Florianópolis Part II: The Submarino Hostel
After deciding where to travel to, one must decide where to reside in their city/area/place of temporary residence.
As we all should know by now (even those of you who aren’t very “tech-savvy” (and if you still use this expression, then you can likely be described by it; although with each passing day this expression teeters on the verge of being replaced by incompetence as our reliance on technology continues to grow)), everything can be found on the internet: a good place to eat, pictures of your ex, videos of celebrities naked, music, movies and software you don’t want to pay for and most importantly – what hostel to stay at in Florianópolis.
I prefer to rely on the recommendations of people I know, but since I have no such person available to me, the internet is the next best thing (as it is with most things).
Ultimately, I narrowed it down to three, all were located in an area known as Lagoa da Conceição and all three looked very promising. After many hours of drinking and internal debate, I book the champion: the Submarino Hostel.
Arriving in Florianópolis (or Floripa for short), taking a public bus from Centro to what I believe to be the Lagoa da Conceição neighborhood (might as well have walked), attempting to follow a group of backpackers who said they thought they knew where the hostel was and then finally calling the hostel (it had begun to rain), I find myself walking down a residential looking street when a man on a motorcycle pulls up and asks me if I am looking for the Submarino – truly magical.
Soon this man would come to be known to me as Guilio, employee and proprietor of the Submarino Hostel. Telling me I am heading in the correct direction he offers a ride; but in the interest in finishing what I had started (and since with my luggage it would require multiple trips), I choose to arrive under my own power.
Usually, the internet can be used to find useful information (or misinformation), but the internet failed miserably in doing the Submarino justice. Never before have I stayed in a nicer, cleaner, other adjectives go here and just straight-up legit hostel – not a chance those other two options came close to this place.
The spectacular room has a beautiful balcony and a view of the lake. The delicious (and free) breakfast of ham, cheese, fruit, banana cake, juices, and coffee (coffee is disgusting – all coffee) offered every morning is but the icing on the cake.
It is not until my third day in the Submarino that another guest arrived, but until that time Guilio, Paola, and Bianca (all siblings) facilitated plenty of frying and it never felt like I was returning to or staying at an empty hostel.
With a brick BBQ in the backyard, the Lagoa next door, hammocks, a binder filled with pirated movies, SSX Tricky, and a ping-pong table, there is no shortage of awesomeness. We are joined each night by a different group of local friends of the hostel who are more than happy to chat with a foreigner struggling to communicate in Portuguese.
I am also lucky enough to discover the glory that is mini-pizzas (and I am not talking about the kind you buy at the store) – thanks to Guilio’s teachings my life will be forever changed.
When day three in the Submarino comes around, an elite crew of travelers from all over the world begins to take shape and things are looking good.
And for anyone interested in traveling to Florianópolis, call them direct (they speak English, don’t be afraid).
