Immigrants in Santa Catarina

 It was the Portuguese - pioneers known as bandeirantes, Indian hunters and adventurers - who tamed Santa Catarina, spreading outposts and settlements along the coast beginning in the 16th century. The Azorean immigrants came much later, in the 18th century, but it was they who colonized and helped mold the very special people who inhabit the 500 Km of the state coast. 

In the second half of the 19th century the Germans arrived, spreading themselves across the Itajaí River Valley, penetrating the interior in search of better land and opportunity. With work and determination, they built the powerful industrial face of Santa Catarina. Joinville, Blumenau, Brusque and Pomerode are cities that preserve this strong German heritage in the architecture, the cooking, the accents and the popular festivals, such as Oktoberfest.
 
At the end of the last century the Italians formed the largest migratory wave to reach Santa Catarina. They principally settled in the southern portion of the state, near the coast, where until today traditions inherited from the pioneers are preverved: grape cultivation and wine making, love of good food, happiness, and religion. 

But the mosaic of peoples that forged Santa Catarina's current population also included the mule team drivers that traveled from Rio Grande do Sul to São Paulo, the Japanese, the Austrians and more recently the Gaúchos from Rio Grande do Sul state, who occupied the fertile lands of the west. All of them are responsible for the rich cultural and sociological diversity of Santa Catarina.

Little Italy

A traveler through the southern part of the state discovers within the interior, and in the unique people that live there, an Italian style that is surprising and pleasing. The largest immigrant group in the state, Italians represent nearly 65% of the state population.
 
There are Italian settlements in the north and in the west of the state, but the principal and oldest Italian concentration is in the south. Good wine and home made products can be enjoyed there, dialects and traditional music are some of the simple pleasures that charm the visitor. 
         
Urussanga is the capital of "Little Italy." It is home to the Wine Festival. It is a small pleasant city, sprinkled with colonial houses and cantinas transformed into charming home-style restaurants. The replica of Michelangelo's Pietá, donated by the Vatican, is on display in the principal church, and is another attraction of the city. 
         
The Open Air Museum in Orleans preserves houses and mills of the first immigrants, as well as the tools and machinery they used. In Nova Veneza, the attraction is the Via Sacra, a stone monument carved by sculptor Zé Diabo as well as the old house of the Bratti family, the most exceptional group of stone buildings in the region.
         
Complementing the circuit of municipalities is Criciúma, Pedras Grandes, Treze de Maio, Sangão, Morro da Fumaça, Cocal do Sul, Siderópolis, Forquilinha, Maracajá, Morro Grande, Meleiro, Turvo and Jacinto Machado. They have the traditions and customs of a simple world, with an Italian flavor

Surfing in Florianópolis
The natural beauties of Florianópolis attract thousands of visitors every year. Especially in the summer, Brazilians and natives of other South American countries – such as Argentineans, Uruguayans and Chileans – seek the diversity of the Santa Catarina coastline. On the island, side by side, the most varied types of beaches can be found – the long ones, with large strips of sand; the small ones, embedded in backwaters; those with strong waves; and the ones with calm waters, resembling lagoons; urban beaches full of bathers; and deserted beaches, with access by trail only. It is a paradise for surf, windsurf, sailing and fishing enthusiasts.

Surf
Full of slang, fads and neologism, surfing has long changed from being a simple form of recreation to a mania in Florianópolis – there are surfing schools along the city beaches. The location for one leg of the World Surf Championship, Florianópolis is home to two world champions, the brothers Teco and Neco Padaratz.

Campeche Beach
With 5 km of white sands and an turbulent waters, Campeche is considered the Jefrey’s Bay of the Santa Catarina Island for the quality of its waves. For those who are not interested in surfing, the beach offers other attractions. The paradisiacal beauty of Ilha do Campeche, for instance, located across from the beach, a football game on the Saint-Exupéry aviation field, or even fishing, are some of the leisure alternatives. At night, Campeche is also an excellent attraction. The huge reflector that illuminates part of the large sand strip in front of the bars only contributes to the partying that extends far into the night. The illumination favours both those who enjoy the merrymaking as well as the fishermen, who use the time to drag their nets in from the sea.

Joaquina Beach
Won fame as of the 1970’s, when surfers from around the world discovered its waves. Many surf cups began to emerge, and great Catarinense surfing personalities. It is one of the beaches that offers the best tourist facilities, receiving a large number of tourists from around Brazil and the world on the warm days in spring and summer. The rock complex situated to the left of the beach, the night lighting and the public showers are some of the trademarks at Joaquina. There is a big paid parking lot, toilets, tourist coach parking lot, lifeguards, police station, handicraft shop, bars, restaurant and hotels. In addition to the beach, it is possible to enjoy the most famous dunes in the South of the country as well as to sand board. The boards used in this sport can be rented on the spot.

Praia do Santinho
Almost untouched by man, Santinho Beach is mainly sought by tourists who look for nature, the location’s paradisiacal beauty and tranquillity. Surfers are the main visitors and consider Santinho to be the best beach in the North of the Santa Catarina Island. It is in the left hand corner – where bathers do not venture -- that surfers practice their sport, sharing the space with fishermen. Forty kilometres away from the centre of Florianópolis, another great attraction of this beach are the primitive inscriptions made by hunters, fishermen and collectors inhabiting the Island five thousand years ago. The name Santinho comes from a human figure engraved on an isolated block of rock.

Plaza Itapema Resort & Golf Spa
Located in one of the most beautiful places in Santa Catarina, Plaza Itapema Resort is a tourism complex with complete leisure facilities and events infrastructure. With 800m of beach and amidst an exuberant landscaping, Plaza Itapema Resort has recently introduced the Brain Spa Plaza Itapema, a new beauty concept associated with health, good eating habits, physical fitness and talassotherapy (use of water, air and marine climate for the therapeutic means).

The Plaza Itapema Golf Course alongside the most beautiful coast of Santa Catarina reminds one the Scottish links of the 16th century with sheep grazing in the fairways, wild grass which gives this most interesting course a somewhat peculiar feature, particularly the contrast of rustic history of the course with the luxury of the residential condominium and of the Spa Hotel surrounding it.

Plaza Itapema Resort & Spa offers driving range, putting green, pitching green, accommodation, snack bar and equipment for hire. It has 9 holes, par 66 and 2341 yards. It is open 7h00 till 19h00 mondays through sundays.
The average temperature is 20oC and the golf course is on the sea level.

Location:
BR-101, km 144 - Itapema
Phone: (47) 3261-7000

Costão Golf (under construction)
Designed by Angel Reartes and Ricardo Aguero, specialists from Resorts, based in Buenos Aires, with over 25 years experience, the Costão Golf course meets ideal conditions for its construction in the natural charm of the Island. Its 3530 yards (3322m) for 9 holes, and 7060 yards (6644m) for an 18-hole course rank it among the most competitive courses inside residential and tourist resorts in Brazil.

The enterprise also features a club house with over 13,000 square feet and a driving range fully provided with modern equipment to learn golf. The 25 covered stands will allow for practicing all year round.

On top of the natural beauty of the landscape and the nobility of the golf course. Costão Golf will be fully integrated with a high class condominium - with plots of 900m2 on average - that will set a new concept for residential condominiums in the city.

Costão Golf offers driving range, putting green, pitching green, snack bar, restaurant, accommodation, golf carts, pro-shop and equipments for hire. It has 9 holes and par 36. It is open from 7h00 till 19h00 mondays through sundays. The average temperature is 20oC and the golf course is on the sea level.

Phone: (48) 3261-1199