A Weekend of Rest and Adventure in Florianópolis, Brazil

Sandboarding at Dunas de Joaquina: You can rent a sandboard or book a lesson to learn to ride a board in the beautiful sand dunes. We booked a lesson and our guide made the whole experience even more spectacular, so I recommend doing it that way!

Hiking: Florianópolis is a premiere hiking destination, with many miles of trails located all over the island. Our favorite trail was short and sweet, leading out to the Piscinas Naturais (Natural Pools). Start in Barra de Lagoa--one of the big surfing neighborhoods--and cross the blue bridge then follow the signs. In about a mile, you'll be at an amazing overlook.

Meeting sea turtles: Projeto Tamar is a sea turtle and conservation organization operating in multiple areas of Brazil. At their center near Barra Lagoa, you can meet some rescued sea turtles and learn more about their work. Plus you can score some sweet merch.

Visiting the Central Market: The downtown market has restaurants, open-air vegetable stands, and lots of places to buy souvenirs. Watch a capoeira circle, take in some live music, and watch street performers!

Pedal boating in Lagoa de Conceicao: You can rent pedal boats or kayaks, or book a tour, to explore the lake located in the middle of the island.

Floripa Botanical Gardens: Near downtown, the botanical gardens have a range of native plants and are located by the Corrego Grande Ecological Park.

Every area of Florianópolis has a distinct vibe. We spent most of our time on the east coast soaking up nature, but you could also spend a day in Santo Antonio de Lisboa if you like architecture and want to learn about Azorean culture, or Jurere if you're looking for a more luxury experience, or the beaches on the southern end of the island if you want to toast all day in the sun.

Beto Carrero World, the biggest amusement park in Latin America, is about two hours away. You can rent a car and drive there or take a bus. Or you can make it a longer trip, the surrounding cities have lots of things to do.

If you're near Navegantes, don't miss NaVeg Pizzeria for vegetarian pizza or Cafetaria Espaco Biofilica for fancy coffee drinks and vegan coxinhas and tarts in a greenhoues!

People often think of Brazil as carnivore-centric, which it can be in some places, and Florianópolis as seafood central, which it is. But the vegetarian scene in Florianópolis is also fantastic.

There's fresh fruit and juice everywhere, non-dairy options in many of the cafes, and great bars all over the place!

A few of our favorite spots:

Taboo Tiki Bar offers vegan takes on Brazilian classics, including moqueca (fish stew) and acaraje (black eyed pea fritters), plus amazing cocktails and some Hawaiian classics. We also loved the house-brewed beer that we tried here.

Cafe Cultura has locations across the island, and specializes in great coffee, a variety of pastries and full breakfasts including a vegan breakfast platter with a shot of detox juice, banana cake, fruit salad, tofu scramble, and avocado toast.

Baruc Natural sits directly on the beach, with incredible views and sometimes live music, and plenty of vegan options, including a delicious chickpea burger.

The Villa Gastro Park in Campeche has several different options. We were excited to find vegan feijoada (a black bean stew that is traditionally very NOT vegetarian) plus amazing service at Sarava Cozinha.