Last updated August 23, 2026

The yellow twin towers and covered walkway of the historic Mercado Público building in downtown Florianópolis, with visitors in the square outside

Céline (Paris), modified by Fulviusbsas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Florianópolis

Where to Stay in Centro, Florianópolis

Centro is Florianópolis's historic downtown, sitting on the western shore of Santa Catarina Island facing the mainland, close to the foot of the Hercílio Luz Bridge. Its core is built around Praça XV de Novembro, a square shaded by a fig tree planted in the 1870s, and the Mercado Público, a yellow-walled public market building dating to 1898 whose twin towers and covered walkway are among the city's most recognizable landmarks. Narrow colonial-era streets, churches, and small museums fill out the surrounding blocks.

What it's actually like to stay here

A working city center more than a resort — busy with office workers, market shoppers, and ferry traffic by day, and considerably quieter at night once shops and municipal offices close. It's the most explicitly historic and least beach-focused of Floripa's tourist areas, with colonial architecture standing in for sand and surf.

Stay here if

Stay here if exploring the Mercado Público, Praça XV, and the city's colonial-era streets on foot is a priority, or if generally lower hotel rates than the beach areas matter more than being near the sand.

Stay elsewhere if

If a beach at your doorstep is the point of the trip, Centro isn't it — the nearest sand is a real drive away, and the area itself quiets down noticeably once the workday ends.

Walkability
The historic core is compact and flat, and Praça XV, the Mercado Público, and the surrounding colonial streets are all within a 10 to 15 minute walk of most downtown hotels. It's an easy area to explore entirely on foot.
Noise at night
Busy with traffic and foot traffic during the day, especially near the market and the bus terminal, but noticeably quiet in the evenings once offices and shops close — closer to a business district's rhythm than a beach town's.

Best Hotels in Centro, Florianópolis

Faial Prime Suítes

★★★★
  • 🏆 Our overall pick
  • 🧭 Best for first-time visitors
  • 📍 Best location

Our take Faial Prime Suítes' location does most of the work — a genuinely central spot in Centro that puts the historic core within a short walk, backed by suite-style rooms with more space than a typical city hotel.

Good for

  • First-time visitors
  • Couples

First-time visitors who want an easy, central base for exploring Centro's historic core on foot.

Why we like it

  • A few minutes' walk from Praça XV, the Mercado Público, and the Alvaro de Carvalho Theater.
  • Suite-style rooms tend to offer more space than a standard city-center hotel room.
  • A breakfast buffet with tropical fruits and made-to-order hot dishes.
  • A large property, which tends to mean more room availability during busy periods.

What to know

  • Centro is a working city center, so it quiets down in the evenings compared to the beach areas — worth knowing if nightlife right outside the door matters.
Check availability on Booking.com

Blue Tree Premium Florianópolis

★★★★
  • 🤫 Best for a quiet stay

Our take Blue Tree Premium sits a little further from Centro's busiest streets than some downtown hotels, and the trade-off is a quieter stay with genuine city views from its rooftop pool.

Good for

  • First-time visitors

First-time visitors who want a reliable, well-equipped hotel a short walk from downtown, on a quieter, more residential-leaning street.

Why we like it

  • An outdoor rooftop pool with panoramic city views, a rarity among Centro's hotels.
  • A quieter street than the immediate area around Praça XV and the Mercado Público.
  • A varied breakfast buffet.
  • A gym and sauna on site, useful for a longer stay.

What to know

  • It's roughly a 15 to 20 minute walk from Praça XV and the Mercado Público, so it suits travelers fine with a short walk or quick ride into the historic core rather than being right on top of it.
Check availability on Booking.com

Transportation & practical information

Centro is the island's transit hub — the main municipal bus terminal (TICEN) sits right in the historic core, with connections across the island, and ferries to nearby islands like Ilha do Campeche depart from the waterfront nearby. Reaching Jurerê or Lagoa da Conceição still means a 20 to 40 minute drive or bus ride, since both sit in different parts of the island.

The historic core is compact enough to walk end to end, and street parking downtown is limited and often congested. A car adds little for a stay focused on Centro itself, though it or a ride-hailing app becomes useful for day trips to the beach areas.

Frequently asked questions

Is Centro walkable in Florianópolis?
Yes — the historic core around Praça XV and the Mercado Público is compact and flat, and most downtown hotels sit within a 10 to 15 minute walk of both.
Can I stay in Centro and still visit the beaches?
Yes, but plan for real travel time — reaching Jurerê or Lagoa da Conceição from Centro typically takes 20 to 40 minutes by car, bus, or ride-hailing app, since they sit in different parts of the island.

Related areas

An aerial view over Lagoa da Conceição's lagoon village, with the sand dunes and forested hills of the island behind it

Mariordo (Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lagoa da Conceição

Best for: Nightlife, Couples, First-time visitors

A wide sandy beach curving along the bay at Jurerê Internacional, with the town and forested hills visible in the distance

Rafael Bernardino Mattei / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

Jurerê Internacional

Best for: Beach time, Families, Luxury travelers

← All Florianópolis neighborhoods