Things to Do in Ilha Grande, Brazil’s Island Paradise

Brazil having amazing beaches is no secret, but who was hiding Ilha Grande from me all these years?! 

This island three to four hours away from Rio de Janeiro is hiding some seriously out of this world beaches. Like, insanely turquoise water, with golden sand, and dense jungle hugging the coast, out of this world. 

I spent a few days here with my husband on our honeymoon after getting married in Rio de Janeiro, and those few days were not nearly enough. 

Ilha Grande’s 75 square miles are mostly made up of dense rainforest, and the island is mostly undeveloped, with just one main town, Abraão, and few actual roads. So if beach-hopping by boat, rainforest hikes, and secluded islands sounds good to you, then you’re in for a trip of a lifetime.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through all the best things to do in Ilha Grande, from the best beaches (including Lopes Mendes of course, which is considered one of the most beautiful in the world), must-do hikes, and snorkeling spots, plus all the logistics you need to plan a seamless trip into paradise.

How to get to Lopes Mendes

You have two options to get here from Abraão, the main town on Ilha Grande: a 20-minute boat ride + a quick hike, or a full, roughly three-hour hike.

Let’s break them down:

Tips for hiking to Lopes Mendes:

⏰Leave in the morning — since you’ll probably want to take a boat back instead of hiking, you want to make sure you’re leaving yourself enough time to actually enjoy the beach, and then hike 15 minutes to Pouso, another beach where the boat picks you up. The last boat back to Abraão left Pouso at 5 p.m., at least during the winter when I visited.

👟Wear sneakers — it’s a moderately challenging hike, with lots of uneven, slippery ground.

☂️Bring rain gear — Weather is super moody in Ilha Grande, so you want to be prepared.

🌊Bring lots of water — It was pretty chilly when I visited, but you don’t want to underestimate how much water you’ll need for a longer hike like this.

Visit other Best Beaches in Iha Grande

Lopes Mendes is the biggest and most jaw-dropping beach, but Ilha Grande has so many unbelievably gorgeous spots, especially if you like quiet, tucked away beaches (and who doesn’t).

Here are my favorites:

• Lagoa Verde — A rocky beach with unbelievably green water, giant boulders, and mountains framing the water. We visited as part of a boat tour.
• Abraãozinho — Quiet, secluded, and 10/10 beautiful, seriously one of the most underrated Ilha Grande beaches!
• Praia da Julia — stop here on the way to Abraãozinho!
• Palmas — A spacious beach that’s also super scenic with forests framing the coast.
• Praia do Pouso — This beach is just 15 minutes away from Lopes Mendes, has golden sand and super turquoise water

Specific stops will vary slightly depending on which tour you go with, but this was our route:

• Blue Lagoon — A snorkeling spot, it was beautiful, but had super cold water.
• Green Lagoon — A gorgeous beach with green water that’s also popular for snorkeling. It was pretty small which made it feel crowded though, and the sand was pretty rocky, so it wasn’t super ideal for relaxing or hanging out for a while.
• Maguariqueçaba Beach (stopped here for lunch, which was not included in the tour price)
• Praia de Feiticeira — This small but scenic small beach had warm water, and had an açai/drink stand. I had a particularly amazing caipirinha here. Most importantly, we also saw a penguin here which was super random but made my life.

You can check out options on GetYourGuide, or just do what we did, and book directly with one of the many vendors you’ll see in Abraão. Most will likely include the Blue and Green Lagoons, and prices should be fairly similar across the board for a handful of stops.

Just remember to bring a jacket! The smaller boats go really fast, and it can be uncomfortably windy.

~30 minutes: Preta Beach

We followed this super easy trail the afternoon we arrived in Ilha Grande. It’s perfect for starting to get your bearings around Abraão and when you don’t have much time. It leads to a small but beautiful beach that has some black sand (based on the name, “Black Beach,” I was expecting a bit more, but it was still beautiful.)

Around here you can also see a former prison, which actually first opened as a hospital in the late 1800s. Immigrants coming to Brazil were forced to quarantine here before being able to move on to Rio or other cities. 

In 1930, it was repurposed into a prison to house political prisoners during the Getuilo Vargas dictatorship, and then again during the military dictatorship that began in the ‘60s. It’s now been abandoned since the ‘90s, and honestly, it looks pretty creepy, so I didn’t investigate too much.

→ To do this hike, start facing the pier in Abraão, and just turn left. You’ll see a couple signs along the way, although they were not super informative, to be honest, but it’s an easy trail to follow. 

~40 minutes to 1 hour: Abraãozinho

This hike was an unexpected detour when we got lost trying to hike to Lopes Mendes — but it ended up being one of my favorite beaches! 

→ Start at Che Legarto Hostel, and follow the trail. Keep going past Praia Julia, then you’ll pass Praia da Biquinha, then you’ll reach Abraãozinho.

~2 hours: Palmas Beach

Although this beach is often seen as a stop between Lopes Mendes, it’s so gorgeous, and worth it on its own. There’s a cute restaurant here too, and it’s fairly spacious but still quiet, making it the perfect relaxing spot.

→ Begin at Che Lagarto Hostel, and before you get to Praia Julia, turn right into the forest, away from the water. You’ll see a couple signs pointing you toward Palmas/Lopes Mendes. The very end of this hike is a little bit more challenging, but nothing too bad.

~3 hours: Lopes Mendes

→ Follow the trail to Palmas Beach, then walk to the end of the beach, where you’ll see a sign pointing you toward Lopes Mendes. The trail is easy to follow. 

~3 hours: Cachoeira da Feiticeira

I so wish I had time for this one! This trail leads to a nearly 50-foot waterfall. There’s over 1,000 feet of elevation gain, and it’s considered fairly difficult. Keep going an extra 20-30 minutes and you’ll hit Feiticeira Beach, where I did stop briefly on a boat tour.

→ Get trail info on AllTrails.

~ 6 hours: Pico do Papagaio

I didn’t have time for this one, but it leads to one of the island’s highest points, taking 3 hours each way.

→ It seems like lots of people opt to go with a tour guide — check out this option on Tripadvisor.

Go Snorkeling in Ilha Grande

These two spots I visited (on the boat tour) are both considered beginner-friendly snorkeling sites: 

• Lagoa Azul/Blue Lagoon — This beautiful area with crystalline water is known for having colorful fish. Our boat stopped at an area in the middle of the water that was shallow enough to stand. I tried snorkeling super briefly, but honestly, the water was freezing here!
• Lagoa Verde/Green Lagoon — One of the prettiest beaches we visited is also a popular snorkeling area. Some people have even seen turtles!

We brought our own snorkeling gear from home, but some tours may provide what you need.

Try Local Restaurants

You’ll find the most spots concentrated in Abraão — at the beaches scattered around the island, you may find one restaurant, or nothing at all. 

Restaurants were all-in-all pricier than I was used to coming from Rio, which makes sense on account of it being an island with not many options. 

Seafood is unsurprisingly super popular here, and while you could find a handful of diverse cuisines in Abraão, most places serve traditional Brazilian food.

Here’s where I tried:

• Restaurante Canaan (Abraão — We had some seafood here, and got to sit right in front of the ocean, on the sand. The service was pretty slow so save this place for when you’re not in a rush.
• La Parrilha (Abraão) — An Argentinian-style steakhouse, everything we tried was 10/10. Entrees ranged from 70 to 120 BRL without sides.
• Badjeco (Abraão) — A seafood restaurant, I got a plate of fried fish with rice, beans, and salad, and my husband had a sandwich. Nothing mind-blowing but it was tasty and I felt like it was good value for the price.
• Pérolas do Mar Restaurante (Maguariqueçaba Beach) — This was a stop during our boat tour, we had some delicious moqueca, a seafood stew, here.
• Marola Flutuante (Pouso Beach) — Kind of pricey, but had some top notch seafood
• Bonito Bar (Praia Julia) — We had a couple of mini burgers and drinks.

Best places to stay in Ilha Grande

Abraão is the main — and pretty much only — town in Ilha Grande, so this is where you’ll want to stay if you want access to the most food options and other amenities. 

There are some pousadas (inns) throughout the island though, if you want a more remote experience. We wanted to do this for a couple of nights but we waited too long to book anything so it didn’t work out – so book early if you’d like to do this! 

Instead, we ended up staying at two different pousadas in Abraão.  

Pousada Albatroz

We stayed at Pousada Albatroz for our first couple of nights. Here’s what I loved: 

• This place was super cute, and I loved the rustic, woodsy vibe. 
• The rooms were all individual cabins, which was cool.
• It was really peaceful and quiet, since it’s a little bit away from the main street in Abraão (up a little hill, which was a bit tiring with our luggage). 
• The breakfast was also really delicious, too. It was a buffet with varied options, and all felt fresh.
• The staff was super kind and helpful.
• We didn’t need to use it, but rooms do have A/C. 

What I didn’t love: 

• We booked the chalet, which was the smallest (ie most affordable) option, and it was in fact a little cramped with our suitcase. It wasn’t a huge deal since we didn’t spend much time in the room, but would’ve been nice to have a bit more space.
• I struggled to get hot water in the shower, which was upsetting, especially since the weather was kind of cold and rainy when we were there. I didn’t catch any reviews mentioning this (and the description on Booking even specifically mentions “hot” showers) so I’m not sure if I was just unlucky, but it’s worth mentioning! 

Final takeaway: I’d give it an 7.5/10, perfect for a quiet accommodation to sleep and fuel up before exploring the island.

🌴 Craving a peaceful island stay surrounded by nature? Book your cozy cabin at Pousada Albatroz before it fills up!

Pousada e Restaurante O Pescador

We ended up at Pousada e Restaurante o Pescador kind of accidentally, but it ended up being so great! 

What I loved:

• It’s literally right across the street overlooking the beach. Get a room with a balcony and sea view — it’s so worth it!
• A delicious breakfast that was actually made to order. Upon arrival, we were given a sheet with lots of options, and we just selected all the things we wanted. There were so many choices, and everything was so delicious!
• The room was comfortable and spacious
• The shower was a tad weird to operate but I got hot water this time!

What I didn’t love:

• Since it’s right on the main street, it’s not the quietest. There was some noise at night, but it wasn’t a huge deal honestly.

🌅 Imagine sipping your morning coffee overlooking the sea — make it happen at Pousada e Restaurante O Pescador!