Beaches, islands, mountains, forests. Rivers, lakes, waterfalls.

A Day in Brazil

There are favorable conditions for gliding in all regions of the state, always in places of natural beauty with lush and adequate infrastructure to the practice of sport – off ramps, runways, etc. In addition, Santa Catarina offers courses in quality, becoming a national benchmark in aerial adventures, and hosts the unique factory of paragliders in South America, located in Jaragua do Sul.

Other modalities

Besides the methods already mentioned, ecotourists are in the state of commercial operation for bird watching enthusiasts, the canopy of sandboarding, the exploration of caves (Caverna Botuverá), trout fishing (in the icy rivers of the Serra de Santa Catarina), the parachuting, gliding flight, mountain biking, motocross and 4x4 off-road.

Photo by Jeff Belmonte

A Day in Brazil

Downhill in inflatable rubber dinghies provide great emotions in contact with nature. Santa Catarina offers good options for the sport. The rafting Itajai-Acu River and its tributaries in the Upper Itajai Valley, is considered one of the best in Brazil. The Cubatão in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz, in Florianópolis, and other routes in the Far West of the State deserve to be awarded – there are other stretches of rivers in several counties, being exploited for canoeing in kayaks and canoes.

Whale watching

From June to November, the Santa Catarina coast becomes a great nursery of Franca whale species, the second most endangered on the planet. During this period, hundreds of copies come from Patagonia in search of warmer waters to give birth and nurse their young in a large area of environmental protection that extends from the south coast of Laguna to Florianópolis. In Imbituba and Garopaba, which record the highest number of sightings, you can participate in excursions on boats suitable for whale watching.

Photo by: http://tda21anos.blogspot.com.br/

A Day in Brazil

Santa Catarina has the best places for diving in Southern Brazil. The Reserva Biológica Marinha do Arvoredo (Marine Biological Reserve Arvoredo) is one of the best places for scuba diving (with underwater breathing equipment) across the country. For snorkeling, the coves of Bombinhas, the Campeche Island (Florianópolis) and the island of Porto Belo are recommended.

Photo by Alexandre Janini

Fishery

The Santa Catarina coast is looking for professional and amateur fishermen who can choose from wide range of scenarios and species. The ocean fishing can be practiced throughout the coast, and Itajaí one of the main professional activity in Brazil. The variety of species has become the region between Florianopolis and Piçarras reference for the amateur and sport fishing, both onboard and in warehouses or cliffs – there are good scripts for fishing day and night around the peninsula of Porto Belo. In this region, no record of catch within the rules of sport fishing, big golden mackerel, bonito, tuna, marlin, white marlin and even blue. In the cliffs, you can fish sea bass, grouper, mullet, Pampos, bream, among many other species.

Two fish deserve special mention. The catch bass in the Bay of Babitonga channels, especially in Garuva, attracts anglers from all over the country. And anchovies, good fighting fish, is abundant in all the coasts and islands between Florianopolis and Piçarras between June and November.

A Day in Brazil

For those who practice nautical activities, Santa Catarina is the right destination. The indented coastline with protected bays and inlets, and dozens of islands offers beautiful spots for sightseeing in schooner sailboats, power boats and yachts.

The best places for shipments loaded or nautical activities are Baía da Babitonga, in São Francisco do Sul; the Porto Belo bay and Bombinhas peninsula; Governador Celso Ramos peninsula, and the two biggest bays of Ilha de Santa Catarina, in Florianópolis. Beach towns like Barra Velha, Piçarras, Balneário Camboriú, Itapema, Garopaba, Imbituba e Laguna offer options for boat trips along the coast and nearby islands. There are good points to browsers support all along the coast – yacht clubs, marinas and nautical garages.

Photo by Rodrigo_Soldon

A Day in Brazil

Surfing and its variations, windsurfing and kitesurfing are very practiced in Santa Catarina, attracting legions of fans with a different lifestyle that values ​​the contact with nature and respect. They are 560 km of coastline and around 130 beaches suitable for surfing, plus at least two large ponds special for windsurfing and kitesurfing. It is difficult to highlight the best beaches for surfing, due to the amount of options. The best known are Joaquina, Mole, Moçambique, Morro das Pedras, Campeche (Florianópolis), Guarda do Embaú (Palhoça), Vila, Rosa (Imbituba), Silveira, Ferrugem (Garopaba), Prainha (São Francisco do Sul), Atalaia, Brava (Itajaí), Estaleiro (Balneário Camboriú), Mariscal, Quatro Ilhas (Bombinhas).

The Beach Ibiraquera (Imbituba) is considered the best beach for windsurfing in waves throughout Brazil. Nearby, the Lagoa de Ibiraquera has excellent conditions to practice Slalom (zigzag maneuvers) and is also great for kite surfing. Lagoa da Conceição (Florianópolis) is also great for the practice of the two modalities.

Photo by Júnior Dias

A Day in Brazil

These activities can be practiced in all regions of Santa Catarina, in places always surrounded by beautiful scenery.

The best known:

Caminho dos Príncipes: Rota das Cachoeiras, in Corupá; Vale Perdido, in São Bento do Sul; Caminho do Peabiru, from Garuva or Campo Alegre.

Rota do Sol: Eco-paths in Porto Belo and Bombinhas.

Vale Europeu: Vale das Cachoeiras, in Presidente Getúlio, and the cânions of Doutor Pedrinho.

Big Florianópolis: Ilha de Santa Catarina, Morro do Cambirela, Parque do Tabuleiro, especially the portion that is located in Santo Amaro da Imperatriz.

South: Ecological trails in Imbituba and Garopaba. Cânions dos Aparados da Serra, in Praia Grande.

Hills: Hiking the hills of Igreja and Campestre, of Serra do Corvo Branco, of cânions do Espraiado and of Canoas river, in Urubici. Parque Show Valley, in São Joaquim.

Vale do Contestado: Rota das Cachoeiras, in Porto União, and ecological trails in Vale da Morte, in Irani.

West: Parque das Quedas of Chapecó river, in Abelardo Luz, and Parque das Cataratas of Chapecozinho river, in Xanxerê. Extreme adventures programs in the canyons of the cities of the Far West: Dionisio Cerqueira, Anchieta, Paraíso, and São José do Cedro and Guaraciaba.

Photo by CasalMALY

A Day in Brazil

How much credit should Brazil’s presidents get for its remarkable progress since the return to democracy in 1985? Elections have been conducted smoothly, the economy has grown, poverty and inequality have declined and social indicators are improving. Did Brazil succeed because of its presidents or in spite of them? Or because of some and in spite of others?

Two presidents, Fernando Henrique Cardoso (1995-2002) and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), are often praised for their contributions. The others, José Sarney (1995-1990), Fernando Collor de Mello (1990-1992), and Itamar Franco (1992-1994) are not so frequently applauded. Indeed, Collor de Mello was impeached. But their contributions may have been underappreciated.

Read more at Brazzil

A Day in Brazil

A Day in Brazil

More than 48 percent of Brazilians are overweight and 15.8 percent are obese, according to a study based on 2011 data that was released Tuesday by the health ministry.

The figures testify to a growing problem, since in 2006 overweight people amounted to 42.7 percent of the population while 11.4 percent were obese.

The ministry surveyed 54,144 people in the capitals of Brazil’s 27 states.

People are considered overweight who have a Body Mass Index higher than 25 and obese if they have a BMI above 30.

The proportion of overweight men increased from 47.2 percent in 2006 to 52.6 percent last year. The comparable figures among women were 38.5 percent and 44.7 percent, respectively.

Excess weight increases with age.

While the problem affects 29.4 percent of Brazilians between the ages of 18 and 24, the proportion reaches 63 percent in the 35-45 age group.

“There is a trend toward increased weight and obesity in the country. The time has come to turn the game around so we don’t catch up with countries like the United States, where more than 20 percent of the population is obese,” Health Minister Alexandre Padilha said while presenting the study.

The minister said that among the measures adopted by the government to tackle the problem was an accord signed with the food industry last year to reduce the content of salt and fat in its products.

Padilha cited unhealthy eating habits as one of the factors causing excess weight gain.

Only 20.2 percent of Brazilians consume more than five portions of fruits and vegetables per day as the World Health Organization recommends.

On the more positive side, the proportion of sedentary males in Brazil fell from 16 percent in 2009 to 14.1 percent last year.

The study also showed that the percentage of smokers dropped from 34.8 percent in 1989 to 14.8 percent in 2011.

“The figures show that our ban on smoking in public spaces is contributing effectively to that decline,” Padilha said.

Source Article from bignewsnetwork.com/

A Day in Brazil