old Portuguese forts.
The city attracts a cosmopolitan crowd: young Brazilians for the beach parties, Argentines (who call it "Floripa") for the long summer, and tech workers drawn to what has become one of Brazil's emerging startup cities. The German and Italian immigrant heritage of Santa Catarina state gives Florianópolis a different character from Rio or São Paulo.