Located in southern Brazil between the states of Paraná and Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina has much to offer travelers with its stunning beaches and numerous activities to be enjoyed by holidaymakers lucky enough to make it to the region.
Less than an hour's flight from Sao Paolo, This small Brazilian state, with a little more than 6 million residents, unites within its diversity of scenery and people that marvels visitors. From white sand beaches, tropical forests and snowy mountains to Azorean fishermen, Italian farmers, and German industrialists, this is a land of beautiful, sharp and fascinating contrasts.
The states economy also has its share of contrasts as a strong agriculture, based on small farms, shares space with an active industrial park, the fourth largest in Brazil. Large companies and thousands of small businesses are spread across the state, linked to consumer centers and ports by an efficient highway grid. These roads also boost tourism, a natural vocation of this small state, now the nation's third largest tourist center.
There are 500 km of beaches, lined by mountains, lagoons, rivers and the enthusiastic Atlantic Coastal Forest. From the quiet Babitonga Bay, on the Paraná border, to the long stretch of open sea at Ararangua, the curtain rises on fascinating scenery of pristine waters, white sands and natural beauty. The Beto Carreiro World theme park, in the municipality of Balneario de Penha, is the largest tourist attraction of the region, together with the fantastic beaches and the historic heritage of Sao Francisco do Sul.
Although it occupies little more than 1% of the Brazilian territory, Santa Catarina excels on the national scene, and not only for its cultural, ethnic and geographic diversity, but also for its privileged location in relation to the countries of Mercosur, represent an huge potential for the affirmation of the state as one of the principal tourist destinations in the country. A breathtaking coast line, established tourist attractions such as Florianopolis, Balneario Camboriú and Blumenau, gorgeous mountains, and a complete circuit of festivals entice the tourists. With these attractions the state receives some 4 million tourists per year, a number that is constantly growing.
Eco-tourism, the fastest growing tourist sector worldwide, offers the best potential for Santa Catarina and attracts a growing contingent of nature sports lovers, for mountain climbing to hiking, mountain biking to rafting with canoeing, paragliding and scuba diving facilities all nearby, while in the winter, pine trees covered in snow high up in the mountains and then the well preserved Atlantic Coastal Forest attract nature lovers. This trend can turn the region into a new world center of eco-tourism, a vocation that seems to have been especially planned for this land, that has the name of a saint and which is blessed by nature.
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