Discovery and Adventure Tour in South Brazil

Your guide will expect you already at the airport in Florianopolis. The drive from the airport to Estaleiro takes approximately one hour and after arriving at Estaleiro you will be welcomed by the Brazilian national drink, a freshly prepared Caipirinha.

The afternoon offers the opportunity to recover from the long flight, to rest at a sunbath and to refresh in the sea. In the evening we will organize a Ãhurrasco which is a typical Brazilian barbeque at which participants and guides will get to know each other and exchange experiences in a snug atmosphere. Overnight stays in chalets or apartments in Estaleiro. Breakfast and dinner are included. 

After having breakfast together you will sally into the interior. You will pass rice fields and orchards in the Atlantic Rain Forest before setting up our camp at a river bank. After that you will have a hiking trip over several hours where the guide will explain about the flora and fauna of the Atlantic Rain Forest. Your hiking will lead you to a beautiful river and at the end of our hike you will swim in a natural pool and under a waterfall in the middle of the rain forest.

Your meal in the evening will come directly from your camp fire. You will enjoy a romantic night in your tents under the sounds of the rain forest. The next morning will start with a breakfast close to the river bank and you will have the opportunity for a short hike or for relaxation while swimming in the river. You will head back to Estaleiro around noon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included on the first day. Breakfast and dinner are included on the second day.

Enjoy the beach right up the front door, go swimming in the sea or bathing in the sun, dangle in a hammock or go shopping in Balneario Camboriú. The day will be at your free disposal. Breakfast and dinner are included. 

Today your next adventure will take place - you will stop at the rafting station and will do a rafting tour on the beautiful river Itajaí-Açu. With helmet, paddle and the necessary team spirit you will challenge the rough water of that river during our 2.5 hrs. middle class rafting through magnificent nature. Late afternoon or early evening you will reach your accommodation in the mountain village Doutor Pedrinho where you will join for dinner. Breakfast and dinner are included.

After breakfast a jeep or truck will bring you to the plateau between Doutor Pedrinho and Santa Maria. You'll mount on a bike with which you will head on to a small mountain community called Estradinha while having great views into the valleys with their forests below us. 

You will leave your bikes and the vehicle in order to go canyoning in the Rio Bravo. This small virgin forest river is ideal for canyoning rookies. Yur adventure will start with a 7m and a 3m jump into the water. The further course will consist of hiking in the river bed of a beautiful canyon totally embedded in virgin forest. At the end you will swim in a cave-lake fed by a waterfall. An absolute worry-free adventure without significant dangers.

In bad or cold weather conditions as an alternative you can rappel at the Gruta Santo Antônio which means a 36m negative descent starting from a huge rock spur. After a picnic you will go back the same way by bike or drive by car through the valley of Santa Maria back to Doutor Pedrinho  depending on the daylight. Breakfast and dinner are included. 

You will drive back to "your beach" at Estaleiro after breakfast in order to relax and refresh from the recent adventures. Breakfast and dinner are included. 

You will leave from the small fishing village of Estaleiro and go on to the magical island of Florianopolis. The following days we will be accommodated in the most famous place on the whole island in Lagoa da Conceição which is a small but lively district of Florianopolis and is situated in the middle of the beautiful Ilha de Santa Catarina in the south of Brazil. The district of Lagoa da Conceição combines beaches, dunes, mountains and the largest lake of the island and is located about 14km from the centre of the town. Due to its variety Lagoa da Conceição has become the most popular place of Florianopolis and it is the host for international surfing and kiting events.

Lagoa is a meeting point and offers extraordinary touristic infrastructure with lots of bars, cafés, shops and cultural facilities. The restaurants provide regional fish specialties. Lagoa da Conceição is a starting point to head off to the numerous beaches of the island. Praia Mole and Praia da Joaquina are famous surf beaches and easily reachable, situated a 5 minutes car drive from the centre of the town. The other beaches and the town centre of Florianopolis, including the crossing from the island to the mainland, are also easily reachable.

Lagoa da Conceição provides boat and trekking trips to explore the breath-taking flora and fauna of the island as well.Overnight stay in a cozy pousada. Breakfast is included. 

Three highlights in one day -  first you will do a hike through the beautiful dune landscape while passing small lakes and the biggest dune at Joaquina. There you will have the opportunity to discover your physical strengths at sand boarding. After that you will go to the beach at Barra da Lagoa where you will eat luscious fresh sea fruits and fish.

In the afternoon you will ride through the dunes and at the endless beach Mocambique on tranquil horses -  an unforgettable day. Breakfast is included.  

This day is free and up to you to explore. There are public buses that go to many of the nearby beaches, such as the surf beaches of Joaquina or Praia Mole. Breakfast is included.  

Today another highlight of our journey is scheduled. Your drive will bring you to the border of the national park Tabuleira, to the rafting station Aristeu. After a bright "Bem vindo" and equipped with helmet and swimming vest you will be driven to the river by van where your kayak expedition begins. In every kayak there will be one participant and his/her personal guide. Along the first kilometer of calmer waters you will get used to paddle techniques and commands.

The river gradually stretches away from civilization and soon the last houses are left behind. The mountains of Serra do Tabuleiro dominate the landscape as the river cuts its way through an untouched gorge in the middle of the Atlantic Rain Forest. The wild water course will be more and more demanding; small falls and technical torrent courses of classes II and III are alternating with short quiet sections where the clear water is inviting for swimming.

You'll become part of the landscape like privileged explorers of this paradise - water, rock and virgin forest - wild and untouched. After countless wild water tracks you will come to the highlight of the expedition.The river constricts and forms two impassable waterfalls of class VI. At that point you will get out of the boats and will carry them to a rock spur where the brave ones (participation facultative) can jump into a bay from a height of 5m. Afterwards you will have a break and picnic on a rock shelf in front of the waterfall and rain forest scenery. After 4 to 5 hours in wild water rafting, your expedition ends at the rafting station - an unforgettable experience. Breakfast is included. 

At the end of your journey we do have a further surprise for you. Captain Dieter and his boat named Ondança will take you from a small port at the lake of Lagoa da Conceiçao. This trip will begin with a coastal cruise along Costa da Lagoa, passing the Sambaqui and the Ponto das Almas which are tombs of the former Indians. The vegetation along the coast is breath-taking, from mangrove forests to the Atlantic Rain Forest. The eco system favors conditions for lots of birds and other wildlife, for example cormorants, gulls, monkeys and more.

For lunch you will stop off in a rustic restaurant at the Lagoa. But before consuming delicious typical regional fish you will go to the waterfall where you will have the opportunity to take a refreshing swim. After lunch you will have a short hike through the Atlantic Rain Forest to a stunning view point over the whole Lagoa. Afterwards the boat tour will bring you to the private beach Praia do Saquinho with its private residential fort built in a middle age style. At this beach you can swim and enjoy a Caipirinha freshly prepared by our Captain.

The boat trip will head on further through a channel to Barra da Lagoa where you can admire the typical local fishing villages and residences along the channel. Afterwards you will be going to the open sea and will have a beautiful panoramic view to the islands of Aranhas, Xavier, Arvoredo and Campeche. If you want to you can have another swim in the open water. Breakfast and lunch are included.

Today your tour ends and you'll leave Brazil.