Ilha Grande

From Paraty, another bus ride to Angra Dos Reis to take a boat to Ilha Grande. We accept the offer from a tallship (!!!) which leaves earlier than the regular ferry service. It takes a little longer but there's no waiting time and we enjoy the 40-minute cruise from the deck to Vila do Abraão, the only village and center of gravity of this island. Close to heaven, as the whole Ilha Grande is a State Park and free from motor traffic. In five minutes we walk to the pousada to throw our backpacks and enjoy the hammock on our terrace with an ocean view beyond the lush vegetation.


Next day it's hiking time and we take the long way to the almost deserted Dois Rios beach. About 22 Km (14 miles) round trip and 320 m (1,000 ft) climb each way. The hike unfolds on a rough road, probably the only one on the island, all the way to the military installation of Dois Rios. Visitors are registered by a friendly guard at the end of a palmtree-lined avenue upon arrival and ticked off when leaving. The remnants of a former hospital and prison host a free-admission small museum worth a visit to learn some history before heading to the beach.
Near Dois Rios, the road passes by the gracious Piscina dos Soldados (Soldiers' Pool), a natural river pool where soldiers used to take a refreshing bath. There is no boat service to this location and this equates to a pretty empty, large beach.

Another day, another hike. This time we head to Lopes Mendes beach, about two hours to reach and same for return. The trail is marked "T10" and starts right at the end of the main city beach. A line of trash cans show the starting point also leading to Abraaozinho, a small nearby beach. The trail goes through the forest and can be demanding for those - actually many seen - who wears flip-flops for the terrain is at times steep and can be slippery even without the recent rain.
The path touches the beaches of Das Palmas and Do Pouso, the latter is the least appalling but it's where boat rides take tourists to and from Abraao. An option would have been to step on a boat - fare unknown, probably around 15 Reais - to return, but we really love to exercise. The wonderful beach of Lopes Mendes has fine white sand and can't really be missed when on Ilha Grande.

Tour GPS tracklogs available here:

Abraão to Dois Rios:
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=753970
Abraão to Lopes Mendes:
http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=754612