Despite being the Santa Catarina State capital, Florianopolis has a modest and compact city centre with some of the most important historical buildings and also the greatest concentration of shops, businesses, public administration offices, hospitals and other conveniences.
The Public market, the customs, the XV square (it has a centenary fig tree), the cathedral and the charming Hercílio Luz bridge are the main highlights.
The most important shopping mall is the Felipe Schmidt road, just for pedestrians, where you find department stores, clothing, shoes, books and also currency exchange.
In the city centre the streets are narrow and the traffic is quite chaotic but far better than cities like São Paulo and Rio. The main bus terminal, TICEN, is the connecting hub to other parts of the island and you can also find the Santa Maria interstate bus terminal.
As the development grows fast in the island, other areas such as Lagoa da Conceição, Canavieiras, Jurerê, are getting its own life but I usually go to the city centre at least once a month to buy things I need because it is cheaper compared to other parts of the island.
Whether you like it or not, if you are living in the island, you might need to go to the city centre.
