Country Article / Postcards
Brazil's Secret Hideaway
Date: 05/17/2004Dear International Living Reader,
Ilha Santa Catarina--otherwise known as Santa Catarina Island and simply called Floripa by the locals--is a 200-square-mile island off the coast of southern Brazil.
Real estate here is a bargain (apartments from $30,000), the pristine beaches are uncrowded (49 major beaches, countless small ones), the temperature is agreeable (because of its extreme southern location this area has much cooler temperatures than northern Brazil), crime rates are almost zero, and the small towns that dot the island are colonial and picturesque. Plus the city of Florianópolis is large enough (pop. 260,000) to provide all the necessities of modern life.
Many Brazilians keep summer homes here and visit for three or four months a year. The rest of the time it's a tranquil hideaway the locals keep to themselves.
Colonial Florianópolis is rather sleepy but in the modern sections along the beach you'll find high-rise apartments for $100,000 to $250,000 (with night-time views of the mainland and its sparkling lights). This is a perfectly nice location, but it wouldn't be my choice.
Instead, go for Barra da Lagoa, a beach town on the island's east coast. Half the town is accessible only by boat, or by a foot bridge (but modern infrastructure is in place, including Internet connections). Foot trails lead to houses and bungalows that are strung out along a flower covered hillside. You can buy a house here for less than $70,000.
If you're still deciding where to retire overseas, put this island at the top of your list.
Roger Gallo
For International Living
P.S. I always read local newspapers for preliminary real estate information. In the classified sections of a newspaper you get a good sense of actual prices, as opposed to "gringo rates". Real estate classifieds are the same the world over and you only need to know a dozen or so words to get by, even when the ads are in Portuguese.
Real estate is "imobiliária" and downtown is "centro". Most properties are listed by the name of the town with the price in Brazilian reals (divide by three to get an approximate dollar price).
Diário Catarinense is in Portuguese but has a large classified section for real estate. I saw downtown apartments listed here for $30,000. You'll find Jornal de Negócios in restaurants and hotels; each region has its own edition. Also useful was Jornal O Estado, and Jornal de Santa Catarina.
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