On foot
Walking in downtown Blumenau may be pleasant from April to December, but avoid walking too much in the summer, as summers tend to be extremely hot and there aren't many trees.
The city has many hills and outside downtown you might find some challenging slopes. Sidewalks in Brazil don't have standards and in Blumenau the best are downtown, so in the neighborhoods take some care with them. During the summer it rains almost everyday, but usually in the late afternoon, so it won't really be a problem to stroll around.
By taxi
Taxis are expensive.
By car
Blumenau is not a very easy city to drive. The streets are irregular and in the neighborhoods there aren't many traffic signs. But if you prefer, you can rent a car for a fair price. It's highly recommended to have a map with yourself, as sometimes even the city's population gets lost in town.
Downtown there are three main and parallel streets: Avenida Presidente Castelo Branco, known as Beira-Rio rivershore, Rua XV de Novembro and Rua 7 de Setembro. The three of them get very busy during the rush hour, but traffic is not chaotic overall.
Watch out for speed reducers all spread through the city, they limit the speed to 50km/h 31mph. There are also photo radars in traffic lights.
By bus
The bus system in Blumenau is one of the most efficient in Brazil. The system is run by SETERB and composed by six terminals in different spots of the city: Garcia in the South, Fonte in the Center-South, Velha in the West, Aterro in the Northwest, Fortaleza in the Northeast and PROEB in the Center-North. Inside the terminals you can transfer to another bus without paying extra.
The buses are yellow and light blue. Line 33 goes from Fonte-PROEB-Fonte via Beira-rio and Rua 7 de Setembro. One single trip costs R$2,05 US$1,15, which you pay either when you get in a bus or in the terminals.
There is also another kind of bus, the red ones, which are restricted mostly to the downtown area and a little further to the north and south. These buses have air conditioning and more comfortable seats, which may come handy during the summer in the city. They don't stop at bus stops, only in the Garcia and PROEB terminals. To catch one, you just have to lift your arm and make a sign whenever you see it. The fare is a bit more expensive though.
Hourly buses to the nearby town of Pomerode, where the annual Festa Pomorana takes place, can be caught on Rua Sete 7 de Septembro, and close to the Blumenau bus terminal Terminal Aterro, further along and on the same side of the road, Rua Eng Udo Deeke, 45 - Salto Norte, Blumenau - SC, 89065100, 47 3323-1782. Taxi drivers will offer to take tourists to Pomerode - avoid doing this, as it will be an avoidably expensive trip. The last bus from Pomerode to Blumenau leaves at 10:15PM and can be caught at one of the bus stops along Pomerode's main road.