The ISA JournalPerks of Studying Abroad in The Island of Magic

Stephania Rengifo is a student at William Paterson University and an ISA Featured Blogger. She studied abroad with ISA in Florianopolis, Brazil.

A few weeks before departing for Florianopolis, I did a little research. The city looked rather small on the map I found online. There were tons of positive and promising online reviews about the magical city. It has been a few weeks since my arrival, and I can say that my expectations were exceeded by the reality of this beautiful island. There are lots of places to visit, all different from one another and beautiful in their own way. One perk is that the city has a well-established public transportation system, so traveling around is easy. Here are some of the many perks of living in da Ilha da Magia:

This picture was taken during a hike I did with some of my ISA classmates. The hike took us along the coast of the lake, the hike was difficult but the views were worth it.

Centro is the downtown area where I reside and where the university I attend is located. Living in Centro has been great for me. The supermarket, bakery, restaurants, and one of the biggest shopping malls are less than a ten-minute walk from home. There is a lot of history in this part of town–history displayed by beautiful colonial buildings, like the metropolitan cathedral which is over 300 years old.

Santo Antônio de Lisboa is the oldest community on the island. It is recognized as the best place to get oysters in all of Brazil. This is a great place to visit to have a nice meal while enjoying the beautiful view of the North bay and the sunset.

I took this photo from the top of the mountain which my ISA classmates and I had to hike to get to Praia da Galheta, an isolated beach which you can only get to by hiking.

On the other side of town, is the Lagoa da Conceição, a wonderful neighborhood filled with great vibes, delicious food, bars, marvelous views, and outdoor activities. This area is well-known for its hiking trails which take you along the coast of the lake. Also, water sports like, paddle boarding, jet skiing, canoeing and many others.

We found this beautiful dead tree branch washed up on the beach. Even though it is dead, we can see that it is now home to hundreds of seashells.

If you want to get away from the densely populated areas and connect with nature there are over 30 trails, perfect for nature lovers. You can hike your way to beautiful and untouched isolated beaches. All of the hikes have different levels of difficulties, but they all lead to breath-taking landscapes that put a spell on you and make you fall in love with the island more and more. If hiking isn’t your thing, check out the over 42 beaches.