Top Things to do in Ilha Grande
Top 10 Things to do in Ilha Grande, State of Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
So close to Rio de Janeiro, yet so different, Ilha Grande is Brazil’s relaxing, undeveloped paradise. Stepping off the ferry to the island is to disconnect from the outside world. No cars, no banks (bring your money!), no ringing phones. It’s all about relaxing in the sun, sailing, swimming, disappearing into spas and reemerging for fresh seafood at one of the 30 small restaurants.
Restaurants in Ilha Grande
1. Pico do Papagaio
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 720 reviews
Reviewed By 394maggiet
Martin was a an absolute joy to work with. He is professional and knowledgeable while still making the experience fun and enjoyable. We completed both the parrot peak hike and also the sunset canoe trip. Martins tours are an amazing experience and I highly recommend him if you enjoy staying active while on the island. During our time we were able to experience a variety of unforgettable moments including watching one of the most spectacular sunrises I’ve ever seen and swimming with bioluminescence. Martin keeps the mood light and also provided us with amazing photos of the entire adventure for no additional cost. 10/10 recommend!
2. Lopes Mendes Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5,714 reviews
Reviewed By ElaineE24 - Dublin, Ireland
One of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever been to. You can get a taxi boat out from Abroaa to Pousa ( 25 real) and from there it’s a 15 minute walk through the jungle to get here. White sandy beaches and crystal blue water will greet you on arrival! Be prepared it gets quite busy but you can walk much further down the beach to get a quiet spot. They also have lifeguards working. They don’t have any facilities on the beach so make sure you pack a picnic and some beers.
3. Lagoa Azul
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,731 reviews
Reviewed By Judamatta
It’s of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. Take goggles or rent with your tour company, it is totally worth it. You will see different types of sea life including turtles and starfish!
4. Dois Rios Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,117 reviews
Reviewed By ColleenB1778
We loved hiking to Dois Rios. It's definitely an undertaking- so be prepared. As others have said, it's about 2.5 hours each way, plus you will likely want to spend a couple hours there exploring the beach and the jail museum (free). It's a pretty strenuous hike, and though others have been able to make the trip back by boat, but they are not always available so you should be prepared to walk both ways. We tried to arrange for a boat to pick us up but the seas were too rough on that side of the island that day. The small town of Vila de Dois Rios has a small restaurant/store where you can get water/snacks. The hike was very worth it. The beach where the river meets the ocean was incredibly beautiful, and we basically had the beach to ourselves.
5. Lagoa Verde, Ilha Grande
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,962 reviews
6. Parnaioca Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 351 reviews
Reviewed By benjamindcowburn - Oxford, United Kingdom
I wanted to find a place as far from humanity as possible, with untouched nature all around. And I got it. There is nothing in Parnaioca but beach, forest and a couple of small camping areas. Marta's camping offers spaces to pitch your own tent or to rent a tent from them. They offer 3 meals a day and drinks, but if you want to carry your own food, there is a lovely little kitchen area. The trail is quite tough to reach there (it took me 5 hours from Abraão), but this weeds out the faint hearted leaving only gems of people also in love with the natural wonder there.
7. Aventureiro Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,142 reviews
Reviewed By gobindsbk1160 - Sao Paulo, Brazil
The beach is beautiful. There is a cool lookout up on a huge boulder that offers a nice view of the beach on the right side of the beach (when looking out towards the ocean) and right before it there is a path to a deck where you can swim and snorkel, lot's of nice fish to see. Also around here there is a 20m trail up to a viewpoint that has an spectacular view of the beach. Totally worth visiting, also the beach is famous for one of it's peculiar shaped palm trees, but there is so much more to it than only that.
8. Abraaozinho Beach
9. Praia da Feiticeira
10. Preta Beach
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 950 reviews
Reviewed By Sabineshelton63
An amazing place to meet nice travelers and good restaurants and live music. You can stay the whole night at the village and there will be lots of interesting thinks to do.
