This Laid-back Brazilian Island Is the Next Big Destination for Remote Workers-and It Has Some of the Country's Most Beautiful Beaches

"Over the past few months, I've noticed a quiet trend among friends of mine, all remote workers living in Brazil. One by one, they've traded the bustle of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo for a big, leafy island in the country's often-overlooked South Region. That island is Florianópolis, or Floripa to those who live there. Safe and accessible, with a bridge linking it to the mainland, it is home to dozens of idyllic beaches-many of them delivering year-round surf-backed by rolling green mountains. Floripa sits far enough south to bring cool, rainy winters, which has often been a deterrent for sun-seeking visitors. Yet whispers of its laid-back, California-like coastal vibe, just a short flight from Rio and São Paulo, have drawn in the curious."

"This year alone, about 5,600 digital nomads have based themselves there, a 224 percent increase since 2018. DashCity, an AI-fueled platform that tracks this type of data, ranks Floripa as the second fastest-growing destination in the world for remote workers. The island's burgeoning tech scene adds to the appeal. Last year, Floripa was named the Startup Capital of Brazil, with more tech businesses per capita than anywhere else in the country. Most nomads come and go within a month, but some are making the move more permanent. "Even though Rio is surrounded by nature and you have very easy access to it, you need to go a little further to be in that completely-isolated-from-society type of nature, where you can really, really calm down," says Helio Souza Liberman, a 34-year-old digital nomad who just moved to the island after three years living in Rio. "Whereas in Floripa, it's more accessible.""

Floripa, an island in Brazil's South Region, is attracting remote workers leaving bigger cities like Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The island offers dozens of beaches, year-round surf, rolling green mountains, and easy access to nature via a mainland bridge. Cooler, rainy winters coexist with a laid-back coastal vibe that appeals to digital nomads. About 5,600 nomads are based there this year, a 224 percent increase since 2018, and DashCity ranks it the second fastest-growing remote-work destination. A growing tech ecosystem has earned Floripa the title Startup Capital of Brazil and encourages longer-term relocations.

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