Santa Catarina · Brazil
In the state of Santa Catarina.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
São José preserves a historic center of Azorean origin on the shores of the Baía Sul. Walks through the old squares and streets let you discover its architectural heritage and the town's bond with the sea.
5 places to stay in São José.
3 places picked to eat.
how to get there · how many days · itinerary · questions
The local experience
Laid out on a grid of streets to receive Azorean immigrants, it brings together Portuguese-Brazilian houses around Praça Hercílio Luz. The Igreja Matriz (main church), built in 1765, is the oldest building in the ensemble, which also includes the Bica da Carioca, from 1840.
Opened in 1856, it's the oldest theater in Santa Catarina and has served as a movie theater and as barracks during the 1930 Revolution. Restored and reopened in 2020, it's named after violinist and composer Adolpho Ferreira Mello.
It occupies a colonial townhouse from the 1770s that belonged to Luiz Ferreira de Mello, president of the province, and hosted Emperor Dom Pedro II in 1845. The collection, with about 5,000 pieces, ranges from Indigenous objects to porcelain, weapons, coins and historic documents.