Just a few hours from Rio lies an island paradise. The perfect escape from the busyness of Rio de Janeiro, with no cars, stunning beaches, great hikes and nature…it’s the perfect spot to relax after the hustle & bustle of Rio. So here are the best things to do in Ilha Grande.
Where is Ilha Grande
Ilha Grande is an island off the Atlantic coast of Brazil, about 150km from Rio. Because it is so close to Rio, it is a really popular place to visit as part of your trip.
Planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro? Explore our guides on what to do, how to stay safe, and much more:
Search all Rio de Janeiro Articles
How do I get to Ilha Grande
We have written a full guide on how to get to and from Ilha Grande using public transport or with a shared shuttle service. We have included costs, timings and our opinions, so make sure to check this out:
Best Ways to Get to Ilha Grande, Brazil: Ferry, Bus & Transfers
Where to stay in Ilha Grande
All boats from the Brazilian mainland arrive in the small town of Abraão. This town is the main town on the island for accommodation, restaurant, shops and the starting point of the boat tours.
The majority of the accommodation in Abraão is within a 5-10 minute walk of the main town. The further inland you go, the more likely your accommodation will be up an incline. The walk is fine, but with heavy bags it might become a bit of a struggle.
We stayed in 2 absolutely fab places:
We stayed here for the first part of our stay. It’s just less than a 10 min walk from the beach and only slightly uphill to get to the accommodation. It is made up of huts/cabins as well as spots for tents.
There are 6 showers and 6 toilets which were always clean and the kitchen was fab. The staff were amazing. They even got us the best deal on the transfer from Rio and gave loads of info on how to get to Paraty.
During the week it wasn’t too crowded but at the weekend it was a lot busier.
This place was like an oasis, the kitchen was huge and the outside areas are beautiful and surrounded by nature! The private rooms were perfect and they have some adorable pet cats. The walk up to the accommodation is a litttttle steep but manageable, and great for your legs. The walk is worth it for the escape.
How many days should I spend in Ilha Grande?
At least 2-3 days. 3 days gives you enough time for a day, a boat tour, a beach day and some exploring of the town.
If you are really looking for a get away, 4-5 days would be perfect here, giving you time to do a couple of boat tours, and spend some quality time on the beach.
There isn’t much to do in Ilha Grande if it is raining. So if you are visiting Rio in the wet season (between Nov/Dec – Mar/Apr), try to keep your trip in Ilha Grande flexible. This way you can check the weather beforehand.
Book on platforms like booking.com with free cancellation and sort your transfer a few days before
Can I do a day trip from Rio?
A lot of tour guides in Rio will advertise day trips to Ilha Grande but I would really advise against this. It takes around 3 hours each way, you don’t benefit the local community by not staying there, and it’s a perfect escape from the busyness of Rio.
Transport in Ilha Grande
There are no cars/roads on Ilha Grande. The main town of Abraão has some infrastructure for emergency service and sanitation & construction vehicles, but this is all you’ll see. This means, unfortunately, there are no ubers to take you to your accommodation.
When you get off the boat, there will be locals waiting with carts to help you with your luggage if you are unable to carry it.
The only way to reach other parts of the island is by boat or on foot. There are some really well sign posted hikes to beaches which you can follow. Our favourite hike was the hike to Lopes Mendes beach.
Read our full article on Lopes Mendes Hike for all the details: Lopes Mendes Hike, Ilha Grande: Complete Trail Guide
Are there ATMs on Ilha Grande?
No. But because of this 99% of places take card payment. This even includes taxi boats who often have their own contactless card machines!
This being said, if the power does go down, there is a chance that card payments wont work. I would recommend taking some cash out before you arrive on Ilha Grande.
Supermarkets on Ilha Grande
There are lots of restaurants in Abraão, however if you are working on a bit more of a budget, there are plenty of supermarkets available and well stocked.
Our favourite supermarkets are:
The prices are all pretty similar across the supermarkets and they all have a good range of dry food and fresh fruit & veg.
If you’re on a budget grab some cold drinks (there are lots of options) from the supermarket and head down to the beach, instead of going to the beach bars.
What to do in Ilha Grande
Boat Trip Around the Island
One of the most popular things to do on Ilha Grande is take a boat trip. As you walk down the main street in Abraão, you will see lots of tour operators selling their tours.
Most boat tours will last all day starting at around 9/10am and returning back to Abraão before sunset.
The most popular tours focus either on the paradise beaches or the lakes and caves with snorkelling.
One of the most popular tour companies here is Abraão Tour Ilha Grande. You can check their website and chat on whatsapp.
Most tours don’t include lunch, but you can bring your own food and drinks on board.
Hike to Praia Lopes Mendes
This was our favourite hike on the island. The hike takes around 2.5 – 3 hours from Abraão and takes you through the jungle past Praia Julia, past Praia Pouso & and to Praia Lopes Mendes.
The hike isn’t a circular hike, so to get back you can either hike the same route back (another 2-3 hours) or you can hike back to Praia Pouso and take a taxi boat back which costs R$50 per person (£7 / US $9.50)
For a full rundown on the hike and everything you need to know, check out our Complete Lopes Mendes Hiking Guide which includes the fixed taxi boat times.
Beaches
Ilha Grande has some beautiful beaches. Some are only accessible from Abraão via boat, however these beaches are great to relax on, and are within walking/hiking distance from Abraão.
Praia da Julia – a small beach with a lovely beach bar (15 mins)
Praia do Abrãao – this is the main beach of the town. It’s not the best beach but its convenient and on the right hand side of the beach, you will find some lovely beach bars and restaurants (0 mins)
Praia do Galego – this beach is lovely. If it’s a bit of a windier day there are plenty of rocks and outcrops to base yourself behind. On the way there you can do a bit more of a walk past and impressive aqueduct (20 mins)
Praia de Lopes Mendes – this beach was our favourite. Especially when you hike here, relaxing on this lovely beach really pays off. If you head to the left of the beach, walking all the way up and round, you will have a much quieter and calmer experience (2-3 hours)
Praia do Pouso – if you don’t want to hike all the way to Lopes Mendes you can take a taxi boat to Praia do Pouso you can relax here or you can walk the last 20 minutes to Lopes Menses
Wander around the town of Abraao
The town of Abraao is made up of cute little shops full of souvenirs & clothes. The more you explore the more you will find. Make sure you find the ‘hidden’ road with more shops including a Havaianas shop (if you haven’t bought a pair yet, now is the time to do it, you’re on an island after all!)
The Aqueduct
Just a 5 min walk from the centre of the town you will find a short hike which goes via the aqueduct. You can see very easily the route of the short hike on googlemaps:
As you walk up to where the path splits, head left and follow the route. At one point you will enter and area with small waterfalls and pools & rocks to relax if you want. Here you need to scramble a bit up a rock (just one rock, and very doable with a friendly hand to help if you need!). Then you can continue to the aqueduct. After seeing it, head round to the beach to enjoy some sand between your toes!
Beach bars
There are plenty of beach bars around, especially on the main beach of Abraão and on the surrounding beaches. Our favourites are:
Café do Mar Bar e Restaurante: the perfect spot with great drinks and cocktails right on the beach – far enough away from the port but close enough to walk home with ease. We also ate here and the food was really nice
Bar do Che Ilha Grande: perfect for a spot off the sand but with a sea and beach view, and not far from the town centre either
Júlia Surtô: great beach bar on Praia do Julia, just a short walk from the main beach. It also has a great little restaurant and good cold beer/cocktails.
Pretty much all the beaches also have local vendors selling cold soft drinks, beers & coconuts, so you’ll never be far from a refreshing beachside drink!
Just a heads up - some of the links on this blog are affiliate links. This means we might earn a small commission if you make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. This helps fund the site and keep more blog posts coming your way. Thanks for your support!
Comments
If you'd like to chat directly, pop us an email at hello@lawsoftravel.com or drop a comment below and we'll reply as soon as we can!