2025 Started with White Clothes, Amazing Fireworks and Perfect Beaches

The Brazilian recipe for a perfect New Year’s Eve doesn’t require many ingredients—white clothes, booze, music, a spot somewhere outside, and perfect strangers happy to passar a virada do ano with other perfect strangers. The magic seasoning is often the beach. In Florianópolis, there’s the bridge too. The Ponte Hercílio Luz is the local landmark and obsession.

December 31, Campeche and Matadeiro

After Ingleses and Centro, we moved to Campeche, south of the island. The town (neighbourhood? District of Florianópolis?) used to have an airport, inaugurated in 1927 by the French Compagnie générale aéropostale. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry may have landed in Campeche a few times, so the main street and many businesses are named after The Little Prince.

I bought my New Year’s Eve fish from the tiny “Pequeno Príncipe” fish shop and we got ready for the last day of 2024. We spent it at Matadeiro Beach, Feng’s favourite spot on the island. It’s tiny but lively, and it’s very scenic with lush hills all around. The bonus is the short hike to get there—and yes, it includes crossing the river (or just taking the bridge a bit further… but crossing the river is more fun).

New Year’s Eve at the bridge

I kind of wanted to spend New Year’s Eve in Campeche, on the beach, since it was only a 20-minute walk from our lovely Airbnb (modern house, terrible plumbing, great kitchen, tiny ants everywhere). Feng and Mark wanted to drive to Centro to watch the fireworks at the bridge.

Feng and I walked to the beach to look at the upcoming informal party around 8 p.m. The crowd was very young and very drunk already.

“Okay, the bridge it is, then,” I sighed. “We’re too old for this party. I should ask them where their parents are going for the réveillon!”

So we drove to Centro and crossed the downtown core to join the huge crowd—everybody wearing white, of course—in front of the bridge that links the island to the mainland. Somehow, we ended up in a great spot we didn’t even know existed, right below the bridge.

And just like that, 2025 started with the loud bang of fireworks. The show was on our right. It got smoky very, very fast.

Ten minutes later, the bridge right above us lit up and another fireworks display started. This one took me by surprise and this time, we had front-row tickets. It was just stunning, with the bridge covered in dazzling colours and bright sparks. It ended with a firework curtain falling into the water.

January 1 at Pântano do Sul

After a short night, we spent the first day of the year at Praia do Pântano do Sul.

And now it’s time to travel again… we’re back on the road in just a few hours. Yes, I should sleep.