Where to stay in Blumenau

Blumenau is a city in Vale do Itajaí, Santa Catarina state, in the South Region of Brazil, 130 km (81 mi) from the state capital Florianópolis.

Blumenau and the surrounding regions became home to a large number of German immigrants in the late 19th century, leading to a culture that's distinctly different from the common image of Brazil. After Germans, the second largest ethnic group is Italians. The Oktoberfest is held every year in October, and is the world's second largest beer festival. It attracts over one million tourists during the 16 or 17 days it's held. In September 2nd, 1850 the German immigrant Bruno Otto Hermann Blumenau settled on the site of modern-day Blumenau, on the shores of the Itajaí-Açu river.

Websites for inexpensive hotels in Blumenau are not immediately available through the search engines or hotel search portals, which tend to respond with hotels offering double rooms at R$120 or more per night. These are no better in quality than more economical hotels, though they exploit the tourist's unfamiliarity with the area. Except during Oktoberfest, hotel rooms are plentiful and it is a buyer's market. Once you arrive, you will find hotels everywhere, many of which offer double rooms at around R$70 (US$30) per night equipped including breakfast, cable TV, and a private bathroom.

Getting in

It is very easy to get to Blumenau by bus. There are several interstate companies with regular lines to Blumenau and region. A trip from São Paulo takes about 10 hours and costs about R$100 one-way. The bus station is open 24 hours a day and has showers free bathrooms and a diner (however those are very old right now and very dirty, and only snacks are available and the bus station whose is very dangerous indeed). It is served by urban buses to PROEB (downtown) and Fortaleza (neighborhood) Terminals. There are also taxis, which would take you downtown for about R$15.

Getting around

Walking in downtown Blumenau may be pleasant from April to December, but avoid walking too much in the summer, as summers tend to be extremely hot and there aren't many trees. The city has many hills and outside downtown you might find some challenging slopes. Sidewalks in Brazil don't have standards and in Blumenau the best are downtown, so in the neighborhoods take some care with them. During the summer it rains almost everyday, but usually in the late afternoon, so it won't really be a problem to stroll around. Taxis are expensive.

Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.