Idyllic Ilha Grande was the penultimate destination on our 10 week South America adventure. Having spent a lot of our time in Peru and Bolivia hiking and trekking, we were immensely looking forward to spending a week in paradise relaxing, beach hopping and putting our feet up. Ilha Grande didn’t disappoint and I absolutely loved it. Here are six highlights from our stay on the island:
#1 Islas Paradisíacas boat trip
Once on Ilha Grande, you’ll notice very quickly the number of boat trips available. One of these trips goes to the Islas Paradisiacas (Paradise Islands). Trips leave every morning from Abraão’s beach and it’s a good idea to book your place the day before as they can sell out. There are tons of agencies around Abraão so plenty of choice.
The boat stops off at four pretty paradise worthy locations: Islas Botinas, Praia do Dentista, Praia da Piedade and Cataguas.
Islas Botinas
Two small rocky islands topped with palm trees. It’s the perfect stop for snorkelling, swimming and floating in gorgeous turquoise water.
Praia do Dentista
A beautiful white sand beach with clear turquoise waters.
Praia da Piedade
A small sandbank.
Cataguas
A small rocky and sandy island.
Useful information
- There is a stop for lunch. We stopped at Praia Das Flechas and there were some restaurants to choose from. The restaurants won’t be cheap so if like us and you’re on a budget, take your own food with you and picnic on a beautiful beach.
- Snorkels, masks and floats are provided.
- Water and ice is also provided. Although, I’d still recommend taking your own drinks with you to stay hydrated.
#2 Boat trip around the whole island
This trip is a great way to see the whole island. As one coast of Ilha Grande faces the open sea, it’s running does depend to a large extent the weather and the sea. Our trip was cancelled the first time due to wind and waves. Luckily, we were able to go the following day. Even in good weather, be prepared for a bumpy boat ride as waves can be choppy on the open sea – we got soaked a good few times.
I’ll let you discover the places for yourself. Here’s a few pics from our stops.
Caxadaço
A beautiful little covey beach. Climb the rocks for stunning views or if you’re feeling brave jump into the turquoise waters.
Parnaoica
Aventureiro
A gorgeous long stretch of white sand. Famous for its wonky palm tree!
Useful information:
- Like most boat trips on the island, there is a stop for lunch. If like us and you’re watching your spending, I’d recommend taking your own food with you as the restaurants are usually quite pricey. We stopped at Praia Dos Meros which had a restaurant and brought our own picnic food with us.
- Snorkels, masks and floats are provided.
- Water and ice is also provided. Although, I’d still recommend taking your own drinks with you to stay hydrated.
#3 Lopes Mendes beach
Probably the most famous beach on Ilha Grande is Lopes Mendes – a long stretch of white sand and clear turquoise waters. You can get there by boat or your own two feet.
By boat
You can sign up to boat trips that stop off at Lopes Mendes or get a taxi boat. Boats leave from Abraão and drop off at Pouso beach. Then, it’s about a 20 minute walk to Lopes Mendes. If getting a boat back, it’s a good idea (and you’ll probably be asked) to book a time for your return journey. We thought time slots would be flexible and tried to get an earlier boat back to no success.
By foot
The free and I think most rewarding option is to walk*. The walk lasts approximately three hours and passes through forest (where you can see monkeys!) with beautiful coastal views and scenery.
*get the credit for walking and you can always get a boat back from Pouso beach – we did!
You’ll pass through two other beaches on route: Las Palmas beach and Pouso beach where you can cool off in the sea before walking on.
With some steep uphills and downhills, it’s not an easy walk.
Useful information:
- Being on Ilha Grande’s open sea coast, Lopes Mendes isn’t a sheltered beach. The day we visited, the waves were crashing high up the beach and swimming wasn’t allowed. We were able to paddle but the waves and current were strong!
- On a choppy wave day, the waves crash high up the beach leaving little space to actually sit on. Despite getting a spot on the edge of the tree line, I was caught completely unawares sunbathing by a rogue wave!
- There’s a few stalls selling overpriced snacks and cool drinks. I’d recommend taking your own supplies of food and water
#4 Eat great food
Abraão is Ilha Grande’s main hub. Being the centre for daily boat excursions and transfers to and from the island means its beach doesn’t share the idyllic reputation of Ilha Grande’s other beaches. However, come evening Abraão is a great place to have a wander and eat some great food. Multiple restaurants, with tables set up on the sand, line the beach front – Lua e Mar is a great restaurant choice.
We ate the best barbecued fish ever with black beans and really really enjoyed Brazil’s delicious Moqueca dish (fish stew), which prior to trying I’d been on the fence about. We also easily got on board with happy hour caipirinhas.
Calling all chocolate lovers, when in Brazil you have to try brigadeiros – gooey chocolate fudge balls covered in sprinkles. Absolutely amazing! We were quickly hooked averaging one a day (in some cases two). Back home in England, I still crave them and have considered trying my hand at making them but have a feeling they won’t live up to Brazilian standards. During a post dinner stroll, you’ll likely come across them in a dessert cart full of a variety of intriguing sweet snacks.
#5 Get in the water and go paddleboarding
With crystal clear and turquoise waters, Ilha Grande is the perfect place to embrace your water spirit. Throughout our South America trip – especially our journey up Brazil’s coastline – I was super keen to have a go at paddleboarding. My chance came on Ilha Grande.
On our walk to Lopes Mendes beach a few days earlier, we’d noticed a cafe at Las Palmas beach offering paddleboarding in exchange for buying food/drink – too good an offer to resist! Of course we returned to the beach and had a great time paddleboarding on the peaceful and calm waves before heading to land to try a fresh coconut.
If paddle boarding doesn’t appeal, there are plenty of water activities to choose from. Snorkelling, kayaking, surfing, diving…
#6 Watch the sunrise from the top of Pico do Papagaio
Idyllic beaches aside, hiking up Pico do Papagaio to watch the sunrise over the island was one of my highlights on Ilha Grande. Having beach hopped for pretty much all of our stay, it was refreshing to do an active hike. The walk was challenging (but totally doable) and took around three hours hiking uphill through the forest to reach the peak.
The hike is completely worth it; seeing the starry night sky turn to dawn is utterly magical and I felt on top of the world sitting on Pico do Papagaio watching the sun rise over the horizon and the epic views. We were lucky to be one of only two groups up there and able to relax on the top with no rush to get down. It was such a peaceful and beautiful experience; one I really really recommend.
Climbing down back to Abraão is quicker (around 2 hours 30) and we were back at our hostel around 9.30/10am in time to grab breakfast before it finished.
Guide or no guide?
Hiking in the dark is best done with someone who’s familiar with the route, so I really wouldn’t think about doing the night walk without a guide. We started our hike at 2.30am in pitch dark and borrowed head torches from our guide to light the path. During the day, the hike is doable without a guide; on our descent we bumped into many individuals and couples hiking the trail themselves.
Other suggestions for things to do:
We couldn’t do everything, so here’s two things we missed out on:
- Hike to Ilha Grande’s largest waterfall, Cachoeira de Feiticeira
- Go snorkelling on a boat trip to Lagoa Azul
How to get to Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande is a popular destination for both natives and tourists and is well served by transport links. Angra dos Reis is the main departure point for Ilha Grande, although you can also depart from Mangaratiba or Conceição de Jacareí. The easier and faster (yet pricier) option involves booking a transfer. The transfer will normally collect you from your accommodation and transport you to Angra dos Reis where you will be put on a taxi boat to the island.
We chose the public transport option which is cheaper and slower but worked really well. We caught the morning bus from Paraty to Angra and the 3.30pm local ferry which takes under two hours and costs R$7. All the locals take the ferry and the boat is usually full of locals stocking up on supplies.
Getting to Ilha Grande ourselves did take most of the day, so if you’re short on time going for the private transfers is probably the best bet.
Have you been to Ilha Grande? What did you get up to?
