Venue and accommodation

The I SIGERA will be held in Florianópolis City, Santa Catarina State, Brazil, in Jurerê Beach Village hotel.

About 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. The Northern and Central regions of Florianópolis are the most sought after by tourists and offer a complete infrastructure of services, resorts, hotels and lodges. Further south, some districts also preserve their countryside village identity, and the heritage left by their ancestors (who came from the Portuguese archipelago of Açores during the 18th century) is noticeable in their manner of speaking, in their handicraft activities, and typical feasts. On the other side, the city has taken on a cosmopolitan air with the arrival of Brazilians from other States and foreigners who chose to live there. The island, which in the beginning of the colonization period, was an important whale hunting centre, is today the technological pole of the IT industry. A State Capital of interest to tourism, Florianópolis is currently inhabited by about 300 thousand people, a number that triples every summer.

Basic information
Climate Located in the subtropical coastal region, the city offers a pleasant climate, with most of the rainfall occurring during the summer – from December to January. During this season, the mean temperature is 25°C. In July, the coldest month, the mean is 16.4°C. Short summers (Indian summers) between May and August are common – i.e. a succession of hot days after the first cooler days occur in April.

City facts
Florianópolis:
Capital of the state of Santa Catarina
Region: South
Population: 369,102 inhabitants
DDD: (48)

Distances
Brasília: 1,700 km
São Paulo: 700 km
Rio de Janeiro: 1,180 km
Porto Alegre: 460 km

How to get there
By Plane:
The Hercílio Luz International Airport, 12 km from downtown, receives domestic flights from the country’s capital cities and also from Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina.

By Road:
The Rita Maria Coach Station receives buses from many capitals and cities in Brazil and Mercosur countries – Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile.

Main access highways:
- From the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro: BR-116/ BR-376/ BR-101
- From Curitiba: BR-376/ BR-101
- From Porto Alegre: BR-290/ BR-101

Services
Disk Turismo [Tourism Service] – Tourist Information
Tel: +55 (48) 224-1516

Hercílio Luz International Airport
Tel: +55 (48) 331-4000

Rita Maria Coach Station
Tel: +55 (48) 212-3000

Telephone
Cellular phones and domestic interstate and international calls. Broadband Internet.

Banks
Florianópolis has over 100 banks, in addition to bureaus-de-change. Credit cards are welcome by the majority of local businesses.

Car rental
Some of the major car rental companies in the country are present in Florianópolis.