One of the best things you can do in the UNESCO World Heritage city of Paraty is take a party boat tour of Paraty Bay. You’ll have the chance to go swimming in the warm waters of the Atlantic while sipping caipirinhas, enjoying the sun, and meeting friendly people.
Every May for three days, the UNESCO World Heritage city of Paraty turns into the jazz capital of the world. The Bourbon Festival is an international music festival featuring jazz, blues, R&B, and soul artists from all over the world. All concerts are completely free, and street musicians perform all over town.
Paraty (pronounced para-CHEE) is an open-air museum of Portuguese colonialism in Brazil. Wandering the cobblestone streets, visiting the art galleries and shops, and eating at one of the many good restaurants in town is well worth a visit for a day.
The longest and best boat tour I took on Ilha Grande, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the full island tour (Volta à Ilha). It takes visitors around the entire island in a speedboat, beginning and ending at Vila do Abraão. In my opinion, this boat tour stopped at the most beautiful beaches on the island. It should cost about R$220 (as of June 2024).
On Ilha Grande, a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the most popular and cheapest activities is to take a boat to Lopes Mendes Beach (Praia Lopes Mendes). It’s considered the most beautiful beach on the island – a 3km stretch of white sand beach with strong waves.
The most exhausting thing I did on Ilha Grande, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was to go hiking on one of the many trails through the rain forest. I took trail T10, which begins just outside the Aquário Hostel in Vila do Abraão. The trail ends at Pouso Beach (Praia do Pouso), where it’s possible to pick up trail T11 to Lopes Mendes Beach (Praia Lopes Mendes).
A nice boat tour I took on Ilha Grande, a UNESCO World Heritage site, was the half island tour (Meia Volta). It took me to a few of the beaches and coves on the bay side of the island to the north.
There is one main settlement on the Brazilian island of Ilha Grande, Vila do Abraão. It has a lot of restaurants (some on the beach), stores, a laundromat, and small clinic.
Ilha Grande is an island just a few hours away from Rio de Janeiro, but a completely different world. There are no cars, no banks (so bring plenty of cash!), and dirt roads. The island is a lush green tropical paradise full of hiking trails and empty beaches, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. (UPDATE: a Caixa ATM machine has been installed at Vila do Abraão)
Angra dos Reis is the main hub for boats to Ilha Grande. I got a bus to the town from Rio de Janeiro, walked from the bus station to the docks, and got on a boat to Ilha Grande within a few minutes. That didn’t leave me with much time to see the town, but I was able to at least observe a lot during my 15 minute walk from the bus station.