SÃO FRANCISCO DO SUL

This historical village contrasts sharply with the modern industrial port just a few kilometers to the north. The little pamphlets and maps you get to guide you around the island all talk about how São Francisco do Sul was discovered in 1504 by a Frenchman, one of the earliest dockings in the Americas, and was later populated (in 1658) by Manoel Lourenço de Andrade, who brought his family, his cattle, his mining tools, and his slaves to the island. What they don’t mention is how, by the 1700s, this island village had become a wild port town stirred up by the many sailing ships that docked here to refuel and animated by the success of the shipping trade. This lasted into the late 1800s when Santa Catarina became one of the world’s most productive whale-hunting regions, supplying the entire country and much of the world with whale oil and derivatives. You can still imagine the bawdy, bacchanalian atmosphere as you walk along the waterfront, looking up at the historical buildings that were once markets, supply houses, and, no doubt, houses of pleasure.

Today, the streets of the old historical center are rather quiet at night. They are mostly visited during the day by the tour groups that come to the island by boat. But the historical center still holds a kind of magic carried over from its heyday. In addition to the historic waterfront buildings, there are many colonial constructions just a block or two inland, including the lovely Nossa Sra. da Graça Church.

Besides the Centro Histórico, the island features a number of beaches, popular with the locals and residents from Joinville, mostly families and adolescents, who come for the weekend. The beaches vary from urbanized to semi-urbanized, but Prainha Beach is a little jewel in the rough, with clear water, mild waves, and pleasant bars and establishments lining the opposite side of the coastal road. If you are visiting the island for only one day, get here early enough to take the 10 a.m. bay tour, have lunch in the old town center, then head straight for Prainha for an afternoon on the beach and a drink at one of the beach bars.

Centro Histórico
The highlight of the island is the old Centro Histórico and this is where most tours of the island begin and end. The Waterfont Architectural Complex is a long row of colonial buildings, many of them nicely restored, that represented the main part of town in the 1700s. These buildings line the street along the waterfront for about one kilometer. On one end (around the Praça da Bandeira) are some old family manors that are not open to the public (still in the family), but are probably most interesting from the outside anyway. There are some government buildings in this area (including the Secretary of Tourism office, which many maps show on the other end of the street). You’ll also find some banks and a number of restaurants around here.

Walking to the other end, you’ll pass numerous stores, coffee shops, and restaurants, including the Mercado Municipal building. Built in 1900, the Mercado served as the principal point of commerce on the island. Today, it houses local craft shops and simple lanchonetes. Continuing along, you’ll pass a couple of hotels in converted colonial manors and the pier, where tour boats make trips out to the archipelago in the bay. Next to the pier is the Restaurante Portela, right on the water (not recommended for dining due to the stench coming off the water in this area). Turn the corner at the end of the street and you enter the old shipping area, where you’ll find the Museu Nacional do Mar (Rua Manoel Lourenço de Andrade 133, tel. 47/444-1868, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. Tues.–Fri., 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on weekends, closed Apr.–Nov.).

There are more historical buildings in the middle of town. The most prominent area is the Praça Getúlio Vargas, where you’ll find the Igreja Nossa Sra. da Graça. The church was built in 1699 out of shells, whale oil, and sand. It was later renovated and a second tower added, along with the second-story windows. Inside are traditional sacred images and carvings, along with a pipe organ that was brought in from Rio de Janeiro in 1823. The praça beside the church is a main point for catching the circular buses that go all around the island. During Christmas season, the praça is dripping with lights and decorations.

Tip: If you’re taking the bus to the island and heading straight to the Centro Histórico, then ask to get off at the rodoviaria antiga, the old bus station, which is just a stop along a main street near the Centro. When you get off the bus, cross the street, walk to the left, and take the first street to the right into the Centro Histórico. You can purchase tickets for the bus back to Joinville at the rodoviaria antiga and catch the bus on the other side of the street.

Museu Nacional do Mar
Touted as being the only museum of its kind in the Americas, the Museum of the Ocean is dedicated to the history and culture of boats and water travel. The museum is located in an old warehouse buildings from the town’s shipping days, which no doubt served at one time as centers for processing and storing whale products. The museum is extensive and includes numerous exhibits, with different kinds of boats—both miniature and actual size—along with video and audio presentations. Some of the halls are made up to represent scenes from different types of fishing or boat-making activities, giving the museum a kind of amusement-park feel. It’s definitely the only museum of its kind and it’s a scream. At the end is a coffee shop with a cozy wooden loft, and at the entrance is a bar and outdoor seating area, where you can sit and watch the sunset or, in the other direction, the big industrial ships load and unload cargo. Entrance to the museum is only R$3.

back to top

Beaches
There are beaches all around the island, including several small, sandy inlets on the far side of the industrial shipping port, but there are only a few beaches worth checking out for a possible swimming or sunbathing visit. Start with Praia de Ubatuba, which is on the edge of the Acarai River as it opens into the ocean. There is a mixture of salt and fresh water here and an interesting arrangement of sandbars and beaches. During the week, this is a cool area to go for a swim and walk along the sand. Unfortunately, this beach fills with masses of people from poor, local neighborhoods on sunny weekends and should be avoided. On the other side of the river mouth is Praia da Enseada, the most popular beach on the island and a destination point for families coming from Joinville. This urban beach has a bit of everything: hotels, shops, volleyball courts, a game kiosk (mostly chess), stands selling beer and coconut water, restaurants, beach bars, playgrounds, and a narrow strip of sand for laying out in the sun. There is an arts and crafts area where you can find leather goods, jewelry, and other handmade items. There, you can also find henna artists. In the ocean are many boats (too many), but there is an area specifically designated for swimming. The water is calm and dark. At night, the beach is fairly active with adolescents.

Prainha is accessible by walking to the far end of Enseada and cutting through the village. You’ll come out on the other side of the point at Prainha (on the point, there is a mountain with a scenic view at the top). Here, the water is clear and blue and great for swimming. The waves here are suitable for beginning surfers and you should be careful not to swim out too far, as the undertow can be strong. There are a couple of beach kiosks and surfboard rental booths on the sand and the boardwalk follows the beach’s entire length of one kilometer, offering places to sit and watch the activities. Across the street are a few bars that serve all day long and into the evening, when activities light up for people of all ages. The best are Bar do Banana and Ta Na Onda. On busy summer weekends, both Prainha and Enseada overflow with youngsters from Joinville and the beach kiosks host music and dance festivals on the sand.

Boat Tours
Tours leave from the pier on the old waterfront at around 10 a.m. but you should get there early just to be sure. There are more tours at noon, 3:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. The trip is two hours long, except for the noon trip, which is three hours to include lunch. The 5:30 p.m. trip affords a view of the sunset from the boat. You go past several islands in the bay, including a look at Ilha da Rita, which was a fuel stop for many ships in the bay, with its large coal deposit, deep-water perimeter, and proximity to the mainland. You will get a chance to swim at the beach of Ilha Grande and maybe see some dolphins going out from the bay to the open ocean for the evening. The tour is R$12 per person.

Morro do Pão de Açúcar
The best view of the island and the surrounding ocean is from the top of Morro do Pão de Açúcar. You need to drive to the mountain and all the way up. From the top, you get a 360-degree panoramic view. If you are not traveling by car, then make a deal with a taxi driver for a trip there and back. From the Centro Histórico, it should cost around R$30.