The island Ilha Grande is situated in the state of Rio de Janeiro to the south of the city of Rio and it is a common destination amongst Brazilians as nicely as foreigners. If you have a couple of days to spare on your trip to Rio it is definitely worth a pay a visit to. This write-up will introduce you to 5 highlights of the island.

1. Lopes Mendes

Ilha Grande’s major attraction is its nature, specially the beaches which offer excellent opportunities for relaxing, surfing and snorkeling. Lopes Mendes is the most well-known beach and has on numerous occasions been voted Brazil’s greatest beach. The water is crystal clear and since it is on the side of the island facing the open ocean it is also great for surfing. To get to Lopes Mendes from Ilha Grande’s principal village, Abraão, take a boat to Saco das Palmas followed by a short walk.

2. Dois Rios

One more fantastic beach that is a bit harder to reach is Dois Rios. To get there you either require to spend for a boat to take you or do a 3 hour hike from Abraão along a dirt road (and yet another 3 hours to get back). This might sound difficult but the reward is amazing. The beach is lovely and the restricted accessibility indicates that it does not get crowded. There is a modest village next to the beach where you can acquire drinks, but thinking about the lengthy walk it is a very good notion to bring water and snacks.

3. Pico do Papagaio

For the adventurous of you how about acquiring a bird’s eye view of the entire island? Pico do Papagaio, Parrots Peak, is Ilha Grande’s toughest hike. It begins essentially at sea level and takes you to 982 meters where there are great views of the island. On clear days you can even see Pedra da Gávea in Rio. The trail is among 5 and 6 km long (the precise figure varies) which indicates that when you add an nearly 1 km height distinction the hike becomes steep. It is not a good concept to do this hike right after a lot of rain considering that the trail becomes really muddy and the many tree roots scattered along the way turn out to be slippery.

The trail starts along the dirt road Estrada da Colônia and the initial 2 km are the very same as the trail to the Dois Rios. Following these 2 km there is a sign marking a modest path leading straight into the woods on the right hand side, this is the trail to Pico do Papagaio. Some individuals do this hike on their own, but it is recommended to go with a guide.

four. Howler Monkeys

Ilha Grande is home to a large amount of Howler Monkeys. Along the hiking routes, specially the inland ones to Dois Rios, Feiticeira waterfall or Pico do Papagaio you will have good odds of seeing and hearing them. Experiencing them in wild in the middle of their howling sessions is an impressive sight. I can envision that if men and women do not know that it is howler monkeys the sound can be very intimidating.

5. Sea Turtles

In the bays of Ilha Grande there are a lot of sea turtles. If you paddle around with a kayak you will be in a position to see heads pop out of the water now and then for breathing. And on sunny days you will be able to see the complete body shape. They are typically not afraid of humans so there are excellent opportunities to get genuinely close whilst snorkeling or scuba diving. So make confident to have an underwater camera accessible.