Fernando Giovanella
Reviewed and approved by Dr. Fernando Giovanella, CRO-SC 8237How this guide is made →
A guide for patients who live abroad

Blumenau for patients: safety in numbers, how to get here, where to stay

What should I know about Blumenau before I travel there for surgery?

Blumenau from above at sunset: the Itajaí-Açu river, the half-timbered Castelinho and the city center
Blumenau from above: the Itajaí-Açu river, the Castelinho and the city center at the end of the day.Photo: Off Leko / Pexels

Dr. Fernando Giovanella's clinic is in Blumenau, a city of about 386,000 people in Santa Catarina, southern Brazil14 — and the first thing to know is that this is not a guide to Blumenau. It is a guide to Blumenau for someone who is flying in for surgery, and for the person who will be sitting next to them on the plane.

Those are two different readers, and they need different things from a city. The patient needs to know that it is quiet, that the airport is close, that there is a good bed near the clinic and someone to drive them. The person traveling with them needs to know what to do on the afternoons the patient is asleep. Both parts are here. The second one is short on purpose.

One rule for the whole page: where a number exists, you get the number and where it came from. Where it doesn't, you get my opinion, labeled as one. Nothing in between.

Here is the whole trip in eighty words. The rest of the page is the detail, in the order you'll need it.

Where is Blumenau, and how do patients get there and stay?

Blumenau, where Dr. Fernando Giovanella operates, is in Santa Catarina, in southern Brazil, and has about 386,000 residents14. Patients fly into Navegantes (NVT), about an hour from the clinic by car17, after one connection inside Brazil — nearly always São Paulo18. The clinic's private driver meets you there, at any arrival time. You stay at one of three hotels within 4 km of the clinic, which you book directly17. Visas, vaccines, the season, and what the person traveling with you can do: all below.

Real case · published with consentBEFOREAFTERBefore and after: a patient who travelled from the United States to Blumenau for fixed teeth on implants
From the United States to Blumenau — fixed teeth on implants. Dr. Fernando Giovanella, Dental Surgeon (Cirurgião-Dentista) · CRO-SC 8237
Real case · published with consentBEFOREAFTERBefore and after: a patient who travelled from Canada to Blumenau for fixed teeth on implants
From Canada to Blumenau — fixed teeth on implants. Dr. Fernando Giovanella, Dental Surgeon (Cirurgião-Dentista) · CRO-SC 8237

If you haven't read it yet, start with how treatment works for patients who live abroad — the CT scan comes before any flight.

Now, the question most people typed to get here.

Is Blumenau, Brazil safe?

Blumenau, the city in southern Brazil where Dr. Fernando Giovanella's clinic is, recorded 5.0 homicides per 100,000 residents in 20241,2. That is the number. Here is where it comes from, and what it does not say.

5.0homicides per 100,000 · Blumenau · 2024
The lowest homicide rate of any Brazilian city with 200,000 to 500,000 residents; twelfth among all cities above 100,000.
Safest Cities in Brazil Yearbook 2025, on Ministry of Health death records and IBGE population1,2,3
7.6intentional violent deaths per 100,000 · Santa Catarina · 2025
The lowest rate of any Brazilian state — Blumenau's state.
Brazilian Forum on Public Safety4,5
19.1intentional violent deaths per 100,000 · Brazil · 2025
The country's number and this state's number are not the same number. "Which part?" is the only honest answer.
Brazilian Forum on Public Safety4
5.0murders per 100,000 · United States · 2024
The same figure as Blumenau's, for the same year. Read it as a scale, not a ranking.
FBI, 2024 reported crimes6,7
Method note: Brazil counts from death certificates (Ministry of Health); the U.S. figure comes from police reports (FBI). The systems differ, so the comparison holds year against year — 2024 with 2024 — and no further.

The figure comes from the Safest Cities in Brazil Yearbook 2025, a privately published ranking built on 1.5 million death records from Brazil's Ministry of Health and population data from IBGE, the national statistics institute1,3. In that yearbook, Blumenau had the lowest homicide rate of any Brazilian city with 200,000 to 500,000 residents1. Among all cities with more than 100,000 residents, it ranked twelfth1.

The state agrees with the city. Santa Catarina had the lowest rate of intentional violent deaths of any Brazilian state in 2025: 7.6 per 100,000, according to the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety4,5. The figure for Brazil as a whole was 19.14. So when someone asks me "is Brazil safe?", the only honest answer is: which part? The country's number and this state's number are not the same number.

For an American reader, one comparison, with a caveat. In 2024, Blumenau's homicide rate (5.0 per 100,000) matched the U.S. national murder rate for that year (5.0 per 100,000, FBI)1,6,7. I compare 2024 with 2024 because it is the latest year with a published figure on both sides as of this review, and because the two countries count differently — death certificates here, police reports there3,6. Read it as a scale, not a ranking.

I'm not going to add an adjective to any of that. The numbers do the work, and every one of them is at the bottom of this page, with a link.

What the numbers can't tell you is what kind of city produces them.

Blumenau at twilight seen from above: the Itajaí-Açu river, the Ponte de Ferro and the lit city center
A quiet city at dusk. Blumenau at twilight — the river, the Ponte de Ferro and the lights of the center.Photo: Off Leko / Pexels

What kind of city is Blumenau?

Blumenau, home to Dr. Fernando Giovanella's clinic, is a German-founded city in Brazil's south: it was founded in 1850 by Dr. Hermann Blumenau, a German pharmacist and chemist, and it still looks the part8,9. The Castelinho, a half-timbered landmark on the main street, a river through the middle of town, and an Oktoberfest the city has held every October since 1984 — the 2026 edition runs October 7–2510,11,12. In Brazil it is known as Alemanha Tropical, "Tropical Germany"12.

The center of Blumenau seen from above: the cathedral's brick bell tower, the half-timbered Castelinho, the Itajaí-Açu river and the Ponte de Ferro
The center from the cathedral's bell tower: the Castelinho, the Itajaí-Açu and the Ponte de Ferro.“Vista panorâmica de Blumenau 01” by Rodrigo Argenton, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Castelinho, a half-timbered building with a steep tiled roof, lit at nightfall on Rua XV de Novembro
The Castelinho, on Rua XV de Novembro, at nightfall.Marcelo Campi · CC BY-SA 2.0
Blumenau's City Hall, a half-timbered building, lit at night
City Hall — half-timbered, like much of the center — at night.Marcelo Campi · CC BY-SA 2.0
The Ponte de Ferro, an iron bridge over the Itajaí-Açu river, with forested hills behind
The Ponte de Ferro over the Itajaí-Açu, the river through the middle of town.Photo: Renato Soares/MTur

It is a mid-sized city, not a resort and not a capital: about 386,000 residents by the 2025 IBGE estimate, 361,261 in the 2022 census13,14. Its Municipal Human Development Index was 0.806 in 2010, in the "very high" band of the UN Development Programme's scale15,16.

What that means for you as a patient: a city that is used to visitors, where the hotels, the pharmacies and the restaurants of the center sit a few flat blocks from one another45.

Getting here is the part that worries people more than it should. It is one connection, and I'll walk you through it by city.

How do I get to Blumenau from the U.S., Canada, Europe or Australia?

You reach Dr. Fernando Giovanella's clinic in Blumenau, Brazil, through Navegantes airport (NVT), about 55 km (34 miles) and roughly one hour by car from the clinic17. Navegantes has no international flights18, so nearly every trip from abroad has one connection inside Brazil — the exceptions are the direct flights into Florianópolis, which I come back to below.

For most patients that connection is São Paulo–Guarulhos (GRU), where GOL and LATAM fly to Navegantes in about 1 hour 15 minutes18,19. Azul flies to Navegantes from Campinas (VCP), and GOL from Rio de Janeiro–Galeão (GIG)18.

Flying fromNonstop flight to BrazilTypical total to Blumenau*
Miami, Orlandoabout 8½ hours to São Paulo (GRU)14–17 hours
Atlanta, New York, Houston, Dallasabout 9–10 hours to São Paulo (GRU)15–18½ hours
Toronto, Montrealabout 10 hours to São Paulo (GRU)15–18 hours
Lisbonabout 10½ hours to São Paulo (GRU), or about 11 hours direct to Florianópolis (FLN)15–19 hours via GRU · 13–14 hours via FLN
London, Madrid, Paris, Frankfurtabout 11–12 hours to São Paulo (GRU)16–20 hours
Sydney, Melbourneno direct flights to Brazil: 12½–14 hours to Santiago, Chile, then on to Brazil24–31 hours

*Flight time plus a 3–6-hour connection, the flight to Navegantes and the drive to Blumenau. Airlines' published schedules for 2026; flight numbers change, so check yours19,20.

Three things make the trip easier. None of them is an airline rule; they are plain caution.

  1. Buy one ticket all the way to Navegantes. If your first flight is late, the airline rebooks your connection. Two separate tickets, and the problem is yours.
  2. Leave at least three hours between flights in São Paulo. You clear Brazilian immigration and customs there. Ask your airline whether you need to collect your bags and check them in again.
  3. Connect at Guarulhos (GRU), not Congonhas (CGH). Some booking sites offer flights through Congonhas; that is a change of airport by road, not a connection. And look at the departure time of your last leg before you buy: GOL and LATAM both fly Guarulhos–Navegantes from the morning until about 10 p.m., and the last flights land close to midnight. Schedules change, so check yours. An overseas flight that lands in the morning can leave you waiting in São Paulo most of a day.

Two other airports are worth knowing. Florianópolis (FLN) has direct flights from Lisbon, Panama City and Santiago, and is about 2½ hours from Blumenau by car19,21,17,22. Curitiba (CWB) is 3 to 3½ hours away23,17,22. Both work, and a pickup from either can be arranged at extra cost; only Navegantes is included in your quote. And from Australia you cross the date line: leave Sydney around midday and you land in Santiago in the morning of the same day, so count your hotel nights carefully19.

At the end of that last flight, someone should be waiting. That part is the clinic's job, not yours.

Aerial view at sunset of the Ponte de Ferro leading over the river into the center of Blumenau
The last stretch. The Ponte de Ferro into the center at sunset — about an hour by car from Navegantes.Photo: Off Leko / Pexels

Will someone meet me at the airport?

Yes. Of the whole trip, the rides are the one piece that Dr. Fernando Giovanella's clinic in Blumenau, Brazil, does itself rather than suggests. The clinic's private driver meets you at Navegantes, at any arrival time, takes you between your hotel and the clinic on the days of surgery and reviews, and takes you back to the airport — all included in your quote. Florianópolis or Curitiba can be arranged at extra cost.

How it works: once your flights are booked, you send the flight numbers to Andreza on WhatsApp, and the driver is confirmed the same business day.

Why I'm firm about this one: after a long flight, the drive from the airport is not the moment to be negotiating with a stranger in a language you don't speak. And after sedation it is not a moment to be alone at all — the question on traveling alone, further down, says who should be with you, and for how long.

If you're still at the beginning — no scan sent yet — read what happens before anyone books a flight first.

Before any of that, though: the paperwork. It's lighter than people expect, with one deadline that isn't.

Do I need a visa, vaccines or anything else before I fly to Brazil?

Before you travel to Blumenau, Brazil, for treatment with Dr. Fernando Giovanella, there are five things to check, and only the first has a deadline that can wreck a trip.

  1. At least 4 weeks before the flighteVisaUnited States, Canada, Australia: eVisa, online only, at brazil.vfsevisa.com — consulates quote 10 to 20 business days. United Kingdom, Ireland, EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland: no visa for stays up to 90 days. Rules change — check your own government's advice.
  2. Before you bookPassportValid for at least six months from the day you arrive.
  3. Talk to your doctorVaccinesThe U.S. CDC recommends yellow fever vaccination for Santa Catarina; it is not required to enter Brazil. If you have it: at least ten days before you travel. Routine vaccines, measles included, up to date.
  4. Flight dayIn your bagA type-N adapter (220 V) and chargers marked 100–240 V. A card — the Pix QR codes are for Brazilian accounts. A sweater for winter nights. Blumenau is on Brasília time (UTC−3) all year.
  1. Visa. Citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia have needed a visa for Brazil since 10 April 202524,48. It is an eVisa, applied for online only, through the official portal at brazil.vfsevisa.com — there is no consulate visit, and no other website is official25,49. The fee is US$ 80.9050,49. The form asks for your passport (signed, valid to the end of your trip, with two blank pages) and a 2 × 2-inch photo on a white background; some consulates also list a flight reservation showing your entry and exit, and a bank statement for the last 30 days showing at least US$ 2,00051,52. Get the visa before you buy the ticket: the Brazilian embassy in Canberra says so, and that you don't need a ticket to apply50. Consulates quote anything from ten business days to fifteen for review plus five to issue, longer in high season53,54, so I'd apply at least four weeks before your flight: that covers the slowest official figure and one round of corrections. The visa is multiple-entry and valid for up to ten years — five for Australian passports — for stays of up to 90 days per visit55,50,25. Citizens of the United Kingdom, Ireland, all 27 EU countries, Switzerland, Norway and Iceland do not need a visa for a visit of up to 90 days26,56,28,57. A visit of a few days for treatment falls under the ordinary visitor visa or visa exemption; Brazil's separate health-treatment visa exists only for treatment lasting more than 90 days58,59. Rules change; check your own government's travel advice before you book.
  2. Passport. Brazilian law requires it to be valid for the whole of your stay57,25; the British government tells its citizens to have at least six months left on the day they arrive27. Six months is the simpler rule to follow.
  3. Vaccines. The U.S. CDC and the UK's TravelHealthPro recommend yellow fever vaccination for travelers to Santa Catarina; it is not required to enter Brazil if you are arriving from the United States, Canada, Europe or Australia29,30,60. Whether you should have it is a question for your own doctor, not for a web page: the CDC lists age 60 and over as a precaution for this vaccine61, and you are about to have surgery — tell them both things. If you do have it, the CDC says at least ten days before you travel30. Routine vaccines, measles (MMR) included, should be up to date29.
  4. Time and power. Blumenau is on Brasília time (UTC−3) all year; Brazil does not use daylight saving time31. That puts us one to two hours ahead of New York, two to three ahead of Houston, three to four behind London and thirteen to fourteen behind Sydney, depending on the season. Sockets are type N, 220 V: bring an adapter, and check that your chargers say 100–240 V — phones and laptops almost always do; hair dryers and shavers often don't32.
  5. Money and language. The currency is the Brazilian real. Most visitors pay by card; restaurants usually add an optional 10% service charge33. You'll see QR codes for Pix, Brazil's instant payment, at every counter; they are for Brazilian bank accounts, so a card is your tool34. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centers — the British government warns about card cloning elsewhere35. Uber works in Blumenau 24 hours a day; book through the app and check the plate36,35. English is not widely spoken in shops, pharmacies or taxis37; Andreza, at the clinic, handles your arrangements in English, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and your appointments with me are in English.

With the paperwork done, pick the month. It matters more here than in most cities: for three weeks of the year, the hotels fill up before you've decided.

When is a good time of year to travel to Blumenau?

For a patient of Dr. Fernando Giovanella in Blumenau, Brazil, the kindest months are April to June and August: daytime highs of about 20–28 °C (68–82 °F), nights of 12–17 °C (54–63 °F), and the least rain of the year12,38. Nothing fills the city in those months, and the beach towns near the airport are out of season. July is just as dry; it is also the winter school break38.

JJan
FFeb
MMar
AApr
MMay
JJun
JJul
AAug
SSep
OOct
NNov
DDec
  • April–June and August — the kindest months. Days of about 20–28 °C (68–82 °F), nights of 12–17 °C (54–63 °F), the least rain of the year, and nothing filling the city.
  • July — just as dry, and the winter school break. June–August nights can drop to about 11–12 °C (52–54 °F): bring a sweater.
  • October 7–25, 2026 — Oktoberfest: hotels fill up early. December–February: hot and humid (27–32 °C / 81–90 °F), the rainiest stretch, Brazil's summer holidays and Carnival (February 6–10, 2027) — fuller, dearer flights and a packed coast.
  • March, September, November — no note on this page.
The Parque Vila Germânica from above during the Oktoberfest: the pavilion roof, the half-timbered houses, the Ferris wheel and the crowd filling the square
The festival weeks. The Vila Germânica during the Oktoberfest, from above. October 7–25 in 2026; hotels fill up early.Créditos: Marcelo Martins/PMB (Photo: Marcelo Martins, Blumenau City Hall)
The Parque Vila Germânica at dusk: half-timbered pavilions with a clock tower, string lights and outdoor tables
The rest of the year. The same square on a quiet evening — what the kindest months look like.Photo: Off Leko / Pexels

The weeks I'd avoid are the ones most people have heard of. Oktoberfest, held every October since 1984, runs October 7–25 in 2026, and hotels fill up early10,11. December to February is hot and humid — highs of 27–32 °C (81–90 °F) — and it is the rainiest stretch of the year, Brazil's summer holidays, and Carnival (February 6–10 in 2027): flights are fuller and more expensive, and the coast near the airport is packed12,38,39,40. Winter nights, June to August, can drop to about 11–12 °C (52–54 °F): bring a sweater12,38.

One more thing you will find if you search the city, so you may as well hear it from me. Blumenau sits on the Itajaí river and has a history of floods — 1983, 1984 and November 2008 are the years people remember — and heavy rain can cause flooding outside the rainy season12,35. It is part of the city's story, and part of why the months above are the months I'd suggest.

Month chosen, the room is next. I suggest three. I don't sell any of them.

Where do patients stay in Blumenau?

Patients of Dr. Fernando Giovanella in Blumenau, Brazil, usually stay at one of three hotels within 4 km of the clinic, each for a different reason17. I suggest them; you book directly with the hotel; the clinic does not sell rooms.

If quiet matters most

Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel

3.5 km (2.2 mi) · about 6 min by car · not a walk
Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel from above: the building on its hill, the pool deck and the forest around it
A suite at the Villa do Vale: the bed, and through the glass door the balcony and the city beyondA balcony at the Villa do Vale: a tub, a small breakfast table and the city and hills below
Photo: Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel
A meal in your room, any hour

Plaza Blumenau Hotel

1.4 km (0.9 mi) · 3 min by car · about 19 min on foot
The rooftop pool of the Plaza Blumenau Hotel at the end of the day, white loungers and the city center behind
A suite at the Plaza Blumenau: a king bed with a wooden headboard and a round table by the windowBreakfast at the Plaza Blumenau: colonial pastries on tiered stands
Photo: Plaza Blumenau Hotel (Rivo Biehl)
Closest to the clinic

Slaviero Essential Blumenau

1.1 km (0.7 mi) · 2 min by car · about 15 min on foot
A room at the Slaviero in Blumenau: a king bed, a small round table and a curved window onto the city
The breakfast buffet at the Slaviero: pão de queijo, a quiche and hot dishes
Photo: Slaviero Hotel Blumenau
Suggested, not sold. You book directly with the hotel. Whether you should walk in the days after surgery is decided at the clinic, not by the map.
  • If quiet matters most — Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel. Twenty suites on a hill in the city center, next to the São Francisco de Assis forest park42,45. Elevator, rooms for guests with reduced mobility, 24-hour front desk42. 3.5 km (2.2 miles) from the clinic: about six minutes by car, and not a walk — 3.3 km with a climb at the end17,44. It also costs the most of the three.
  • If you want a meal in your room at any hour — Plaza Blumenau Hotel. 131 rooms in the city center, 24-hour room service, and windows the hotel describes as soundproofed41. 1.4 km (0.9 miles) from the clinic: three minutes by car, about nineteen on foot17,44. The oldest of the three.
  • If you want to be closest to the clinic — Slaviero Essential Blumenau. 120 rooms, a team the hotel describes as bilingual, room service from 6 am to 10:30 pm43. 1.1 km (0.7 miles) from the clinic: two minutes by car, about fifteen on foot17,44. Rooms are compact — tight for two people over several days.

If I had to point to one, for most patients it is the Plaza: central, a meal at any hour, a few minutes from the clinic. The Villa is for the patient who wants silence and a smaller house; the Slaviero, for the one who wants the clinic within a short walk. Ratings change; look them up on the day you book.

Before you book:

  • Check-in is usually from 2 or 3 pm. If you land in the morning, the simplest fix is to book the night before42.
  • Tell the hotel you are recovering from oral surgery.
  • In October the city hosts Oktoberfest (October 7–25 in 2026) and rooms go early10.

And then the days themselves. Most of them are quieter than you think.

What is there to do in Blumenau while I recover — and for the person traveling with me?

For a patient recovering from zygomatic implant surgery with Dr. Fernando Giovanella in Blumenau, Brazil, the honest answer is: not much, and that's the point. The first days are rest. From the day after surgery, a light walk is fine — short and flat, near the hotel; anything you'd call exercise waits until seven days have passed.

  1. The historic centera short, flat walkRua XV de Novembro, the cathedral, the Castelinho, the riverside — from the Plaza and the Slaviero
  2. Ramiro Ruediger Park & Vila Germânicaabout 10 mina lake with flat paths; the Oktoberfest pavilions, shops and cafés
  3. Pomerode35–45 minhalf-timbered houses, German heritage · about 30 km (19 mi)
  4. Itajaíabout 1 hport city at the mouth of the river, next to the airport · about 55 km (34 mi)
  5. Penhaabout 1 hBeto Carrero World theme park · about 60 km (37 mi)
  6. Balneário Camboriúabout 1 hthe region's beach city · about 65–70 km (40–43 mi)
  7. Florianópolisabout 2½ h each waythe island capital of Santa Catarina — a full day
By car from the clinic. The bar is driving time, not direction. These are for the person traveling with you; the clinic's driver is for the airport.

Close to the hotels:

  • The historic center around Rua XV de Novembro — the cathedral, the half-timbered Castelinho, the riverside — is a short, flat walk from the Plaza and the Slaviero45.
  • Ramiro Ruediger Park and the Vila Germânica, side by side, about ten minutes by car from the clinic: a lake with flat paths, and the half-timbered pavilions where Oktoberfest is held, with shops and cafés17,45.

For the person traveling with you — distances from the clinic, by car:

  • Pomerode — a small town of German heritage, known for its half-timbered houses: about 30 km (19 miles), 35–45 minutes17,46.
  • Balneário Camboriú — the region's beach city, on a long curving bay: about 65–70 km (40–43 miles), one hour17,46.
  • Penha — home of the Beto Carrero World theme park: about 60 km (37 miles), one hour17,46.
  • Itajaí — a port city at the mouth of the Itajaí river, next to the airport: about 55 km (34 miles), one hour17.
  • Florianópolis — the island capital of Santa Catarina: about 2½ hours each way, a full day17,22.

Your companion arranges these on their own; the clinic's driver is for the airport and your days at the clinic. Uber works in Blumenau around the clock36. And the beer that comes with a city that holds an Oktoberfest is theirs to enjoy, not yours yet: whether and when you can drink after surgery is a question for me, not for this page.

Five questions I get about the city, answered short.

A half-timbered brick farmhouse with green shutters and a flower garden on the Rota do Enxaimel, Pomerode
Pomerode · 35–45 min by carA farmhouse on the Rota do Enxaimel, the half-timbered route.Photo: Renato Soares/MTur
The brick-and-timber entrance portal of Pomerode, with two pointed roofs over the road
Pomerode · 35–45 min by carThe portal at the entrance to town.Marinelson Almeida · CC BY 2.0
The brightly painted Castelo das Nações, the castle at the entrance of Beto Carrero World in Penha
Penha · about 1 h by carBeto Carrero World, the theme park.HVL · CC BY 4.0
The bay of Balneário Camboriú at twilight, with the lit Ferris wheel in front of the high-rise skyline
Balneário Camboriú · about 1 h by carThe bay and the Ferris wheel at twilight.Photo: Leonardo Carminati / Pexels
Balneário Camboriú at night from above: the curving beach, the lit beachfront and the high-rises under a red sky
Balneário Camboriú · about 1 h by carThe beachfront at night, from above.Photo: Alex Caceres / Unsplash
Balneário Camboriú seen from Unipraias Park: the curving bay, the beach and the high-rises, with hills behind
Balneário Camboriú · about 1 h by carThe bay from Unipraias Park.Trustable · CC BY-SA 4.0
Two red cable-car cabins of the Unipraias park against a cloudy sky, with trees on both sides
Balneário Camboriú · about 1 h by carThe Unipraias cable car, over the forest.Photo: Janilson Furtado / Unsplash
Laranjeiras beach, a small curved cove between forested hills, seen from the Unipraias lookout
Balneário Camboriú · about 1 h by carLaranjeiras beach, from the Unipraias lookout.SandroSalomon · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Hercílio Luz suspension bridge in Florianópolis at sunset, seen from above the water
Florianópolis · about 2½ h each wayThe Hercílio Luz bridge at sunset — a full day.Photo: Aleson Padilha / Pexels

Questions about Blumenau and the trip

Is Brazil safe for American tourists?

It depends on which part of Brazil. Brazil as a whole recorded 19.1 intentional violent deaths per 100,000 people in 2025; Santa Catarina, Blumenau's state, recorded 7.6, the lowest in the country (Brazilian Forum on Public Safety)4,5. Blumenau's homicide rate in 2024 was 5.0 per 100,000, the same as the U.S. national rate that year (FBI)1,6,7. The two countries count differently, so compare year with year. Then the usual care: ATMs inside banks, rides booked through the app35.

I'm traveling alone. Who takes me from the clinic to my hotel after sedation?

Not a taxi: the clinic's private driver, who takes you between your hotel and the clinic on the days of surgery and reviews — and to and from Navegantes airport. And not alone afterwards: someone has to stay with you for the first 24 hours after sedation or anesthesia, and I'd recommend company for the whole trip.

Can I walk from my hotel to the clinic?

From two of the three, yes. The Slaviero Essential is about fifteen minutes on foot (1.1 km); the Plaza Blumenau about nineteen (1.4 km)44. The Villa do Vale is 3.3 km away with a climb at the end — six minutes by car, not a walk for a patient17,44. After surgery, a short, flat walk is fine from the next day, and exercise waits seven days; on clinic days, the clinic's driver takes you.

Is English spoken in Blumenau?

Not widely, and I'd rather you know that now. In shops, pharmacies, taxis and Ubers, expect Portuguese; of the three hotels, the Slaviero advertises a bilingual team43. Brazil ranks 75th in the EF English Proficiency Index; Santa Catarina scores above the national average37. Inside your treatment, English is not a problem: Andreza, at the clinic, handles every arrangement in English, and your conversations with me are in English.

Can the hotel prepare soft food after my surgery?

Only the hotel can promise that, so ask them when you book. Tell them you are recovering from oral surgery, and what you'll need: liquid and cold food for the first three days, then soft food for eight weeks. What two of them publish: the Plaza Blumenau has 24-hour room service; the Slaviero Essential serves room service from 6 am to 10:30 pm41,43.

References

  1. MySide — Anuário Cidades Mais Seguras do Brasil 2025: "Ranking das 30 cidades mais seguras do Brasil em 2025" (data for 2024; published 31 Oct 2025). https://myside.com.br/guia-imoveis/cidades-mais-seguras-brasil
  2. MySide — Anuário Cidades Mais Seguras do Brasil 2025, South region (Blumenau 4.99 per 100,000, 2024). https://myside.com.br/guia-imoveis/cidades-mais-seguras-sul-brasil
  3. MySide — Anuário Cidades Mais Seguras do Brasil 2025, capitals page, with the method: 1.5 million death records for 2024 from the Ministry of Health (SVSA) and IBGE population. https://myside.com.br/guia-imoveis/capitais-mais-seguras-brasil
  4. Fórum Brasileiro de Segurança Pública — Anuário Brasileiro de Segurança Pública 2026 (20th edition, July 2026; data for 2025). https://forumseguranca.org.br/anuario-brasileiro-seguranca-publica/ · PDF: https://forumseguranca.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/anuario-2026.pdf · XLSX: https://forumseguranca.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/anuario-2026.xlsx
  5. Congresso em Foco — "Mortes violentas chegam ao menor patamar em 14 anos; veja mapa" (23 Jul 2026). https://www.congressoemfoco.com.br/noticia/120720/mortes-violentas-chegam-ao-menor-patamar-em-14-anos-veja-mapa
  6. FBI — "FBI Releases 2024 Reported Crimes in the Nation Statistics" (5 Aug 2025; data for 2024). https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2024-reported-crimes-in-the-nation-statistics
  7. Asher, Jeff — "Murder Officially Plunged in 2024" (5 Aug 2025). https://jasher.substack.com/p/murder-officially-plunged-in-2024
  8. IBGE Cidades — Blumenau, Histórico (founding, 2 Sep 1850). https://cidades.ibge.gov.br/brasil/sc/blumenau/historico
  9. Conselho Federal de Farmácia — "Você sabia que o fundador da cidade de Blumenau… foi um farmacêutico?" (23 Aug 2024). https://site.cff.org.br/noticia/noticias-do-cff/23/08/2024/voce-sabia-que-o-fundador-da-cidade-de-blumenau-em-santa-catarina-foi-um-farmaceutico-
  10. Oktoberfest Blumenau — official site (41st edition, 7–25 Oct 2026). https://oktoberfestblumenau.com.br/
  11. Wikipedia — "Oktoberfest of Blumenau" (first held in 1984). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oktoberfest_of_Blumenau
  12. Wikipedia — "Blumenau" (the Alemanha Tropical nickname; climate series EMBRAPA 1976–2005; the floods of 1983, 1984 and 2008; the Itajaí river). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blumenau
  13. IBGE — SIDRA API, 2022 Census, table 4709 (Blumenau: 361,261). https://servicodados.ibge.gov.br/api/v3/agregados/4709/periodos/2022/variaveis/93?localidades=N6[4202404]
  14. IBGE — SIDRA API, population estimates 2024–2025, table 6579 (Blumenau 2025: 385,558). https://servicodados.ibge.gov.br/api/v3/agregados/6579/periodos/2024|2025/variaveis/9324?localidades=N6[4202404]
  15. Exame — "As 50 melhores cidades do Brasil para se viver, segundo a ONU" (Municipal HDI 2010, from the Atlas do Desenvolvimento Humano no Brasil 2013, UNDP/Ipea/FJP). https://exame.com/brasil/as-50-melhores-cidades-do-brasil-para-se-viver-segundo-onu/
  16. UNDP Brazil — "IDHM Municípios 2010". https://www.undp.org/pt/node/266001
  17. OSRM / OpenStreetMap — driving routes from the clinic (Rua Armando Odebrecht, 70, Blumenau), computed 6 Oct 2026. https://router.project-osrm.org
  18. Wikipedia — "Ministro Victor Konder International Airport" (Navegantes: airlines and destinations). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministro_Victor_Konder_International_Airport
  19. FlightMapper — airline-filed schedules for 2026, by route (GRU–NVT, VCP–NVT, MIA/JFK/ATL/IAH/MCO/DFW/YYZ/YUL/LHR/LIS/FRA/MAD/CDG–GRU, LIS–FLN, SYD–SCL, MEL–SCL, SCL–GRU, SCL–FLN, PTY–FLN). https://info.flightmapper.net/airport/GRU
  20. Wikipedia — "São Paulo/Guarulhos International Airport". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A3o_Paulo/Guarulhos_International_Airport
  21. Wikipedia — "Hercílio Luz International Airport" (Florianópolis: international routes). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herc%C3%ADlio_Luz_International_Airport
  22. Valor Final — driving times Florianópolis → Blumenau and Curitiba → Blumenau. https://valorfinal.com.br/tempo-de-viagem/florianopolis-para-blumenau · https://valorfinal.com.br/tempo-de-viagem/curitiba-para-blumenau
  23. Wikipedia — "Afonso Pena International Airport" (Curitiba). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afonso_Pena_International_Airport
  24. Consulate General of Brazil in New York — eVisa (updated 26 Aug 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-nova-york/servicos-consulares/visto-visa-2/eVisa
  25. Consulate General of Brazil in Toronto — Visitor visa (VIVIS), tourism or business (updated 20 Aug 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-toronto/visas/visitor-visa
  26. Consulate General of Brazil in London — Visitor visa (VIVIS), tourism and transit (updated 11 Aug 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-londres/visa-section/types-of-visa/visitor-visa-vivis/visitor-visa-vivis-tourism-and-transit
  27. GOV.UK — Brazil: entry requirements (accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/brazil/entry-requirements
  28. Itamaraty (Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs) — Entry Visas to Brazil: visa regime by country (table updated 26 Aug 2026; PDF read 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/assuntos/portal-consular/vistos/qgrv-simples-ing-26ago26.pdf
  29. U.S. CDC, Travelers' Health — Brazil (reviewed 3 Sep 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/brazil
  30. U.S. CDC, Yellow Book — Brazil (23 Apr 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/americas-caribbean/brazil.html
  31. Diário de Pernambuco — "Governo do Brasil tomou decisão sobre horário de verão em 2026" · O Antagonista, same decision. https://diariodepernambuco.com.br/dpmais/governo-do-brasil-tomou-decisao-sobre-horario-de-verao-em-2026/ · https://oantagonista.com.br/?p=1898501
  32. WorldStandards — Brazil: plug, socket and voltage. https://www.worldstandards.eu/electricity/plug-voltage-by-country/brazil/
  33. CNN Brasil — "Taxa de serviço nos restaurantes: cobrança de até 15% é permitida". https://www.cnnbrasil.com.br/viagemegastronomia/viagem/taxa-de-servico-nos-restaurantes-cobranca-de-ate-15-e-permitida/
  34. PagBrasil — "Pix for international travelers". https://www.pagbrasil.com/blog/pix/pix-for-international-travelers/
  35. GOV.UK — Brazil: safety and security. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/brazil/safety-and-security
  36. Uber — Blumenau, SC (city page; 24-hour service). https://www.uber.com/global/pt-br/r/cities/blumenau-sc-br
  37. EF English Proficiency Index — Brazil (latest edition; Santa Catarina regional score). https://www.ef.com/wwen/epi/regions/latin-america/brazil/
  38. Climatempo — Climatologia de Blumenau (30-year series). https://www.climatempo.com.br/climatologia/372/blumenau-sc
  39. Band — "Quando é o Carnaval em 2027? Veja a data". https://www.band.com.br/entretenimento/carnaval/noticias/quando-e-o-carnaval-em-2027-veja-a-data-202602081140
  40. InfoMoney — "Quando é Carnaval 2027?". https://www.infomoney.com.br/brasil/quando-e-carnaval-2027/
  41. Plaza Blumenau Hotel — official site (English). https://www.plazahoteis.com.br/blumenau/en/
  42. Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel — official booking page (Omnibees). https://book.omnibees.com/chain/2871/hotel/8535?lang=en-US
  43. Slaviero Essential Blumenau — official site (English). https://slavierohoteis.com.br/en/hoteis/slaviero-blumenau
  44. OpenStreetMap — foot routing (walking distances and times from the hotels to the clinic). https://routing.openstreetmap.de/routed-foot/
  45. OpenStreetMap / Nominatim — Parque Vila Germânica, Parque Ramiro Ruediger, Parque Municipal São Francisco de Assis and the historic center (coordinates). https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org
  46. Distâncias Cidades / Como Chegar — second source for Blumenau–Pomerode, –Balneário Camboriú and –Penha. https://distanciascidades.com/distancia-blumenau-balneario_camboriu-34341.html · https://www.comochegar.com/de-beto-carreiro-world-praia-de-armao-do-itapocoroi-penha-sc-brasil-para-blumenau.htm
  47. Public registries of dental professionals in Brazil — Santa Catarina Regional Dental Council (CRO-SC), "Consulta aos Inscritos": https://cro-sc.implanta.net.br/servicosonline/Publico/ConsultaInscritos/ · Federal Council of Dentistry (CFO), "Consulta de inscritos": https://website.cfo.org.br/consulta-inscritos/ — search "Fernando Giovanella", Santa Catarina.
  48. Consulate General of Brazil in Washington, D.C. — Visit visas for citizens of Australia, Canada and the United States (updated 8 Sep 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-washington/consulate-general-of-brazil-in-washington-dc/visit-visas-for-citizens-of-australia-canada-united-states
  49. Embassy of Brazil in Ottawa — Visitor visas / transit visas (updated 19 Dec 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-ottawa/english/visitor-visas
  50. Embassy of Brazil in Canberra — E-visa (updated 1 Oct 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-camberra/English/consular-section/visas/short-term-visas-for-stays-up-to-90-days/e-visa
  51. Consulate General of Brazil in San Francisco — Electronic Visitor Visa (e-Visa) (updated 12 Dec 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-sao-francisco/electronic-visitor-visa-e-visa
  52. Embassy of Brazil in Belgrade — Electronic Visa (e-Visa) for citizens of Australia, Canada and the US (updated 23 Jan 2024; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-belgrado/english/visas/eletronic-visa-e-visa-for-citizens-of-australia-canada-and-the-us
  53. Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal — After submitting your application (updated 23 Mar 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-montreal/after-submitting-your-application
  54. Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles — Important information (updated 28 Aug 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-los-angeles/english/visas/important-information
  55. Consulate General of Brazil in Barcelona — E-Visa (U.S., Canada and Australian citizens) (updated 30 Apr 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-barcelona/servicos/vistos-visados/tipos-de-visto/e-visa-u-s-canada-and-australian-citizens
  56. Embassy of Brazil in Dublin — Tourist visa (VIVIS) (updated 18 Jun 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-dublin/Servicos/visa-1/visa-types/tourist-visa-vivis
  57. Embassy of Brazil in Helsinki — Visit Visa (VIVIS) (updated 5 Jun 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-helsinque/consular-services/visitor-visa-vivis
  58. Consulate General of Brazil in Hong Kong — Health treatment (VIVIS) (updated 29 Sep 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/consulado-hong-kong/consular-services/visas/types-of-visa/visitor-visa-vivis/health-treatment-vivis
  59. Embassy of Brazil in Canberra — VITEM II, health care (updated 1 Oct 2026; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.gov.br/mre/pt-br/embaixada-camberra/English/consular-section/visas/long-term-visas-for-stays-longer-than-90-days/vitem-ii-health-care
  60. TravelHealthPro (NaTHNaC, UK) — Brazil (accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://travelhealthpro.org.uk/country/34/brazil
  61. U.S. CDC, Yellow Book — Yellow Fever (23 Apr 2025; accessed 7 Oct 2026). https://www.cdc.gov/yellow-book/hcp/travel-associated-infections-diseases/yellow-fever.html

About this guide

Reviewed and approved by Dr. Fernando Giovanella, CRO-SC 8237 · Updated October 2026

Reviewed: October 2026. Next review: April 2027, or sooner if any figure on this page is superseded.

Where the facts come from. Every number on this page has a numbered source above, with the year the data refers to and the date it was checked. The safety figures come from the Safest Cities in Brazil Yearbook (built on Ministry of Health death records), the Brazilian Forum on Public Safety and the FBI; population and city data from IBGE and the UN Development Programme; visa and vaccine rules from Brazilian consulates, GOV.UK and the U.S. CDC; flight times from the airlines' published schedules; hotel details from each hotel's own site; distances from OpenStreetMap routing. Where a detail could not be confirmed, it is not on the page.

The hotels. The clinic does not sell rooms and does not take bookings for the hotels named here; you book directly, and the hotel answers to you. The clinic receives nothing from any hotel, airline or transport company named on this page.

Found an error? Write to atendimento@fernandogiovanella.com with the sentence and your source. You'll have an answer within five business days, and corrections are made and dated here.

How this guide is written and reviewed

Photo credits The photographs of Blumenau and the region are licensed from the sources below, and the hotel photographs are each hotel's own, shown with credit; the clinic did not take them. They are shown resized and, in the grids and cards, cropped to fit — nothing else has been changed. The clinical photographs are the clinic's own, published with each patient's consent.
  1. Blumenau from above at sunset (top of the page)“Drone Shot of Blumenau” — Photo: Off Leko / Pexels, Pexels License · source
  2. The city center from the cathedral tower (What kind of city it is)“Vista panorâmica de Blumenau 01” by Rodrigo Argenton, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  3. The Castelinho at nightfall (What kind of city it is)“Castlle Moellmannn” by Marcelo Campi, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  4. City Hall at night (What kind of city it is)“Prefeitura de Blumenau noite” by Marcelo Campi, CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
  5. The Ponte de Ferro over the Itajaí-Açu (What kind of city it is)Photo: Renato Soares/MTur (Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, “MTur Destinos”) — public domain mark, credit required · source
  6. Blumenau at twilight (Is Blumenau safe?)“Aerial View of Blumenau at Twilight” — Photo: Off Leko / Pexels, Pexels License · source
  7. The Ponte de Ferro at sunset (Getting here)“Aerial View of Iron Bridge at Sunset in Blumenau” — Photo: Off Leko / Pexels, Pexels License · source
  8. The Vila Germânica during the Oktoberfest, from above (When to come)“Oktoberfest - Foto Marcelo Martins PMB (1)” — Créditos: Marcelo Martins/PMB (Photo: Marcelo Martins, Blumenau City Hall) — use allowed with credit, per the Prefeitura de Blumenau's Flickr profile · source
  9. The Vila Germânica at dusk (When to come)“The Parque Vila Germânica in Brazil” — Photo: Off Leko / Pexels, Pexels License · source
  10. Pomerode — a farmhouse on the Rota do Enxaimel (While you recover)Photo: Renato Soares/MTur (Brazilian Ministry of Tourism, “MTur Destinos”) — public domain mark, credit required · source
  11. Pomerode — the entrance portal (While you recover)“Portal de Pomerode” by Marinelson Almeida, CC BY 2.0 · source
  12. Penha — Beto Carrero World (While you recover)“Castelo das Nações no Beto Carrero World, Penha SC” by HVL, CC BY 4.0 · source
  13. Balneário Camboriú — the bay and the Ferris wheel at twilight (While you recover)“Twilight Cityscape with Ferris Wheel in Balneário Camboriú” — Photo: Leonardo Carminati / Pexels, Pexels License · source
  14. Balneário Camboriú at night, from above (While you recover)“A view of a city at night from a bird's eye view” — Photo: Alex Caceres / Unsplash, Unsplash License · source
  15. Balneário Camboriú from Unipraias Park (While you recover)“Balneário Camboriú from Unipraias Park 2023-04-02” by Trustable, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  16. Balneário Camboriú — the Unipraias cable car (While you recover)“A couple of red gondolas hanging from a wire” — Photo: Janilson Furtado / Unsplash, Unsplash License · source
  17. Balneário Camboriú — Laranjeiras beach (While you recover)“Praia de Laranjeiras - Balneário Camboriú - SC” by SandroSalomon, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
  18. Florianópolis — the Hercílio Luz bridge (While you recover)“Hercílio Luz Bridge at Sunset in Florianópolis” — Photo: Aleson Padilha / Pexels, Pexels License · source
  19. Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel — the hotel from above, a suite, a balcony (Where to stay)Photos: Villa do Vale Boutique Hotel, from the hotel's own website, shown with credit to the hotel; the hotel may request changes or removal at any time · source
  20. Plaza Blumenau Hotel — the rooftop pool, a suite, breakfast (Where to stay)Photos: Plaza Blumenau Hotel (photographer Rivo Biehl), from the hotel's own website, shown with credit to the hotel; the hotel may request changes or removal at any time · source
  21. Slaviero Hotel Blumenau — a room, the breakfast buffet (Where to stay)Photos: Slaviero Hotel Blumenau, from the hotel's own website, shown with credit to the hotel; the hotel may request changes or removal at any time · source
Next step

If you're reading this page, you're probably past whether and into how. The how starts at home, with a CT scan — not a photo — that I read myself. Here is how to start from where you live.

The round building where the clinic is, Rua Armando Odebrecht, 70, Blumenau, Brazil
The building where the clinic is — Rua Armando Odebrecht, 70, Blumenau. Real photo.

You get a written, preliminary opinion from the surgeon, in English, before anyone talks about flights. The message includes your consent to how the clinic handles health data — read it first. Or by e-mail: atendimento@fernandogiovanella.com.

Send your CBCTa scan, not a photoWhatsApp