Access is also very easy. Joinville, the largest city in the state of Santa Catarina, can be accessed via the BR 280 and from there to the rest of the country and Mercosul. Railways serve the port through railway line 485, which connects São Francisco do Sul to the city of Mafra. In Mafra, a new railway network connects to São Paulo, the biggest city in the country, and to Porto Alegre, the biggest city in the southern region. There are also two airports near the port: Joinville, 60 kilometers away, and Navegantes, 100 kilometers away.

The combination of its strategic geographical position and the fact that it has one of the lowest port tax rates in Brazil is why the Port of São Francisco is experiencing constant and vigorous growth. Container movement has tripled, with general cargo doubling and solid bulk movement increasing by 50%. One good indicator of the efficiency of the Port of São Francisco is that is has the lowest cargo damage index in the country together with record container movement time. While the national average for movement is from 8 to 10 light movements /hour, the Port of São Francisco achieves 23.

The Berths

• Berth Nº 101: Draft of 10,40m and length of 220m. Cidasc Terminal, Priority for bulk carriers and tankers. Depending on availability, it can also be used for unloading grain and full containers. It is served by two railway lines and electrical energy to sustain 4 to 5 Redlers
• Berth Nº 102: Draft of 10.10m and length of 210m. Priority for full containers and RO/RO provided they can operate under any weather conditions. Also used for unloading solid/liquid bulk vessels, general cargo, refrigerated vessels and others. It is served by two railway lines and has electrical energy to sustain 4 to 5 Redlers.
• Berth Nº 103: Draft of 8.70m x 9,50m and length of 170m. Used for general cargo vessels or bulk unloading. With two rail mounted cranes and a maximum 7 ton capacity, it can serve up to the first 150m of berth 102. It is served by two railway lines and has electrical energy to sustain 4 to 5 Redlers.
• Berth Nº 201: Draft of 5.50m x 7.50m and length of 155m. Used for general cargo vessels or bulk unloading, lacks railway lines and rail mounted crane. Electrical energy can sustain up to 3 Redlers..
• Berth Nº 301: Depth of 8.70 to 10.50 meters with length of 220m (Terfran) is a private berth used both for general cargo as well as for full containers. It is not equipped with land cranes or railway access. Grain/fertilizers can be directly unloaded into trucks.