There isn’t much to see or do in Ubatuba. There’s the Ubatuba Aquarium (Aquário de Ubatuba) which is an aquarium geared towards children, and the headquarters of an organization that protects sea turtles in Brazil, Projeto Tamar. In addition, it’s possible to visit a local Caiçara community. The Caiçara are people of mixed Portuguese and indigenous descent who have been living a traditional life for nearly 400 years.
A great day trip from Paraty took me to the nearby village of Trindade. The village itself has just one road going through town lined with restaurants and small pousadas, but the beaches around the town are incredible. Trindade is surrounded by national park land part of Serra da Bocaina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, making it a very undeveloped place.
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.
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.
A popular day trip from Búzios takes visitors to a quick stop at the popular resort of Cabo Frio, and on a great boat ride to one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil at Arraial do Cabo. This entry focuses on Cabo Frio.