Pristine beaches and untouched jungle cover Ilha Grande, an island approximately 3.5 hours from Rio by car and boat. Years ago the island was home to a maximum security prison, housing some of Brazil’s most notorious criminals and this is partly the reason why everything has remained so preserved…nobody ever wanted to visit.
After the prison closed in 1994, tourists began travelling to the island and small guesthouses started to open up. The majority of accommodation is in Abraão where the ferry arrives on the North East of the island, however we opted to stay on the North West side in Praia Vermelha (Red beach).
Our guesthouse was Vila Pedra Mar, a luxury villa with three suites, with breakfast and a three course dinner included in the price! Praia Vermelha is a small fishing village, with only a few restaurants open in the day and not much going on at night, perfect for relaxation and peace and quiet.
We often ate lunch at Christian’s, a small restaurant right on the beach with a really friendly owner and great food.
There are hiking trails through wild jungle across the island that lead to hidden beaches, you can take boat tours or water taxis to get around (no cars on the Ilha Grande). Or you can spend your days on your balcony sipping Caipirinhas!
A fabulous few days in pure paradise.
Comments (4)
Nice place, great food, excellent pictures and a very nice suite what could be possibly better than that?
Nothing we can think of! 🙂
Interesting! I’m heading to Brazil soon. Thanks for the post 🙂
Ah brill, we are hoping to get to Bolivia this year! Loved your pics 🙂