"…THE DENSE RAINFOREST ON THE ARGENTINIAN SIDE OF THE NATIONAL PARK IS THE MOST SCENIC PART OF OUR WHOLE TRIP"
With gentle waves, the Atlantic gnaws at the sandy beach of our little hotel in Ribeirão da Ilha. Apart from the soothing lapping of the sea, the small village is peaceful in mid-March. Even in the high season during February, the sheltered bay on the west side of Santa Catarina Island is not overcrowded, although Brazilians, Argentines and Uruguayans storm the party metropolis of Florianópolis (usually just called Floripa for short) and bake in the sun on the sandy beaches.
Beyond the bay, the densely overgrown mountains of the mainland rise up. The only thing separating us from them is the city traffic of Floripa, which pours along the spacious boulevards and over the bridge connecting the island and the mainland. Soon the wide arterial road narrows, the area becomes more rural and reminds me of Colombia — lush green, grassy pastures, meadows, palm trees, jungle. After a winding natural road, the lunch break offers a
