Explore the Costa Verde
Atlantic surf on one shore, sheltered bays on another, and communities connected by boats and paths. Ilha Grande is a place to settle into—after choosing the right landing point.
Find your starting pointGet your bearings
‘Ilha Grande’ is not a single arrival address. A stay near Abraão has different connections and daily possibilities from a pousada on another bay. Start with the accommodation and the experience you want, then arrange the matching mainland departure and island transfer.
Abraão suits a first visit when you want a choice of places to eat, local operators and outings from a village base. Compare the precise location: a room close to the center and a hillside or neighboring-beach property can involve very different walks, luggage arrangements and evening noise.
Choose the western side for a stay centered on its bays and your accommodation. Confirm a direct transfer appropriate to the property. Do not book a boat to Abraão on the assumption that every other island community is a quick overland connection away.
A secluded beach property can be the point of the trip, but it deserves more planning. Ask about meals, boat costs, communications, power arrangements and what happens in poor weather. Its relationship to the water matters more than a straight-line distance on a booking map.
01 · Island life
Give the inhabited shore time between excursions. Boats, local businesses, homes and community spaces are part of the island’s present, not scenery around the visitor experience. A slower morning lets you make plans with people who know that day’s conditions and spend more of your trip where you are staying.
Find breakfast, confirm tomorrow’s outing and leave space for dinner without another transfer. If a property lies beyond the main village, work out the return before heading out. A short distance along the shore does not necessarily mean an easy walk after dark or with luggage.
Talk through the forecast, trail conditions and boat route with your accommodation or a qualified local operator. Book services from established businesses and ask before photographing residents closely. The island’s communities should have a voice in the way you experience the coast.
02 · Beyond the sheltered shore
Lopes Mendes brings the open coast into the picture: a long curve of pale sand, breaking waves and forest behind it. Other beaches and bays offer different conditions and journeys. Choose a day’s outing around the sea, the walking involved and your own ability, rather than assuming every beach works the same way.
An exposed surf beach is different from a sheltered snorkeling stop. Pay attention to local advice and the conditions in front of you; a beautiful photograph says nothing about safe water that day. Ask where the boat lands and how much walking remains before setting out.
Use current park information and local advice to choose a route. Wear suitable footwear, carry water and leave enough daylight for the return. Longer or less familiar trails deserve a qualified guide; a marked route or an old online itinerary is not proof that current conditions are suitable.
Make it work
A few choices before you arrive leave more room for the day itself.
Time
A few nights give you room for an arrival, an outing and a weather change without turning every hour into a connection. More remote stays may reward a longer visit. Avoid judging the island only from a rushed day trip.
Arrival
Ask the accommodation which service and landing point it recommends for your date. Confirm luggage limits and the onward walk or boat transfer. Keep the actual departure information available offline; different services need not share the same pier or schedule.
Visitor registration
Angra dos Reis introduced a digital visitor-voucher system for its islands in June 2026. Rules depend on your embarkation arrangements, stay and any exemption. Review the municipal notice and confirm the current procedure with your accommodation before traveling.
Weather
Boat travel depends on conditions. Keep breathing room between leaving the island and an important flight or other fixed connection. Ask the operator about weather changes and the accommodation about options if you cannot travel as planned.
Packing
Choose luggage you can manage on the final approach, protect essentials from water and bring footwear for your intended walks. Ask your lodging about accepted payments, drinking water and any supplies you need to bring from the mainland.
Planning
A full circuit, a short outing and a quiet day at your base offer different uses of time. Ask about boat size, shade, equipment, walking and stops before paying. Keep one uncommitted day if a particular beach or trail is central to your trip.
Before you go
Current visitor information from the organizations responsible.
Last editorial review: 2026-09-07
Keep exploring
Return to the wider Rio and Costa Verde guide to fit your island stay around Rio’s neighborhoods and Paraty’s historic streets. Give each place enough time to be more than a stop on the way.
Plan your Costa Verde journeyFrom the journal
Island culture · Santa Catarina
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