Florianópolis is having a moment. Once considered one of South America’s best-kept secrets, the island is now a magnet for digital nomads, remote workers, and foreigners seeking to relocate permanently.
Attorney Luciano Oliveira spoke with Florianópolis-based realtor James Rocks about what’s behind the surge, from its natural beauty and safety to its growing international communities.
Luciano Oliveira: Maybe you could tell us what’s going on with Florianópolis, why foreign citizens absolutely love this city.
James Rocks: Yeah, I think what is happening is Florianópolis is now being discovered on the global stage. I think it was one of South America’s best-kept secrets. Traditionally, and particularly when I first moved here, you would see a lot of Argentinian tourists here. High tourist numbers, but mostly regional.
But Florianópolis has gained more of a reputation on a number of fronts. It’s a very safe place to visit in Brazil, a very beautiful place, with a great outdoor lifestyle. It’s an island with 40 beaches, luscious green hills, and lots of activities. A lot of the beaches in their own sense are like towns, they all have their different vibe. Some are for party-goers. Brazil is something, and Jurerê is something of a party capital in Brazil and then you’ve got more scenic or rustic beaches where you can go and relax. Some beaches you can only get to by taking a trail.
Particularly post-pandemic, Florianópolis has become a very popular place to either spend a great deal of time or even relocate to permanently. The digital nomad community, for example, is now here en masse. It’s gained a good reputation among travelers who can work from anywhere and spend a few months in a place but also among people looking for quality of life. Compared to North America, the United Kingdom, or Europe, the cost of living is good here, and you can have a really good quality of life in Brazil.
One of the reasons I’m so passionate about Florianópolis and Santa Catarina is that I genuinely believe — I might be biased — but I genuinely believe this is the best region in Brazil to live in. Whether that’s safety, whether that’s the beauty the region has to offer, the climate is favorable too. You have distinct seasons. I used to live in the northeast of Brazil, great tropical beaches, beautiful there, but just really hot all year round. What I found myself missing was distinct seasons, whereas in Florianópolis you have that. It never gets too cold and never gets too hot here, which is nice.
I’d definitely say that now, particularly during high tourist season, there are times where I hear a lot of English out and about. Before, if I was to hear another language, it would have been Spanish, other South Americans. But now I’m noticing a lot more North Americans, sometimes even British and other European visitors as well.
Another trend that’s happened is that a lot of Russians are also coming to gain residency here in Brazil. The main places they tend to go to are São Paulo or Rio, but there’s a huge contingent now in Florianópolis, just because it’s such a calmer, safer place in the Brazilian context. There’s a sizable Russian community here on the north of the island as well.
Luciano Oliveira: So interesting and you mentioned the digital nomads. Florianópolis has been a major destination for them. We handle at the firm not only real estate transactions but also assist foreign citizens with the Digital Nomad Visa application, and it’s been recurrent for us to organize their final interview for the visa at the Polícia Federal in Florianópolis. It’s probably the third major destination for digital nomads — for our firm, at least, not necessarily Brazil in general. First would be Rio de Janeiro, second São Paulo, and in third place, Florianópolis. So we’re experiencing a lot of interest from the digital nomad community, and it’s interesting to hear you say the same thing.
James Rocks: Wow. Yeah, it’s also worth noting that Florianópolis scored very high with Airbnb earlier this year during high tourist season. It became the most sought-after place for an Airbnb in Brazil, and the seventh most sought-after place in the world on Airbnb, which is quite an achievement. It shows there’s a lot of people coming this way.
Interested in visiting Florianopolis? If you are from the US, Canada, and Australia, remember you may need an eVisa to enter Brazil.
For Digital nomads: Brazil Digital Nomad Visa. Other routes to stay in Brazil for a longer term available here.