Day 5
Florianopolis tour

Today, we had a tour of Florianopolis with Daniel and then we had free time. We took a bus all over the city and learned a bit about the city’s history and culture along the way. Our first stop was in the center of town near the hotel, where we briefly observed a farmers market before piling on the bus to our first destination. The next stop was at the highest point in Florianopolis where we allowed a birds-eye view of the city and bridge connecting it to the mainland. My favorite destination was at an old convent that is now used as a spiritual retreat. Below is the gorgeous view from in front of the building. Noticed a lot of surfers at this beach.

We saw two more beaches, and at the last one we ate lunch in an area filled with tourist shops and vendors selling jewelry at stands that they had set up outside of the beach entrance. I purchased a couple necklaces and unique, hand-made trinkets that were sold here as souvenirs. Between our group members, we saw two penguins while on the beaches. Apparently, they sometimes get knocked off of their course of migration that happens this time of year and can be spotted near the shore. Random interesting fact.

After seeing the best beaches of Florianopolis, we traveled what seemed like a long distance to the very wealthy part of the city. We drove past huge elegant houses and stopped briefly at a beach that is used for the extravagant partying that happens in this area. Unfortunately, there was no party happening at the time. Our last stop was in downtown Florianopolis where we milled around the nice art and tourist shops. Daniel left us here to explore and watch the sunset, which we did at an oyster restaurant right on the beach. But not before working up an appetite at a strange outdoor gym situated at the edge of a street leading out of downtown. We were able to catch the bus back to the center of town with the help of a friendly local, stopped at the mall on the way home. This was our last day in Florianopolis.