Worth getting out of bed for...

Viewpoint

The cobbled village of Ribeirao de Ilha near Florianópolis has an array of seafood restaurants perched on jetties jutting out into the ocean. Order a dish of oysters and a cold caipirinha, sit back and watch the sun sinking behind the mountains across the bay.

Arts and culture

Get to grips with hip-shaking Brazilian rhythms at the Associação Cultural Ilha de Palmares (www.ilhadepalmares.com.br) in Florianópolis, where you can choose between capoeira classes or workshops to make your own traditonal berimbau, a percussion instrument.

Something for nothing

Travel to the coastal town of Laguna to watch the local fisherman at work, ably assisted by a friendly pod of local bottlenose dolphins who round-up shoals of fish and herd them into the waiting nets.

Shopping

Florianópolis’ lively market has a maze of stalls selling herbs, spices and specialities such as drinks brewed from the local yerba-maté plant. Head inland to Blumenau and you’ll find outlets selling colourful blown-glass creations, cotton bed linen and a range of leather goods.

Daytripper

Travel to Blumaneau to get a taste of Santa Catarina’s Germanic heritage through a tour of the artisan Eisenbahn brewery (www.eisenbahn.com.br), followed by a lunch of roast duck while admiring the town’s timber-clad buildings. For a drinking experience of the caffeinated kind, head to Andrades Mill and Old House in Santo Antônio de Lisboa (www.santacatarina.travel/experience) to learn how to make coffee, from selecting your beans through to roasting and grinding. Venture further north and you’ll find hundreds of beautifully preserved colonial buildings in Santa Catarina’s oldest town, São Francisco do Sul, founded in 1660 by settlers who travelled from the Azores in search of whale oil.

Best beach

Lagoinha de Leste, hidden among the hills of southern Ilha Santa Catarina, is considered by locals to be the area’s most breathtaking beach. It’s only accessible by foot, but the 90-minute walk from the village of Pântano do Sul is well worth the effort – as you emerge from the forest you’ll be greeted by tumbling waterfalls, a sparkling lagoon and sweeping cliffs.

Perfect picnic

Pack a hamper and head to Lagoa do Peri – one of Santa Catarina’s biggest freshwater lakes. After lunch, head into the nearby forest for a refreshing shower underneath one of the many little waterfalls hidden among the trees.

Walks

Follow the 4km trail through the rainforest from Caieira da Barra do Sul to Naufragados beach and you’ll pass crystalline rivers, colonial sugar mills, a 19th-century lighthouse and deserted fortifications along the way.

Children

The little and the not-so-little alike will love Unipraias Camboriú Park (www.unipraias.com.br) at Balneário Camboriú. Reached by cable car, it features nature trails and a mountain sled that speeds anyone over the age of five down the slopes in small cars which run on rails. Older children can clamber up trees, wander through the canopy on suspended walkways and soar through the forest on zip wires at the park’s adventure playground.

Activities

Meander along Santa Catarina’s forest trails on horseback and discover the region’s secluded spots; Rancho Santa Cruz in Vargem Grande (www.ranchosantacruz.com.br) offers two-hour treks through wooded valleys and across grassy plains. The more adventurous can take to the water or the air with TDA Rafting e Expedicoes in Santo Amarod da Imperatriz (www.tdrafting.com.br) and explore the craggy coves by kayak or paraglide. Keen wave-riders will find world-class rip-curls at Praia Mole and Galheta beaches; those taking to a board for the first time can book lessons with Evandro Santos Surf School (www.surfschoolbrazil.com). If you’re visiting between June and November, venture out on a whale-watching boat to get up close and personal with the ocean’s mammoth mammals. Tour operators should comply with government guidelines drawn up to protect these elegant giants, so ask your hotel for recommendations.

And

Every year Santa Catarina’s high plateau sees Brazil’s only snowfall. Venture inland between June and August and you may find scenes of white-dusted pine trees which look more Alpine than Latin American.