Did spend two weeks on the island of the Florianopolis (one week at Praia Ingleses) and one week in the south Ribeirao Da Ilha area and left just before the real crowds descend on the island that is just before X-mass. It was family vacation so the aim of this trip was to chill out and explore the area... so here are my few cents in terms of my observations and what I gathered speaking to people....(note did not personally explore night venues).
The high season starts from X-mass and lasts about the end of March....here. The north part of the island ...infrastructure mainly tailored around tourism.The North is also more residential and it's where a lot of Argentinians and Paulistas have summer homes that are empty most of the year and occupied in the summer here. The place picks up in the summer when folks arrive with numbers. I found Praia Ingleses mainly family types but the south end of the beach offers more to the eye .....The popular spot for party is Jurere International ...but be aware this is where the rich come to play with the whole package along .....not exactly my scene......
The South - I prefer this part of the island away from typical touristic setups .....more laid back..fisherman villages...but some areas still can be busy.....however this is more if you want to relax...there is little nightlife ...
From this Forum perspective:
The best beaches in my opinion:
Praia Mole - day time trip...little infrastructure in terms of accommodations....good vibe
Campeche - a mixture of a crowd ....lots of rental properties etc....mostly residential.....good vibe
The best places to stay:
Lagoa de Conceicao - central location.....some night life e.g. Black Swan, internet access - Cafe Cultura...
Barra de Lagoa - cool spot, more quiet, nice beach too...great vibe around the canal
recommend to rent a car or motorbike or in some cases bike will do
Traffic can be bad .....the fastest way around motorbike....
There are buses ...but did not use them
The Women
mixed bag of potatoes ....some really good looking ....some just average...generally friendly but if you do not speak portuguese your chances are slim .....(I may also be biased after recent Cuba experience)..mind you I left just before high gear season.
Game
Your game starts with the language skills, confidence and you will need to have some sort of appeal...but you do not stand out here generally speaking if you coming from western world.
Nightlife Recommendations
Main nightlife areas?
Lagoa de Conceicao and Centro (City Centre)
Budget: in Floripa (in R$)
You can operate on a budget or you can also spend a lot - it depends on you
are you staying @ hostel or renting place..etc
eating local all you can eat buffet or restaurant etc....
generally speaking things are not cheap...but you can manage.
Beer @ Praia R$7-8 600ml bottle
you can fill out your stomach for R$10-12...home quality meal
during high season you will pay much more....for some items e.g. rentals..
Liveability
From Real Estate perspective : Island generally is overpriced ....mainland offers much better options.
Still if you consider the full picture ....not a bad spot as base in Brazil......will be looking into this in more depth.
The Bottom Line:
Great place for vacation, if you looking forward to chill ...enjoy water sports , beach and nature..
also relatively safe. Do not come here with expectation that you will be scoring high....but if you want to have fun and enjoy yourself why not...and who knows you may after all hook-up with some cutie...
If you want to have more adventures in Brazil with women I would suggest to go North East.... Salvador.....Recife..etc....
here comes the Floripa Warrior: