By Felipe A. Tamegão
guest blogger
Florianopolis is the most gay-friendly city in Brazil, specially during Carnival season. This is when most of the gays from Brazil and Argentina get to Florianopolis, (also known as "Floripa") to party.
Floripa is the capital of the state of Santa Catarina, located in the Island of Santa Catarina. Why go to Florianopolis? The weather is very good, temperature is mild, people are welcoming, and you can be with your partner anywhere, without those looks or feeling misplaced. It is also a not an expensive destination. Lot’s of "pousadas" (which are small hostels) are available if you don’t want to spend huge amount on accommodations. Transportation is efficient, and you get easily from one side of the island to another.
Most of the parties from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro are present in Florianopolis. Well known groups such as "The Week" (the largest and the most famous club in Sao Paulo and Rio), "E-Joy" (from Flexx) have carnival versions of their well-known parties. Concorde, a local club, is a good choice as well . Spending the day at Praia Mole, which has a fantastic landscape, and is the rendez-vous point for all gays in the island, is a must.
You can enjoy from typical brazilian "blocos" which are people partying on the streets, dancing to local music while having drinks (it´s allowed to drinks on the streets in Brazil), to parties with world DJs such as Tiesto, Fat Boy Slim and others. This huge party begins this Friday and finishes Wednesday, with plenty of parties every day and night.