MEET SÃO FRANCISCO DO SUL

Do you feel like taking a kayak and going into the ocean? Or maybe just sitting at a pier to watch the sunset or wait for a fish to bite? What about just laying at the seashore to sunbathe, play rackets or have a cold beer or coconut water?

If you are a nature lover, you also have the option of enjoying different landscapes: besides the beaches, São Francisco has also plenty of mangroves, and spots of Mata Atlântica (Atlantic forest). It is possible to go into different trails in these sites, such as Morro da Cruz or Morro da Esperança (going from Enseada to Prainha) trails. 

If you are more into culture and history, São Francisco is also the perfect place for you. When you arrive in the city center you are dazzled by the Azorean heritage of its old colorful buildings, lending a special charm to the city. Ah and if you want to go even deeper into history, you can find the indigenous influence at archeological sites called sambaquis.

Considered the oldest city of Santa Catarina, São Francisco do Sul can be thought as a traditional city. For example, if you go to Paulas (one of the first neighborhoods of the city) it will be easy to find a couple of elderly men sitting around a square playing dominos. They will be able to tell you old stories of the city, maybe some famous legends. But if you are young and want some nice vibes, you can have an açaí at Prainha, a very vibrant surf beach that usually holds some cultural events. 

Describing São Francisco do Sul in so few words is no easy task. For example we didn’t mention its churches or other important sights, or maybe beach soccer, or even the famous “pirão com linguiça” (a kind of mush made of cassava flour with sausage) that we can eat at Festilha, the festivities at the city anniversary. But we believe this small hint of what you can find here certainly will make you feel like visiting São Francisco do Sul. 

(Text by teacher Marina Martins, based on students input)