Getting around Florianópolis

Florianópolis’s beaches are spread around the island, so getting around is an important part of planning. The city is known for its traffic jams, especially in summer.

Buses: the integrated system

Public transport is mainly by bus. The Integrated Mobility System (Sistema Integrado de Mobilidade) uses integration terminals such as TICEN (downtown), TITRI (Trindade), TILAG (Lagoa), TIRIO (Rio Tavares) and TISAN (Santo Antônio de Lisboa), among others, according to Wikipedia. Feeder lines connect neighborhoods to the terminals, and trunk lines connect the terminals to each other. The system is operated by Consórcio Fênix.

• Upside: it reaches almost every beach.
• Downside: long trips may involve changes and take quite a while.

Car

A car gives you the freedom to combine beaches, lookouts and villages. Keep three things in mind:

• Traffic: in summer, the roads to the North, East and South jam up, especially in the late afternoon.
• Parking: near the famous beaches, spaces run out early.
• Narrow roads: the south of the island and Ribeirão da Ilha have winding roads.

Taxis and ride-hailing apps

They work well for one-off trips, such as going to dinner at the Lagoa or getting back late at night. Prices go up at peak times and in high season.

Boat

On Lagoa da Conceição, passenger boats run to Costa da Lagoa. Boats also go to Campeche Island and to the forts.