Ilha Grande

We spent a few days on the stunning island of Ihla Grande. This is an island off the coast of Rio and has no cars. Only walking, biking, and boating are used for transportation. This gives a very peaceful vibe to the area. We spent time walking the town and exploring the beaches along the coast.

My favourite day here was a day boating tour of the surrounding islands. This was a snorkeling tour so I was so hyped as this was my first time snorkeling. Our first stop was Cataguás. These were two islands connected by a small beach. We walked around the beach and then snorkeled around the island. Here we saw flounder fish, small star fish, a butterfly looking fish, and a few other types of fish. Our second stop was Botinas island. This was an island surrounded by deep water. This allowed us to see even more marine life than before. We saw massive star fish, these massive blue and yellow fish, a cool yellow and black striped fish, and more. The best part of this island was how deep it was. You look below you and there was fish as far as the eye could see. It was such a beautiful spot! Our third stop was a stunning beach called Dentista. Here we had a picnic lunch and just walked up and down the beach. We also went for a lovely swim in the crystal clear waters. Our final island stop was Lagoa Azul. This was an amazing snorkeling spot that was also so deep. We saw lots more fish, sand dollars, beautiful coral and my favourite of the day... A SEA TURTLE!!! This was one of the most special moments on the trip. As someone who has always loved the water and the ocean, this was a dream come true. To swim so close to a beautiful sea turtle in natural habitat was just incredible. I swam alongside it for about 5 mins before I had to go back to the boat. There was one moment where it swam to the surface for air and then dove deeper below me. I was swimming on top of it looking down on it and honestly was one of the most beautiful experiences in nature. We didn't have an underwater camera so I can't show all the amazing things we saw but just know it was an incredible experience! Our final stop was at a small beach where you could get food. Here we tried a coconut which was yummy! Overall a very special day at a very beautiful island!Read more