Ilha Grande and Abraao - Brazil
Location and Overview:
Ilha Grande is a beautiful island located just 100 miles from Rio and 140 miles
from Sao Paulo and covers a land area is 193 km². Its an island
covered by tropical forest, white sand beaches, famous for its scenic beauty,
swaying palms, adventurous diving activity, rugged landscape and luxuriant
vegetation. Unlike Rio which is vibrating modern city, Ilha Grande is largely
undeveloped and thus gives the tourists to enjoy the untouched beauty of this
island.
How to Reach Ilha Grande:
The way to reach this island is by boat or ferry most of which depart from Mangaratiba, mainland Brazil. To give you an idea how well you will experience the natural beauty on this island, there are no big concrete roads and cars are also not permitted on this island (Except a few emergency services), just tracks through the forest. Infact most of the island is a State Park which restricts the development. Everything is within walking distance and is beautiful to explore by foot., or boats to go between the islands and via some local travel agencies.
Weather and when to go:
It has a tropical weather often hot and humid. The medium temperatures is between 15ºC - 30ºC. There are several options of lodging at the Abraao's Village. Best time to go is between March to June, lot of people visit the island on summer, weekends and holidays therefore advance booking is recommended. Prices are significantly lower on Monday to Thursday than on weekends.
Attractions and Activities at Ilha Grande:
Abraao Beach is the most beautiful bay of Ilha Grande and also the location of Abraao Cove. It is situated between the high mountains that emerge from the sea. The commercial activity is concentrated on this little but pleasant place. You will find the most developed infrastructure for the tourism in this area.
Abraao can be thought as a mini capital of Ilha Grande. Many tourists stay at Vila do Abraao and make day trips to other places in the island and come back by the evening. Nightlife can be fun in the local bars which serve beer, often accompanied with local dance and music at Church Square. Most people come here for a 3-4 days visit but many stay for over a week too. Free camping is prohibited on Ilha Grande.
You can reach from Rio to the Port of Mangaratiba via a two road/bus trip. After that there is another two hour ferry ride. There are some private ferry operators also in the region and several private tour operators who know these places well and can take you to the precise points where relaxing, Kayaking, fishing, sailing, swimming and snorkeling are the best.
Additional things to see are Candido Mendez Jail Ruins and Art Gallery inside of Vivenda das Bromelias Inns.
Shopping:
This island is an ideal place to forget the daily tensions and something different from a conventional holiday trip. There are no big shops in the area, most of the places are local owned and operated stores and do not expect much for the nightlife. T-shirts, sandals, postcards and locally made goods are only the ones available for shopping. Angrais, the nearby place where even locals go to buy clothes, groceries and other goods. Unfortunately due to human activity you may find plastic bottles and bags floating around in the waters around Ilha Grande.
Internet cafes are available but expensive. Public phones booths can be found everywhere. There are about 30 restaurants in the island and you can enjoy nice food, homemade cheese from local vendors and also have Beer, Guarana and Caipirinha.
Ilha Grande tourist Map:
