I flew to Floripa last December and had a wonderful time, but didn't stay around the city much. We flew into Floripa and went straight to Brava. We spent 3 days in Brava and then drove to Praia do Rosa. We generally bypassed the city of Floripa itself (maybe someone else can tell me if that was a bad idea), but it seemed like a pretty typical small sized city (had a decent mall, but I wasn't really there to go shopping!)

Brava was only a 30 minute drive from Floripa and very geared towards the younger party scene. The beach had a few hotels but most people seemed like they had rented condos. Praia Do Rosa was by far my favorite destination in Santa Catarina - all the Pousada's were charming and beautiful and the scene was very laid back (also some very nice restaurants, which can be hard to find in small beach areas)

So moral of the story: I can imagine spending a month exploring the area around Floripa but wouldn't recommend spending more than a few days in the actual city. There are some gorgeous beaches within a 1-2 hour drive with lots to do (I went sand surfing, it was great!). Booking a pousada can be difficult, as most require a bank transfer prior to your stay and I think you need a brazilian account to do that (not sure on the details as I did not handle that portion of the trip). If you go to Rosa, I'd recommend the Bucanero. Hope I helped a little!