Santa Catarina

Santa Catarina (SC) is the second southernmost State of Brazil, only in the south grandee still limits de Sul by the federal state Rio, Santa Catarina borders in the west - the federal state is Paraná at Argentina and in the south.


Area-like is Santa Catarina with his about 5 million inhabitants of one of the smallest federal states of Brazil. Santa Catarina has, however, a greater variety of species than e.g. the fauna the Amazon with the Mata-Atlantica, the Atlantic rain forest at the coast. Santa Catarina in hardly any European guidebook appears till now and quite unknown furthermore within Europe is astonished due to the following facts the a little: The population of Santa Catarinas is descended to the tall portion of European, particularly German immigrants. So many Brazilians find himself the proud of hers German ancestors are in scs and the German language of generation to generation pass on even up to today today certainly, too. This gets around, just in the city of Blumenau itself the clearest in the region around and Blumenau. Blumenau became founded 1850 of the Lower saxon pharmacist Hermann Blumenau at the Itajaí river. The German influence can be seen in Blumenau to this day. Picturesque half-timbered houses (e.g. Prefeitura Municipal, Casa Moellmann) which could stand in the middle of a German small town just as well are in the centre. The Munich Beer Festival is celebrated in Blumenau every year. The second greatest Munich Beer Festival of the world is the public festival and after the carnival it has meanwhile developed into the second greatest public festival of Brazil after the carnival. In parts of Santa Catarina it is a German-speaking almost simpler Brazilian to meet as one, this one, English speaks.


The order and the cleanness is primarily valued in scs within Brazil, by the early Industrialisierung with main emphases in the metal, electrical, textile and glass industry sc is valid besides Paraná to the economically strongest federal states today. The area of tourism just takes a more and more important place value lately, however. The south of Brazil and just the cities of Balnéario Camboriú and Florianopolis are popular destinations for Brazilians, Argentines and Paraguayaner.

The increasing tourism within Santa Catarinas can be explained by the growing popularity of the holiday objective under the residents of the surrounding states like Argentina, Paraguay or Uruguay primarily. So the "population" hesitates between 70,000 inhabitants in "winter" and about 1,000,000 "residents" during the Temporada, the high season, from December until February.

Sports facilities:


But still very much more has to offer Santa Catarina: So the type and number of leisure possibilities knows no more limits meanwhile. Primarily sports (also much so-called radical sports) which is practiced in nature enjoys very big popularity in Santa Catarina. Among others rafting, Paragliding, ride, Rapel, surfing, windsurfing, sails, have a choice of plunge, Whale-Watching, mountain-bike and jungle tours to mention only some. Santa Catarina Raften applies just to the area of rafting with the professionals of Ativaals particularly aktraktiv. The Brazilian rafting championships taking place annually were a few times already delivered on the flow Itajaí-Açu. And the team of the local rafting school also has "Ativa rafting" fetched the Brazilian championship the title after Santa Catarina and already taken part in great international championships like the Camel White Paragliding at Balnéario Camboriú Water Challenge in South Africa.
  
Guide can be operated Paragliding and tandem Paragliding under very good terms in the mountains around Florianopolis and at the coast at Balnéario Camboriú with an experienced one. Being supposed to have remained some Rapel guests at Balnéario Camoriú already until more than 1 hour in the air depending on up-currents (Termic), an indescribable experience with a magnificent view of the Atlantic ocean. One understands roping down to Wassefällen from large height by Rapel. This relatively new and adventurous kind of sport enjoys a fast growth and Santa Catarina is very well suitable for this sports due to his many waterfalls. The guide are trained well and convey the necessary techniques to novices at a first of all briefing also. In any case Rapel is a surprisingly new, refreshing and sure experience kind of sport.

The region is suitable for the Whale-Watching primarily within the months of August to October/November. The south caper or southern smooth whales then have to be watched, this one to be to Brazil come, around her boys pulled up in winter out of the cold waters at the South Pole off the coast. Within these months some boat owners offer Whale-Watching tours of great popularity meanwhile on which, once, one can completely watch the up to 18 metres long and 60 tons heavy marine mammals from the proximity.

Paradise beaches


Santa Catarina almost still has more than 500 beaches, under this original coastal chapters on 560 km of coastal length up to busy tourist centres. The coast of Santa Catarinas offers remind breathtaking scenarios, this one sometimes to the caribbean, of Mediterranean landscapes sometimes of which everybody has his own attraction. Some of them are still wild and an active leisure time and business life virtually indicates untouched, others. The beauty of the landscape is common to you: white sand, clear water in which fishing boats coloured often painted rock, while the fishermen are scrutinizing the sea surface stationarily on the shore and again and again a green which almost is swallowed by the blue of the sea. The coast indicates not only the near situated pitoreske coastal mountains but also the variously curved shoreline, peninsulas in front of rising with big and small bays, marsh areas and lagoons. The dunes, lagoons and islands complete the magic of nature.

It is possible for the highway for BR 101 to get to know the complete coast. The street is double-trackly fully developed and in good condition from the outermost north of the federal state to to Florianópolis in the two directions. The biggest spas and the towns most important to tourists are along this 250 km long chapter. Particularly are the two historical ports to mention São Francisco Do Sul and Itajaí, besides that can the cities of Penha and Balneário Camboriú, the so-called emerald coast, to which the municipalities of Itapema, postage belong to Belo and Bombinhas and not least the area Florianópolis show the even over 100 beaches and important historical buildings also besides the provincial capital on her municipal area one must primarily mention the municipalities of Governador Celso Ramos and Palhoça. After Palhoça to the south the street runs even another 250 km in the field of Santa Catarinas. This chapter is just expanded double-trackly in the two directions. Along this coastal chapter is to mention the colonial small town Laguna and the coastal places Garopaba and Imbituba, the latter are known as the places, from the ones whom her boys get in winter off the coast of Santa Catarinas one can watch the whale fish best.

The coast of Santa Catarinas but also an excellently fully developed infrastructure shows besides his breathtaking beauty spot. One finds hotels which are large and belonging to international chains and small, exclusive

Kitchen/Cuisine

Whether Santa Catarinas likes modest or cunning - the kitchen to the wide world. And her ingredients are old acquaintances. Santa Catarina is a region which one likes to get to know also by the stomach. On his menu home-made stands but also refines prepared from the international kitchen. One can enjoy these dishes in most different surroundings. There are small, comfortable Italian canteens to the coast's open bars with a loam floor packed down to the larger cities of excellent restaurants which serve game and other dishes, the known grillrooms, or "Churrascarias" and the German cafés with a various sideboard. Every ethnic group has added her own ingredients to this recipe for success. Local and African spices mixed in the Portuguese, German, Italian, Polish and Ukrainian dish -- everyone is served by a hospitable people with love and care, his puts traditions pf and likes to open his doors. The visitor is seduced by the flavour of a richly spread table. Many juicy pieces of meat, fish, chicken, pork, seafood, oysters, crabs, cuttlefish, mussels and tropical fruits in the abundance, and wonderful desserts which are still handed down by German and Portuguese grandmothers.

Geography

Tropical paradises at the coast, cold and snow in the mountains. A culture going back on Europeans and historical buildings. The special connection of the different climatic zones, landscapes and kinds of people preserves an a little different Brazil from Santa Catarina. Santa Catarina is a wonderful area of Brazil. The federal state surprises 95,000 square kilometres, 1.12% of the total area of Brazil, at by most different landscapes and population groups. Lonely and wild chapters, dreamy fishing villages, much visited spas are found with an evening conversation supply at the long coast. One finds protected bays and beaches by the open sea here. Allen together the white sand, crystal-clear water, an evergreen vegetation, is depending on place and it is season also possibly to watch whales and dolphins. It gets cold in winter! The towns in the mountains of Santa Catarinas are located only two hour's drives away from the coast, surrounded by peaks which climb to almost 2000 metres. One of the few areas in Brazil in which it can snow in winter. The change is impressive. The panorama of a blue sea with white sand, lagoons and beach heath gives way to an extensive Atlantic rain forest, the woods of the sprucewood similar Araucarienbaums, the pastureland of the cattle, the canyons, the valleys with rivers winding there gently and such, the flow authorizes the rafting, the waterfalls and the thermal springs whose healing effect is confirmed scientifically out bubbling in all regions of the federal state. It is landscapes of unbelievable beauty and a large part of them nearby urban centres with a complete infrastructure or nearby bucolic country inns.

Population

The population of Santa Catarinas is and and the European immigrant - formed by different ethnic groups the customs the natives her heir the history is visible in architecture, the catering trade, the folklore and the traditional public festivals whose connections form the multifarious face of the present population under each other, Portuguese, Germans, Italian, Afro Brazilian, native Indian ethnic groups, Poles and Ukrainian, who embellishes this one keep towns of Santa Catarinas. This people mixture hinterliess deep traces in the weekday. In grateful memory of this area which generously took her families the descendants of the immigrants are tolerantly of differences full of hospitality and ready in the name the public welfare to unite her strengths to this day. Here one uses to let the art, his guests feel local!