Florianopolis or Balneario Camboriu? Where do I travel to? Which city is better? I will answer to these questions through the topics below for those who are deciding which one to visit, considering the operation of local services. If possible, it’s worth visiting both cities as they’re located 2 hours and a half from each other.
Traffic
Florianopolis and Balneario Camboriu are smaller than São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, and other state capitals across Brazil. Balneario Camboriu has about 100,000 inhabitants, it’s a city where you can make almost everything by walking, except going to nearby cities and attractions such as Bombinhas, Beto Carrero World (in the neighboring town of Penha), and Praia Brava.
Florianopolis has a territory bigger than Balneario Camboriu, in an island divided by districts that work as they were counties. To enjoy the most of Florianopolis, either you drive across the island or use a ridesharing app (the app 99 is more used than Uber). If you’re not willing to move around the island all the time, the best option is to choose an area with the options of your preference. Each one of the main districts in Florianopolis has its own downtown, centrinho as locals say, where are concentrated the supermarkets, restaurants, bakeries, bars, and most of the local businesses.
Local Opening Hours & Services
Both cities don’t work 24/7 as you see in São Paulo. However, Balneario Camboriu offers more options for services working until 23:00h, including the weekends. Bars, cafeterias, and restaurants open until late at night, as do nightclubs.
In Florianopolis, the proportion of services working out the business hours reduces drastically, especially on weekends. Depending on the area you stay in, nothing opens on Sundays, for example, except supermarkets, shopping malls around downtown, or bars near the beaches.
Prices
When it comes to prices, the rent and per night are similar in Florianopolis and Balneario Camboriu, both cities having the most expensive square meter in the state of Santa Catarina. On average, a per night at a hostel or hotel doubles during the summer season from December until the carnival that happens in February or on March.
For prices in supermarkets and restaurants, Balneário Camboriu offers more options to eat cheaply than Florianopolis, including restaurants that open on weekends. For eating outside, prices in Florianopolis are more expensive than in Balneario Camboriu and other cities in Santa Catarina, and portions are usually smaller. Depending on the area you stay in Florianopolis, a portion starts at BRL 50,00 – BRL 80,00.
Safety
Balneario Camboriu is safer than Florianopolis, smaller and more policed. People walk in the streets at night and along the main local avenue, Avenida Atlântica, residents and tourists are drinking mate, a beer and relaxing in front of the sea.
Although Florianopolis is safer than other Brazilian state capitals, it registers more robberies and crime than the average of the state of Santa Catarina. Since the city has grown a lot quicker since the year 2000, safety has fallen a lot. I wouldn’t walk at night downtown and in less busy areas.
Banks and ATM
In parallel to the local services, Balneario Camboriu offers more facilities and banking services around the areas where tourists and residents concentrate. Besides banking agencies and ATMs, exchange agencies are available on the main streets – Avenida Atlantica, Avenida Brasil, and surroundings – where you can change the US dollar, euro, Argentine peso, Uruguayan peso, and Guarani.
In Florianopolis, from the moment you leave downtown, lesser are options for banking services. Not all the areas have a banking agency, let alone an exchange agency. You’re likely to find 24-hour ATMs at gas stations in some neighborhoods.
One thing to watch out for in Balneario Camboriu is that the city hosts events during the year, so it also receives visitors out of the summer season with conferences and more events enough to keep the hostels and hotels crowded. Florianopolis, despite being the state capital, falls behind when it comes to the quality of customer service.
Another thing to observe in both cities, as written about the best time to visit Florianopolis, is that the weather in southern Brazil is not tropical as in other parts of the country, subtropical to be precise. The winter in the south goes from June until September, similar to winter in Argentina, Portugal, and Spain. From September to October, the weather oscillates between cold and rainy days and sunny days.
Originally posted 2022-11-11 21:41:17.
