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Paradise is only a short boat ride away. Ferries and speedboats from the mainland tie up in the small harbor town of Vila do Abraao. In the bay, sheltered by two tiny islands, fishing boats, tourist schooners and smaller yachts lie at anchor. Behind the red-roofed houses, mountains rise up like the tiers in an amphitheater. Vila do Abraao is the largest town on Ilha Grande. It has the most guesthouses, and there are always plenty of parties on the weekend. But that’s not why people visit the island. They come to see its natural beauty, the pristine vegetation, the white powder-sugar beaches and the turquoise waters of the ocean. With a coastline extending over 155 kilometers and a total of 116 beaches, large and small, Ilha Grande is one of the most beautiful islands off the coast of Brazil. Dozens of bays cut deep into the hinterland, and just beyond the beaches, mountain peaks reach for the sky; at 1035 meters, Pico da Pedra D’Agua is the tallest. The slopes are covered by the tropical Mata Atlantica rainforest, one of the most species-rich ecosystems on the planet. Narrow trails invite visitors to discover this “Atlantic rainforest” for themselves.
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