Located 150km south-west of Rio is Brazil’s third largest island, Ilha Grande, which makes for the perfect getaway from the craziness that is Rio. With golden sandy beaches, luscious rainforests, choice waves and a lively night scene, it was easy to relax and unwind here for four days.
Vila do Abraão is the main port that boats from the mainland dock into and it is also where most of the action is. There are so many options for accommodation that you needn’t book before you arrive. There are no motor cars or ATMs on the island so you will have to carry you bags to your accommodation, which can sometimes be up quite steep hills. Remember to take enough cash for your stay as well!
Abraão is also the starting point for many hikes around the island, and most tour companies/hostels will be able to give you a map. You can get to other beaches such as Lopes Mendes (named by The Guardian as one of the top ten beaches of Brazil) 2.5 hrs hike away and Dois Rios 2 hrs away (it is possible to catch boats back) or Bico do Papagaio (Parrot’s Beak) which at 982m is the highest point on the island. A round trip to the top of Parrot’s Beak will take about 5 hrs as it’s roughly 3 hrs up and 2 hrs down. There are numerous tour companies on the main strip where you can organise water activities. We went on a boat trip around the island stopping at 5 locations. While the snorkelling wasn’t that impressive it was nice to be out on the water and it is an effective way of seeing different parts of the island.
How to get there from Rio de Janeiro
Buses leave Rio from the Novo Rio Terminal and there are three locations on the mainland where you can catch a boat to Ilha Grande; Mangaratiba (2 hrs), Conceição de Jacareí (2.5 – 3 hrs) and Angra (3.5hrs). The easiest and best option is Conceição de Jacareí because the buses are more frequent, it has more boat options and it’s the closest mainland point to the island (speed boat takes 25 mins and costs R$30). If you are on a a really tight budget you can catch ferries from the other two destinations for R$4.50 (1.5hrs) but it will mean an early wake up if you go to Mangaratiba (5am bus from Rio) or staying on the bus an extra 30mins if you go from Angra.
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