Where luscious jungle meets crystal clear seas and white sands: Ilha Grande

Ilha Grande:

Tropical palms lap golden sands and crystal clear waters on this luscious green island, a stones throw away from Brazil’s main coast. From a distance, this seemingly uninhabited island stands tall in the Atlantic Ocean - circled by elegant birds and dressed in sunlight. The closer you get, the more beautiful it gets. The whiter the sand looks and the clearer the water glistens. As the boat glides towards the main pier, your eyes feast on the coloured buildings of Abraão, the children playing joyfully on the beach and the local musician strumming the guitar on the sandy shore.

Island life is slow here. Islanders enjoy cigarettes in the midday sun whilst cards are exchanged in the daily game of poker along the beach front. Taxi boats offer the traffic, as their skippers hoist their anchors of the soft sand as ferries come and go - depositing handfuls of excited tourists.

Rush hour exists only in the early hours, as crabs crawl back to the ocean, tourists climb aboard boat trips to the nearby beaches. The three streets empty for the day, leaving their sandy tracks barren until night falls - when tour operators begin flogging their daily offerings of diving in some of the most sought after waters and boat trips to the worlds best beaches.

Tourists leave the little town of Abraão to hike jungles lined with waterfalls, dive with turtles in the Lagoa Azul and to dig their feet into soft sands on one of the 105 beaches on the island. As dusk draws near, boats begin to descend back on the main pier. The music in local bars begins to ramp up and ladies longing for the final drop of sunlight lay flat on the beaches - socking it all in. Beach bars house weary explorers, sipping Caprianhas as they share their daily stories. As the sky reddens - the boats come to a halt - the beach empties, the empty streets fill again.

The bustle of returning tourists is a pleasing site for the local tour providers - brimming with optimism for the next day. Each tourist shop is interspersed with open fronted restaurants serving the freshest of catches. The smells enticing you in as much as the waiter wafting the menu in your face. Restaurants begin to fill as delieveries are dragged through the dog filled streets.

Time stops here as the sound of palm trees swaying in the wind fill your ears and the rising and setting of the sun become your clock. The sound of breaking waves become your sound track as you treat your senses. As the chilled island vibe takes control of your mind and body - it is hard to forget the power of nature to press reset.

For a primal reset, full of adventure and beauty - ilha Grande is king.

Our Tips and Highlights:

How to get there:

We jumped on a boat from the main land at . There are loads of tour transfer providers haggling for your service here. A boat costs 50 reais one way or 70 for a return. Most tour providers will pick you up at your hotel or hostel for an additional cost. The boats are fast and take circa 20 minutes to make the crossing. Get there as close to the time of leaving as possible to avoid a long wait in the harbour! Not that it isn’t a pretty place to sit and wait!

When you arrive - the boat takes you to Abraão main terminal...well pier! Try to get somewhere to stay close to the pier as there are no cars here and walking isn’t to easy on the sandy streets! We stayed in an awesome Airbnb - which I don’t think you can beat. Adjacent to the pier and with a real local island feel to it. Check it out here: https://www.google.com/search?q=airbnb+casa+de+jaque+ilha+grande&rlz=1CDGOYI_enGB819GB819&oq=airbnb+casa+de+jaque+ilha+grande+&aqs=chrome..69i57.8710j0j4&hl=en-GB&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

What to do:

You need to do a hike whilst you are here because walking through the jungle is so beautiful. You also get an amazing view from the top hill looking down over the emerald sea. If you turn left out of Abraão when looking at the pier, there is a really fun 1 hour hike to a waterfall. If you aim to get there for midday you’ll be dressed in sunlight and it is awesome jumping in to freshen up...you’ll have a proper sweat on by now! It is quite rocky but you can make it to the base of the falls for a nice natural shower!

Once you have done the hike It is a 20 minute walk to a white sand beach - which is scarcely populated given the hike to get there. We got an Açaí bowl from the guy on the beach for 15 reais and it was well worth the inflated price! To get back it is a short 1 hour 20 hike to Abraão or there are taxi boats for 25 reais pp to get you home if your legs can’t take it anymore!

In terms of day trips - there are numerous offerings to take you to some of the best beaches on the island. We only had a few days so just did one - we went to the famous López Mendes beach. A large boat will take you for an hour to the other side of the island where you are dropped to start a small trek. After 10 minutes you will arrive on a wide, white sand piece of paradise. You can spend the day here before going back. This is a must when on the island.

We had heard great things about the Lagoa Azul and had meant to go - but got on the wrong boat. The crystal clear waters here offer some of the best snorkeling in the world and a trip here will cost you 40 reais for the day. Just make sure you get on the right boat!!

There is also a cool place close to the main town called Kayak Ilha Grande. The guy is super cool and the equipment is great. Kayak tours take you around the local beaches and offer you the chance to snorkel. The tours vary in price depending on length but start at 70 reais. You can also rent paddle boards and kayaks yourself for a little cheaper if you’d rather go it alone!

Where to eat and drink:

We ate at a superb little place set back from the water front...we figured you paid for the view on the beach. We had some of the best fried fish we have had at Masters and at Pablo’s. They both offer main courses for 22 reais - it is a very decent feed and the fish is awesome.

Atelie cafe on the beach front to the left of the pier is a must for coffee lovers. The menu is extensive and sitting under the palm tree whilst you sip your latte will leave you feeling super chilled.

For a sundowner - head across the stream and down the beach to Steak and Beach or cafe al mar for a cocktail or beer. The prices are reasonable and they offer happy hours around sunset.