Ilha Grande - Angra dos Reis

I have been planning to post about this trip here for some time, and today came the day to stop procrastinating this publication.

I made this trip exactly one year ago and it was very remarkable for me. Not only because the place is absurdly beautiful, but because it had many personal meanings.

I traveled to Ilha Grande, which is part of the municipality of Angra dos Reis, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. I had heard about the beauty of the place and, when I was choosing my next travel destination, I researched more about the island and could not think of a better place to isolate myself from my real world.

I had forgotten how much fun it was to plan all the steps of a trip. Choosing where to stay, thinking about an itinerary of places to visit...
Although I had an idea of the beaches I wanted to visit, I tried not to rig my schedule and kept myself free during the whole week I was there.

There are many tours that can be done with guides and renting boats, but my style of traveling makes me prefer to do things in a more autonomous way. So I tried to do most of the attractions on foot, through the numerous trails that connect the beaches and small villages of the island. Even though this required more physical effort, I was prepared with minimal equipment and the spirit of adventure.

And the journey began with the 8-hour bus ride to get there. I preferred not to drive, because I was going to make the trip alone and that would make the trip more expensive without someone to share the costs. And also because I feel very sleepy when driving for many hours. 😪 So the safest and most viable option was the bus.

I arrived in Angra dos Reis very early and took an uber to the place where the boats leave for the island. The one in the picture below.

Abraão Village

Upon landing in the charming and hospitable village of Abraão, I went to the chalet where I stayed and the place was exactly as I had imagined. Perfect for the kind of trip I was looking for.

A very cute cottage in the middle of the forest!

Since the day of my arrival was quite cloudy and with some rain (and I was quite tired from the 8-hour trip), I decided to do a short hike of a few kilometers to see the attractions closest to the village.

I passed by Abraão Beach and Preta Beach, until I reached the trail that leads to the Lazareto and Aqueduto ruins.

All along the way, because of the rain, I found very few people doing the same route. So I took the opportunity to make some records of the path, for my collection of memories.

After a while of walking I found the Poção waterfall, right next to the Aqueduct ruin.There I took some time to rest.

On the way back to the village I passed a few more beaches, such as Galego Beach, which I found out later is very crowded on weekends. Fortunately I was able to spend some time there all by myself.

After a rest at the chalet and a break to eat, I went for a second hike when the sun came out in the late afternoon. I could see a beautiful sunset, sitting on a rock at Bica beach, on the right side of Abraão village.

There also happened my first accident: a barefoot encounter with the sharp coral.

The return home was a little slower because of the foot injury, but I still enjoyed walking around the island at night and drinking in front of the sea.

Lopes Mendes Beach

I took advantage of the second day to hike to Lopes Mendes beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in the whole island. The beach faces the open sea, unlike the village beaches, which are bathed by the Angra bay.

The way there was quite difficult and full of obstacles and I think I completed it in about three hours walking. I don't remember exactly...

There is the possibility of taking a taxi boat and making the trip by sea, bypassing part of the island. But I wanted to hike, walk through the forest and do the trip at my own pace. So I did the trail until Julia's beach, then until Palmas beach and finally the third leg, to my final destination.

Below I leave you with some images of this trail.

I ended up making videos of the jungle part and didn't take many pictures. I was more concerned with getting to my destination, to have time to enjoy the beach, since the plan was also to walk back to the village before dark.

And finally, the beach of Lopes Mendes.

I did the first part of the trail back and reached Pouso beach, from where boats leave back to the village. I thought about walking back and decided to take the boat back.

Blue lagoon and Acaiá Cave

I decided not to hike on the third day, because I wanted to rest my body a little for the next and expected adventure. So I took a boat ride with a local guide to the paradisiacal blue lagoon (a spot in the middle of the sea with light blue water) and to the inexplicable Acaiá Cave.

The Acaiá Cave is an underground cave located on private property, but that can be accessed with local guides. The access is a bit claustrophobic and tight, but the difficulty is worth it, to see something as inexplicable as the pictures below. There is no light inside the cave other than that reflected by the water itself.

This friendly dog is the guardian of the cave (and also keeps an eye on how long it takes divers to return to the surface).

Unfortunately this beach in the photos below (which I don't remember the name of and which was a stop on the way back) no longer exists. A few months after this photo, a landslide caused by excessive rainfall caused part of the hill to fall and "swallow" the short strip of sand on the beach.

The next stop was at Lagoa Verde, where it was possible to feed the fish.

Abraãozinho Beach

The next day I walked to Abraãzinho Beach and these were some of the beauties I found on the way. The beach has calm waters and had many tourists, because it is the best beach for swimming near the village.

Dois Rios Beach

The next morning I started my long awaited journey to Dois Rios beach, which is also known as the beach of the prison where the Comando Vermelho criminal faction was born. The prison is deactivated and currently houses a museum about its history.

The journey starts with steep climbs to the top of the mountain. From there it is possible to have a beautiful view of the village of Abraão.

The entire trip (which takes a few hours) can be done easily on foot along the road that connects the two villages. However, on a certain stretch of the road, there is a shortcut that goes into the forest and shortens the trip a lot.

This shortcut is not signposted, but it is possible to find the most precise location of its beginning with the help of hiking apps such as Wikiloc.

There are some pleasant surprises along this shortcut, which is to look more closely at the forest and the natural pools.

My photos do not do justice to the beauty of Dois Rios beach, certainly one of the most beautiful and intriguing I have ever seen in my life.

The tour (which can also be done by boat) is well worth it. The beach has this name simply because two different rivers flow into it. One at each end.

Oh, and remember I mentioned that the coral cut was the first accident? Here happened the second: a crab bite on my toe. 💔

In my last two days on the island I took the time to walk around and enjoy the beaches closer to the village, eat at the local bars, write, finish a book that has long been needed to be finished, and begin to say goodbye to this paradise that has captured my heart.

I hope you have enjoyed this destination and that you take the opportunity to visit it if you ever come to Brazil.

❤️