Hey Adriana, yes, I show Ilha do Campeche in the video, but I forgot to mention it in the video :) I can't safely rate balneario camboriu with Rio, but they definitely had their similarities. But then again, most cities along the beach probably would have a similar feel. And thank you for sharing those other places. I hope to visit them one day :)

@@PremiumLeo Well, if you consider having a side walk, sea and some mountains around similarities then I agree. The thing is: Rio is much more than that, but most tourists think Rio is just Copacabana, Ipanema, Christ Redeemer and Sugar Loaf. Rio has a lot of history, old and beautiful churches and buildings in general, things you can't find in Camboriu, which is a city relatively new compared to Rio and much smaller. Rio was the capital of the Portuguese Empire. Not to mention the cultural life. Does Rio also have more criminality? Of course it does. You cannot compare a 7 million ppl city with a city like Camboriu with a population of only about 150.000. Almost all Brazilian cities with that few number of ppl are relatvely safe.

@@TheAdrianaPolari Your description is spot on :) Ultimately though, I would still say floripa is much more fun and has more things to do than Rio (mainly because Rio is limited in things you can do safely). But yes, Rio is one of several epicenters of Brazilian and Portuguese history in Brazil. Floripa is simply a beautiful place to be without as much concern for safety :)

@@PremiumLeo The comparison we were discussing was between Camboriu and Rio. Floripa is better than Camboriu, IMO. But there are tons of hikings in nature you can do in Rio city as well. There's a tour called 'Wild Beaches' (Praias Selvagens) that takes you to more isolated beaches, not to mention the hikings in Tijuca Forest, which is considered the biggest forest in an urban area in the world, amazing parks, such as Jardim Botanico or Parque Lage. Also places full of history. Floripa is safer than Rio, but you have to consider that Rio is at least 12 times bigger than Floripa. Compared to Rio, Floripa is just like a little town in the countryside. Not to mention that Rio has the biggest and most beautiful Carnival in the world. I see no reason for comparisons. Each destination has its appeals. What you can find in Floripa perhaps you can't find in Rio and vice-versa. I've been to both places. I like both and I see no reason to exclude one in order to just enjoy the other. You need to be careful in Rio, but again, where else can you have the sights that only Rio has? Floripa is safer, but Rio is unique. There's no big city in the world with that geography. Furthermore, you travel 2 hours by car and you reach Arraial do Cabo and Búzios, which are paradise on earth and safe. Going South there's Angra dos Reis bay with those amazing islands. Rio is nice not only the capital, but also many places in Rio state, on the coast or in the mountains.

@@TheAdrianaPolari I will pin your comment to the top. Thank you for all of the wonderful info Adriana :)

Yea, for living, adventure, lifestyle, etc, Floripa > Rio

E o que você está fazendo na Califórnia, filha, vindo de uma cidade maravilhosa como Florianópolis?? 😂 (Califórnia é Rio de Janeiro 2.0).

Hence, why I was looking for a strong contrast to Medellin. Living in Floripa was the best decision of my life, to be honest.

Exactly been to Colombia and was shocked how polluted the place was, and how vicious the sellers all over Cartagena were too. Brazil is miles better

@@Utygyihgfggc in Medellin (Poblado) you get offered cocaine, weed at literally every corner 🤦🏻‍♂️ it wasn’t even fun anymore. in Cartagena the street sellers are very pushy too. And the people, they are so different. In Brasil you get approached, become friends and make genuine connections so easy, not gonna happen in Colombia - there they try to avoid you or if they show interest in you, it mostly is with bad intentions. you’re their ATM 🤦🏻‍♂️ that was my general experience. I met super nice people in Colombia too, but they are rare and you don’t find them as easy as in Brasil!

@@p__jay I can't believe this isn't common knowledge, i had high expectations for Colombia, but I won't be coming back lol.

@@Utygyihgfggc 😂same! i did go to Colombia directly from Brasil, thinking it will just as good, but oh man was wrong and very disapponted! what i don't understand though, why so many (mostly US Americans) talk so good about Colombia and keep going there...don't they know better?

You are most welcome Bai Li :) I hope you have an amazing time in Floripa

Obrigado e valeu Javel :)

De nada

De nada amigo :)

Thanks Mike. Saúde

See you in brazil :)

You are most welcome

hey brotha, you are most welcome. the gym is: RFA Brazilian Fight School Association - CT Rangel Farias on google maps I'm certain you will enjoy :)

Yea, floripa is one of those places you can basically retire in.

You are most welcome Thomas

Brigado Katia :) Gotta be prepared

Welcome, Svetlana!

what were the 3 locations on the island that you stayed?

Canasvierias, Ingleses Norte, and off the island very near Sao Jose@@PremiumLeo

It definitely is :)

@@PremiumLeo I'm looking to move to Mexico, but I really love Brazil, too, and have relatives there given my wife is Brazilian. Mexico is just closer to the USA so I can drive there.

Obrigado amigo

Obrigado buddy :)

They have a handful around the Island, including in the main city (obviously).

Lagoa would probably be your best bet for a centralized location. Otherwise, just use ubers everywhere to get to the best hikes :) North-east of the island you would get a much quieter vibe, or further in the south, such as Armacao (but then you are moving really far from civilization).

Definitely a great place! My most fave place in brazil thus far

you are most welcome

Mexico has it's sweet spots. I think the equivalent of Floripa would be Puerto Escondido, and a range of other small costal towns in MX. But Floripa is on another level with its abundance of nature. No idea about the prices though, since 3-4% yearly inflation is standard across the globe.

problem with mexico is that there is such an abundance of tourists and digital nomads that the prices of any desireable place are through the roof. Most cool beach towns with cool infrastructure aren't cheap these days. Brazil has so many hidden gems.

Once mexico solves their police corruption issue, it's only going to get even more full of foreigners :)

I definitely recommend the muay thai. it's in Campeche at Rangel gym (if I recall)

Thank you very much Roger

What about montevideo

@@PremiumLeo I doubt that the whole of Uriguay is better than the state of Santa Catarina. Sorry.. Everything you can imagine that is good or positive, Santa Catarina has it.

Im just curious, since Uruguay, I've heard, is the "switzerland" of south america. I might try living in Uruguay one day, but for now, Floripa was absolutely my fave :)

@@PremiumLeo I can't say for sure, but I've heard that crime has increased a lot in Uruguay in recent years (mainly in the capital). Something you don't see in Santa Catarina. But I need to confirm, because I don't want to be unfair.

@@PremiumLeo avoid Uruguay. It is a shithole. My friends barely escaped from there to Brazil.

It's super inexpensive, which is what I loved. It was about $30/mo from what I remember. Private lessons can be negotiated to $15/lesson. I usually did the privates, in between classes (so trying to fit in about 2.5-3 hours of training per session). For rent, airbnb, but I recommend you negotiate the price down as much as possible. Or ask in facebook groups also. I don't see any point in paying more than $800 USD/mo

hey! I'm digital nomad who's coming to Floripa for 6 months from October 10th. I'm looking for martial arts gyms aswell. If you want to meet me when I come and make new connection let me know your instagram!

Brigado :)

de naaaada amiga :)

You are most welcome Tomaz

It's also expanding rapidly. Lots of new 3-4 story condos going up in the areas you mentioned

and from pix that I saw just a few days ago, they are STILL building, non-stop. The entire place will be towering high-rises soon

Isso :)

Vitoria you say? What about Belem. That's on my to-do list for next year.

@@PremiumLeo Indeed Belem shall be a very cool city, as far I know it’s very vibrant e people there are friendly, however I haven’t been there so I can’t say anything about the city itself. I wish you a great journey through Brazil, I love my country ❤️

@@michaelbarros744 my friend who stayed there for 2 months said it's not the most beautiful or interesting city, BUT he says the people there are very welcoming and open

@@PremiumLeo Best channel I've found about "Curita and Floripa. You are a very honest speaker. Great job.

@@albertoalmeida3424 obrigado amigo 😉

Bring sunscreen and mosquito spray :)

nice Terry. Which area of the island did you end up calling home? I found campeche perfect for me, since it was semi-central, and had that muay thai gym almost across the street.

Hi Leo.We eventually settled in Ingleses although we visit Campech regularly in the summer particularly the island which is stunning.

Hi Terry. Greets from the UK. Just wondering what the locals treat foreigners gringos. Is there opportunities to make friends or are we just seen as potential fraud and scam victims?

@@blakeronan Hi there I have found most of the locals here very friendly and inquisitive of our English culture, there are not many who speak English but they do appreciate if you have a go at Portuguese, admittedly it's kind of touristy during the summer where I am and we get quite an influx of Argentinians who are also friendly, as for scammers fraudsters etc its not so prevalent here as the crime rate is one of lowest in Brazil so its safe to go out at night.i certainly don't regret coming here it really is a beutiful island.

You will be fine :) But as always, be mindful, do your due diligence, and learn the language to understand what is going on. But floripa otherwise is relatively safe.

Well, once you break through the money barrier, feel free to come back. Valeu amigo :)

with a bike, it's awesome. or just uber around the island.

@@PremiumLeo what about africanized killer bees which were spread around Brazil and whole Latin America? Are they still dangerous and attack people?

this will require a google search, but never have I heard of such a thing from the locals :)

@@PremiumLeo ok. If so, it may look as the problem has gone :) BTW I am preparing for entering Brazil next year.

Brigado amigo! I was in the miami the other day, and was asking for "water with gas", because I forgot the english name of 'soda water'. That's what happens when you live overseas for so long :)

oh man, I fractured my foot and rolled my ankle with muay thai 4 days before leaving florianopolis. It's a love-hate relationship ^_^

Lagoa is the go-to for most. Pretty much anywhere on the island you will have a beach (there are 42)

@@PremiumLeo Thanks. I ended up booking a place close to the water in Campeche. I wanted keep it low key.

@@donberry Campeche is great. See if your host can lend you a bicycle, because it's not the most walkable town, but it is beautiful. You 100% need to climb up the rocks at Morro Lampião goo.gl/maps/Pv5HL5uprD3nV3Pa9

Can't blame them. Better weather and island life

Good Russians or bad?

@@aldozilli1293 I really hope they are good Russians. It's already bad with the Argentines trying to abduct Santa Catarina to their territory. Haha ha...😄

Olha de santa Catarina por favor....

@@aldozilli1293Russians are in general good people with an excellent education.

Gotta love that Floripa has zones that offer a lifestyle for everyone. From touristy, to big city, to quiet and isolated.

De nada Noam

thank you for the recommendation :)

I recommend it for the adventures, most definitely. Best place to explore by far

Valeu amigo :)

Brigado :)

bem bonito, e certo

you are most welcome

Hey brotha! Floripa is awesome, seriously. I would recommend staying near "Rangel Farias muay thai" gym in Campeche. That's the one I went to. But you can also find one within the city

@@PremiumLeo Awesome, thanks for the advice!

The South of Brazil is more "European" and the climate is subtropical. So, Europeans and descendants in other countries can feel more "at home". For the ones who want to experience other cultures and influences because Brazil is very mixed and diverse, other regions can be "more exotic".

@@nancyleal2529 more exotic and much more dangerous where you can be killed on the street.

Those are some great thoughts. Lemme give my thoughts: 1) I agree, everything is spread out. But that allows for very particular living styles. Either city life, or beach life, or party town, or isolate yourself in one of the corners of the island. Just gotta choose which one you are going for. 2) Yea the traffic sucks, especially since most of the roads are single-lane. It will only get worse, unless they fix that. 3) The rain was based on the season. My first 2 months, it barely rained. My last month, it was cold and rainy. 4) I only did one trip outside of the city, to Balneariu and Blumenau. It definitely took some time. And yea, they stopped a lot. But Brazil is so huge and spread out, that taking a bus anywhere is going to take hours. 5) I didn't feel that most people were 'european', except for being a bit whiter than the north. Otherwise, the culture always felt brazilian. IMO, brazilian clubs are a bit more hipster, since the climate is hot, and everyone is always in flipflops, shorts, and whatnot.

I never bought health insurance to be honest

Hello sir, I recommend "Unimed". You can research it, but I believe it is the best (and most famous) in Brazil.

Ah, I didn't realize that was the reason for being expensive. Interesting observation!

That sounds rational 💪

There are a lot of luxury hotels and restaurants serving the tourist trade, but you can still live well on a budget, too. I have always had more fun in Brazil, but Mexico has immense charm, too. Let me know what other places can compare with Puerto Vallarta or Floripa?

Floripa is expensive because a lot of people come to live here. None capital of the south or southeast of Brazil is far from production centers.

I'm not sure about the rest of Santa Catarina, but Florianopolis definitely felt safe. But I can't confirm the safety levels late at night in the city itself.

@@PremiumLeo Florianópolis and Joinville are the most dangerous in the state because are the largest and with more immigrants, but as a Brazillian capital is the safest, most cities in SC has not seen a crime in a long time, I live in Brusque and here I have not heard about a death in a year, for a Brazillian city this is unbelievable, I lived in ES and there it's common about 10 deaths in a single day. You should get to Know Gramado in RS and the cities around it, they are amongst the most beautiful cities in the entire continent.

you are the 4th person to tell me about Gramado :) It's like Ouro Preto?

@@PremiumLeo No, Ouro Preto is an old Portuguese preserved city, Gramado is like a Brazillian Switzerland, it's a cold place among the mountains with Italians and Germans descendants, Europe style, but everything seems pretty new and it's the closest we have to a first world, very safe, beautiful and organized.

Ah yes. I remember lots of mentions of Gramado. I'll have to visit one day :)

Florianópolis for sure

It usually takes a bit of mental energy and effort to investigate other regions within a country. But I would say the general stereotypes about countries still hold when taking into account the entire country. Thus brazil is still dangerous, and people need to be mindful at all times, regardless of how amazing floripa is :)

You can either do Florianopolis city, or Rio city. Why not do both, 1.5 months each, and see how you feel about them. I have a video about Rio on this channel also.

You will be fine, but obviously start learning portuguese :) Shouldn't take more than 3-6 months to get the hang of it

there is only one airport, Floripa airport. Next airport is in Navegantes 120 km. Normally to get here you need to go to São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro. International flight direct is only from Argentina and Chile.

as @pigaumDjn stated, there is only one airport. I arrived via sao paolo or Rio (can't recall)

hence the overabundance of Argentinians during certain latin american holidays

do a quick expat floripa search. there are one or 2 pretty much.

Mas e uma boa experience, ne

Probably the usual spot of Lagoa

Certo :)

Of course, but better to get a premium health plan. The free system is overloaded

Kkkk

probably in the main city. I didn't see any skateboarding around the smaller towns.

Absolutely! Many many amazing views

Hey Alex, my buddy makes them

Thanks?

During my 3 months there (Feb to May), I didn't meet a single Argentinian. Also, there are 42 beaches (20 of them by their towns), so there are more than enough 'calm' beaches. Also, it only got cold around May to be fair because of the rain. But if the day was sunny, then the water was nice and warm.

If you meet a rude Argentina tell them the brits stole the falklands

By flight. They are super cheap. Maybe a flight from Congonhas airport

and happiness ;) I also include Travel as a bonus category since it's part of the repertoire of being a digital nomad

Yep, I did

I don't live there, but the climate in the south of Brazil is subtropical, so, there is less time of warm weather. Except at the Northeast, the sea is cold. I think that not as cold as in Europe, but cold. Where are you from? I think I saw your comments in "Swedish gringo", too.

@@nancyleal2529 Greek Irish

And you where are you from?

@@nancyleal2529 thanks for info!

@@AdorableUrban , I am Brazilian. I visited many countries in Europe, but not Greece and Ireland yet. The climate in Greece is better and it can reach very high temperatures in summer. But if you lived in Ireland, I can understand why you enjoy the weather at the Northeast.

I normally just stick with airbnb. you can negotiate with the landlord. avoid agencies since they usually just a commission on top, and don't provide any additional benefits.

Yep. Every person on the island has a story they tell themselves to look good/be fit/be healthy, etc.

Yea, honestly, it's the best deal possible, which includes unlimited sessions per day, 5 times per week (+1 open sparring on saturdays), AND you get a beach nearby and a chill town. I keep debating whether I should go back sometime soon.

I was staying with a family while there. Seems like a great place to slow things down and relax... all the time :)

They are friendly to everyone :) I recommend learning some portuguese before arriving. English is not a commonly spoken language here.

thanks man @@PremiumLeo

Of course. It's possible to find all prices. It all depends on what you are looking for.

gracias amigo!

January is all sunshine. I don't live there anymore :)

I really hope there will be warm water there😂 and too bad I could use a great guide. Did you leave Brazil??

@@mira7156 hehe yea. Living in Colombia now :)

@@PremiumLeo why? Where in Colombia?

Someone also mentioned because delivery of goods onto the island is also bottle-necked by the 2 bridges.

I met plenty of super friendly brazilians on Floripa :)

I enjoyed Campeche :)

Hey Tyler, yep, airbnb

@Premium Leonidas good to know. Thanks bud!

Yep, just message a few hosts. Make sure you ask for internet speeds also before going, if you work online

@@PremiumLeo i do. Last, what are good internet speeds for brazil and whats a good rent negotiation? Thank you very much.

@@K-10-limitless honestly it simply depends on the place where you rent. In floripa near the beach, the host gave me 25 megaBYTES/s (200mbps), while in SP, I sometimes had to deal with hosts only providing up to 5 MB/s (~50mbps). For negotiating a price, that's up to you. You should be able to negotiate your price down by up to 30%+ (especially for longer term stays). The worst to negotiate with are agencies/subleters since it's not their apartment. But always, always negotiate.

Hey Igor, yep, in Rangel's academy. Just in group classes, and privates (for 1 month) with one of their instructors

@@PremiumLeo He is well know around these parts, you sure got the right treatment. 😁

Você definitivamente tem uma experiência diferente de alguém que simplesmente vem visitar e viver por um pequeno período de tempo. Mas eu aceitaria o alto nível de segurança que você consegue com Floripa, em estradas perfeitas.

Rainy season has a lot of shocking lightning 😉

675 km2 vs 783,562 km2 You mistook the period for a comma ;)

hehe, for those of us who just want to know whats up within the first minute :)

Go with a friend that speaks portuguese? Or simply use google translate everywhere. I have plenty of buddies who only use their translators

@@PremiumLeo yeah bro I obviously would if I had any friends that spoke Portuguese lol, I thought that was obvious. And yeah the translate thing may be a play actually

There are lots of people here that speaks english, but try studying portuguese a little, it's very similar to spanish. People like foreigners and will be very willing to help

I'm not a big drinker myself, but you can go out and have a beer or 2 like anywhere else.

Yea, everyone will have an personalized experience. 1. I never experienced any safety issues, but then again, I didn't drive or have a car, nor did I stay in the main city often 2. almost all of the beaches I visited had great water quality. There are hidden beaches also 3. When I visited Jurere in that one night club, the girls were beautiful, but in my area... campeche... they were few and far between. I wouldn't come to floripa for consistent dating... although I'm sure you will find a girl... but it's not the appeal here. For dating, I would focus on Sao Paolo (although for living, it's not the best).

I was stolen in Paris. Lost my valet, and valuable books, top much dangerous places over there, as well as in London

@@PremiumLeo for a single man looking to spend 1 week in Rio and 1 week in Floripa would you recommend stay in Lagoa? I am passed my fitness days

Rangel mma

@@PremiumLeo thank you!! Awesome video btw