Ilha Grande - Living The Island Life

My penultimate stop in Brazil brought me to Ilha Grande - an island just a 1.5h car ride away from Paraty. The plan for my stay here was to explore the island, its beaches, go diving and to live it up on a boat party.

The main town on the island is nothing special, but has this typical island life atmosphere - i.e. sandy paths, no cars, small shops and restaurants with live music playing.

So, after a day of exploring, I booked a tour to one of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil - Praia Lopes Mendez.

After a short boat ride and a 20-30 minute walk through the jungle, I arrived on the beach. It was absolutely gorgeous. Wide with white sand that stretches for seemingly miles. Since I took an early boat, there was hardly anyone there. This is my kind of beach.

I walked along the beach to find a quiet spot away from the few people that were already there, put up my tripod and started to take a few shots as long as I had that particular part of the beach to myself. Afterwards, I didn't really do much, but read a book, strolled along the beach for a while, watched the lifeguards and just enjoyed this beautiful place.

Next on my wishlist for Ilha Grande was a dive. Very cheap for two dives (€60), two other divers and I set off early in the morning to go diving in the Laguna Azul (Blue Lagoon). The water was blue and clear and the two dives that we had were great. I knew they wouldn't be spectacular (no sharks or shipwrecks), but we saw turtles, colourful fish, some corals and a little seahorse (my first time seeing one). So for me, the dive was as much as I could hope for and it delivered.

One my last full day on the island, I joined a party boat that included literally 4-5h of unlimited Caipirinha while sailing through the island's surroundings and towards 3-4 gorgeous spots. On top of it, there was an entertainer dressed as Jack Sparrow and a good DJ that together created a very lively atmosphere. In addition, 95% of the boat was Brazilian, which means good times are almost guaranteed. It was easy to make friends even if I don't really speak Portuguese, but after an hour of free Caipirinhas everyone was fluent in every language.

During the stops, we jumped into the water, danced on the boat and just enjoyed life. I have to say that Brazilians really know how to have a good time while keeping it all light, fun and with lots of laughs. I have to admit that the Caipirinha got to me at the end and when we went back on land at around 5.30pm, I wasn't doing much for the rest of the evening.

It was a great end to my time on Ilha Grande. Even though the beach, the dive and the party boat were superb, I didn't really connect with the island. Maybe it was because the hostel I stayed in was pretty dead and didn't have any vibe whatsoever. That said, I think with the right people, Ilha Grande can be an absolute blast!Read more