Brazil > Ilha Grande

In the hotel patio, at the edge of the pool, the breakfast buffet is ready. A fine buffet with different kinds of bread, yogurt, fruit, and coffee. This is one of the better buffets. I can take my time because we don’t leave until half past eight. Strangely, during this holiday I’m usually awake between six and seven o’clock. By bus, we drive along the coast toward Rio de Janeiro. However, we won’t get that far today. At Angra, the driver drops us off at the harbor. From here, we take the boat to the island of Ilha Grande. We’re a bit early. The boat doesn’t leave until eleven o’clock. In the harbor, I see the fishing boats sailing. Frigate birds fly elegantly above the harbor, hoping to catch a fish. Our group is allowed to board first. The luggage is placed on the seats. Then we fill the rows from the back of the boat. As soon as a row is full—three seats on the left and three on the right—the aisle is filled with our luggage. It all barely fits. The boat has two large 300 hp engines. Just outside the harbor, the skipper accelerates. At full speed, the boat heads to Ilha Grande. Unfortunately, the edges of the boat are too high to see anything, and because of the piled-up luggage, there is no room to move and look around. Luckily, the trip doesn’t take long. After half an hour, the boat docks at the pier of Abraão. This beachside village is the main place on the island. The entire island is car-free. Apart from the ambulance and garbage truck, there is no motorized traffic. I walk to my hotel. The hotel is right on the boulevard and the beach. I have a view of the bay. After lunch on the beach, I go for the Abraão circuit trail walk. A short walk to Pacao, a natural water pool, remains of an aqueduct, and the ruins of the Lazareto prison.

Brazil - Arrival on the island Ilha Grande

From the aqueduct, there is also a path to the Feiticeira waterfall. It is not exactly clear how far the waterfall is. Since we must be back at the hotel by half past four, we decide to walk halfway there. The path steadily goes uphill. However, it is much more accessible than yesterday’s trail. After about twenty minutes of walking on the path, we still don’t see or hear a waterfall. To avoid being late, we decide to turn back. Via Praia Preita, the black beach formed by minerals, we walk back to Abraão. Late in the afternoon, I go kayaking. Martin welcomes me and explains how the boat works. Two wooden canoes have been converted into a catamaran canoe by attaching two wooden beams. There are six of us in the boat. It is important to paddle evenly, Martin explains during the briefing on the beach. Together, we lift the double canoe and push it into the water. We paddle the boat through the surf. The sun has already set behind the mountains. From Abraão bay, we cannot see the sun set into the sea. Martin points to the clouds above the island. He says the weather is changing and the wind is picking up. To be safe, he steers the boat along the edges of the bay. We pass several beaches and nicely located restaurants. On the way back, we have to paddle harder. We are going against the wind. We paddle twenty strokes on each side, then switch sides. Counting out loud, we maneuver the canoe back to the beach.

Brazil - Canoeing with a catamaran in the bay

It is practically dark by now. The moon is still behind the mountains. On the other side of the bay, at Praia Preita, the black beach, we dock. We lift the canoe over the narrow beach into the riverbed. I also walked here this afternoon. Now everything is dark. Fireflies make dancing movements in the trees. What a beautiful sight in the dark with only natural sounds around us. Back at sea, it is completely dark now. We go searching for plankton. The plankton glows when it is dark. Especially behind the island, out of sight of the boulevard restaurant lights, this phenomenon is clearly visible. We paddle the canoes back to the beach. Together, we lift the boat back onto the shore. A fun activity. Martin took photos with his GoPro. I’m curious about the results.