Ilha Grande (big island) is considered one of the most beautiful islands in Brazil and features crystal clear waters and white beaches. It is also a car-free zone, so getting around is entirely dependent on walking along on sand streets and forest trails. Whilst this brings a great deal of charm it does mean that the island is not an ideal destination for wheelchairs or strollers. I think this was one of my favorite spots in Brazil, even though I just stayed a few days. I wouldn’t stay much longer as there isn’t that much to do.
You can get there from various points on the continent, but the most common are Angra dos Reis (closest to São Paulo) and Conceição de Jacareí (closest to Rio de Janeiro) where you can take a boat trip over to the island. You will find a lot of departures and 2 different types of boats (fast and slow).
The accommodations on the island are simple in style. Pousadas are small with narrow corridors, many have uneven wooden steps. I stayed at the Che Lagarto Hostel for a few nights, the terrasse is amazing but I have to say the rooms weren’t that clean nor comfortable. I then stayed a night in Che Lagarto Suite (same chain, different standard but not that much more expensive to be honest) and it was great: comfortable bed, good shower and delicious breakfast.
Vila do Abraão, Ilha Grande’s main town, was just a fishing village until the mid 90s, when the prison was destroyed and tourism began to flourish. Despite the influx of tourists the city remains small with a slow rhythm, largely part to the absence of motorized vehicles. But to be honest, it still is very touristy, I’m not sure actual local live there.
Abraão is basically structured around two main parallel streets: one goes right by the ocean and the other, right behind it. A good option is to use Vila do Abraão as a base and plan day trips from there.
Many beaches can be reached by boat and several agencies in Vila do Abraão sell packages for day trips. One of the great things about Ilha Grande is that lots of other smaller islands surround it, making for great day trips (about 70-90 reales per person). One of the most popular routes is the boat that goes to the Green and Blue Lagoon whilst stopping off at little, uninhabited islands for sunbathing and snorkelling breaks. The waters should make ideal conditions for snorkeling. As well as bright-coloured tropical fish, you may spot the odd sea turtle gliding by. If you’re lucky! Because being completely honest, I don’t know if it was the bad season or the weather, I didn’t see anything during the whole day.. But the boat ride and seeing different islands was really nice. Don’t forget to bring extra dry clothes and a big sweater, it gets cold at the end of the day on the boat, trust me!
Ilha Grande is also the gateway to the famous Lopes Mendes beach, whether by boat or by foot. It is considered one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil, it was voted one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world. The hike to get there is worth it: from town, you’ll go up and down multiple peaks with nice view points and across interim beaches, for about 2 hours. It’s really not that hard of a trek. If you’re not up for it, you can walk to Pousa (about 20 min) and get a boat ride to the beach (25 reales each way).
I strongly recommend that you take plenty of water for the trek and some food as well, as despite its fame the beach has been left entirely undeveloped and there are very few food stalls along the way or at the beach.
There are 13 hikes all in all on the island. For a challenging hike, take the rainforest trail up to the summit of Papagaio Peak.
Keep in mind that night falls early, around 5pm so think about getting back before it gets dark.
There are a lot of restaurants in Abraão with different types of cuisine. The variety in the supermarket is very limited, so it might be a good idea to take some food from the continent if you don’t want to eat out.
- Ateliê: best restaurant on the island! The vegan food is amazing, the French owner created an adorable shack right on the beachfront, I really loved eating there and the prices were really acceptable. Rua da Praia, 847
- Cafe do mar: only went there for drinks but the place itself is worth the stop, feet in the sand, looking over the sunset, it’s breathtaking. Order a caipirinha (12 reales) or an incredible mate gelado (cold mate tea) (6.5 reales), just sit back and relax. Rua Getúlio Vargas, 50
- Steak’n’beach: great Argentinian vibes BBQ place literally on the beach, the service is great and the meat was delicious (120 reales BBQ for 3 people). Praia do Abraão, 192
Just meets World 