Joinville is an important transport hub in the south Brazilian state of Santa Catarina. Its local airport is eight miles northeast of the city centre. Joinville-Lauro Carneiro de Loyola Airport is a small but modern site, named after a successful local politician. The terminal building has shops, cafés, and a panoramic terrace. Outside, there are more than 200 parking places, many under cover. If you hire a car at Joinville Airport you find that Avenue Santos Dumont leads straight to the heart of the city from the airport.
When you drive from the airport you'll soon find Joinville is a prosperous industrial and commercial city. It stands just inland on Babitonga Bay, sheltered from the Atlantic beyond. In just a short drive with a hire car you'll have your pick of sand-swept beaches. One of the highlights is crossing the road bridges to São Francisco do Sul, the island which sits across the bay from Joinville. You'll find a protected state park and colonial-style brightly painted wooden cottages. The highlights of Joinville itself are a botanical garden, a zoo and spotting the influence of German settlers on the various architectural pieces found around the city.
