Ilhabela, Brazil

In Ilhabela, on the way to Bonete


Manual rudder
Fisherman maneuvers a traditional boat on the rocky coast of Borrifos.
cove after cove
Coastline of the remote southwest of Ilhabela.
Cold bath
Guia Fabrício refreshes himself in the lake below the Toca waterfall.
Tropical agitation
Rough sea near Bonete beach.
Recollection
Fishermen pull a fishing boat from Bonete up the beach to protect it from the high tide.
barefoot
Fabrício guide and visitor from São Paulo cross a stream in Ilhabela.
a vegetable crown
Bromeliad thrives on a branch of the Ilhabela Atlantic Forest.
Measure
So Deitinho, owner of Pousada da Rosa, in Bonete.
Rough ramp
Hikers reach the top of a stony and green slope on the way to Bonete.
in dry dock
Bonete fishermen's boats, safe from the rising waters of the high tide.
Match Manager
So Deitinho in a colorful corner of Pousada da Rosa.
Shelter
Boat anchored off the north of Ilhabela.
Atlantic smooth
Low waves invade the sand of a cove near Bonete.
Acrobatics & Splash
Fabrício guide slides on the natural slide of the Toca waterfall.
Beach & Atlantic Forest
Sheltered cove in the south of Ilhabela, in the vicinity of the fishing village of Bonete
Acrobatics & Splash II
Fabrício guide slides on the natural slide of the Toca waterfall.
fishing beach
Small shelter used by Bonete fishermen.
A community of caiçaras descendants of pirates founded a village in a corner of Ilhabela. Despite the difficult access, Bonete was discovered and considered one of the ten best beaches in Brazil.

In the days that we had already spent in Ilhabela, the question “And Bonete, have you gone? followed by the always highly emphasized appeal

“Ah, but you have to go!. It's Wonderful!" Who were we to doubt.

The morning after the visit to the DPNY, we met at 7 am at the offices of the Archipelagus agency and left, this time with Paulo, the guide Fabrício and the São Paulo speleologist lawyer Carol.

Paulo led us in a jeep to the beginning of the trail and returned to the back, leaving us on our legs for the next four hours. Fabrício and Carol, worried about possible injuries, still carried out a gentle muscle warm-up.

Trail ramp to Bonete, Ilhabela, Brazil

Hikers reach the top of a stony and green slope on the way to Bonete.

Through the Green Trail of Atlantic forest

The path, closed by the closed Atlantic Forest, only rarely allowed a glimpse of the Atlantic. On the other hand, shortly after the departure, he presented us with the sight, always rare, of a coral snake that, despite the risk, the caiçara Fabricio made a point of introducing us by hand.

From then on, he walked and talked without haste. Despite some ups and downs, the trail was gentle and, in addition, two strategic stops were scheduled for bathing in the Lage and Areado waterfalls.

Fabrício guide at Toca waterfall, Ilhabela, Brazil

Fabrício guide slides on the natural slide of the Toca waterfall.

The first, in addition to being really refreshing, was the stage for an acrobatic exhibition by Fabrício on a polished rock slide that ended in a delicious natural pool. The second provided a few more dips and strokes and, of course, a new attack by the ubiquitous blackies.

The Areado waterfall marked the beginning of the last third of the trail that, in a short time, left the dense jungle behind and revealed, in the distance, the beach and the village of Bonete.

The Dazzling Glimpse of Bonete

The fascination exercised by Bonete in the rest of Ilhabelians and visitors is due both to the beauty of the beach – the widest on the island, at 600 meters – wild and isolated, and to the unique history of the village.

Made up of a caiçara community originally formed by Dutch pirates, Bonete only received electricity and telephone a few years ago.

Coves in the vicinity of Bonete, Ilhabela, Brazil

Coastline of the remote southwest of Ilhabela.

The connection with the rest of the island is only possible along the same trail we had traveled or, when the sea allows it, aboard the huge canoes (made from a single hollowed-out trunk) that the fishermen manage against the strong waves with unbelievable skill.

The Picturesque Town by the Sea

For programmatic reasons for the trip, the visit to Bonete had to be brief. There was time to recover energy with a dog lunch, accompanied by rice and beans at Pousada da Rosa, explored by the picturesque Sô Deitinho and his wife.

So Deotinho, Pousada da Rosa, Bonete, Ilhabela, Brazil

So Deitinho, owner of Pousada da Rosa, in Bonete.

Afterwards, he took a quick tour through the middle of the village, passing through the improvised Praça da Conversa Mole where, as the residents themselves point out, “there are fishermen, hunters and many liars and it keeps arriving more and more…”.

Soon after, we returned to the beach where the men, some who had just arrived from fishing, others from the urbanized and commercial coast of Ilhabela, gathered together the boats to protect them from the high tide that was already coming.

Fishermen in Bonete, Ilhabela, Brazil

Fishermen pull a fishing boat from Bonete up the beach to protect it from the high tide.

Against the routine of the village, Fabrício agreed with an acquaintance of our return. According to what he had informed us, we had to leave at four o'clock in the afternoon on the dot.

If this were not so, we could find a surf too powerful at the exit of the cove and, in addition, the owner of the canoe that was going to take us ran the risk of not finding someone around the beach to help pull up the vessel.

Return to the Bonança da Maré-Vazia

As such, at the appointed time, we were on board, sitting on the bottom of the canoe to stabilize it and make it easier to overcome the surf. The fisherman's experience allowed him to accurately assess the wave sequences and made us leave with relative ease.

Fisherman maneuvers boat near Bonete Beach, Ilhabela, Brazil

Fisherman maneuvers a traditional boat on the rocky coast of Borrifos

After overcoming the biggest obstacle, the rest of the trip to the mainland coast of the island was one of pure contemplation since, allies, the wind and the sea, drenched us and prevented any photographic operation.

In the late afternoon, the soft side light that fell on the island highlighted its shapes and colors that we had not yet had the pleasure of seeing from the ocean.

From Bonete to Borrifos, where we returned to land, the images of the raw insular landscape, seen from that noisy motorized canoe, are ones that we will keep in our memory for longer.

They are also ones that contributed the most to us remembering it as the Ilhabela what is.

Nzulezu, Ghana

A Village Afloat in Ghana

We depart from the seaside resort of Busua, to the far west of the Atlantic coast of Ghana. At Beyin, we veered north towards Lake Amansuri. There we find Nzulezu, one of the oldest and most genuine lake settlements in West Africa.
Passo do Lontra, Miranda, Brazil

The Flooded Brazil of Passo do Lontra

We are on the western edge of Mato Grosso do Sul but bush, on these sides, is something else. In an extension of almost 200.000 km2, the Brazil it appears partially submerged, by rivers, streams, lakes and other waters dispersed in vast alluvial plains. Not even the panting heat of the dry season drains the life and biodiversity of Pantanal places and farms like the one that welcomed us on the banks of the Miranda River.
Manaus, Brazil

The Jumps and Starts of the former World Rubber Capital

From 1879 to 1912, only the Amazon River basin generated the latex that, from one moment to another, the world needed and, out of nowhere, Manaus became one of the most advanced cities on the face of the Earth. But an English explorer took the tree to Southeast Asia and ruined pioneer production. Manaus once again proved its elasticity. It is the largest city in the Amazon and the seventh in Brazil.

Florianopolis, Brazil

The South Atlantic Azorean Legacy

During the XNUMXth century, thousands of Portuguese islanders pursued better lives in the southern confines of Brazil. In the villages they founded, traces of affinity with the origins abound.

Morro de São Paulo, Brazil

A Divine Seaside of Bahia

Three decades ago, it was just a remote and humble fishing village. Until some post-hippie communities revealed the Morro's retreat to the world and promoted it to a kind of bathing sanctuary.
Ilhabela, Brazil

Ilhabela: After Horror, the Atlantic Beauty

Ninety percent of the preserved Atlantic Forest, idyllic waterfalls and gentle, wild beaches live up to the name. But, if we go back in time, we also reveal the horrific historical facet of Ilhabela.
Miranda, Brazil

Maria dos Jacarés: the Pantanal shelters such Creatures

Eurides Fátima de Barros was born in the interior of the Miranda region. 38 years ago, he settled in a small business on the side of BR262 that crosses the Pantanal and gained an affinity with the alligators that lived on his doorstep. Disgusted that once upon a time the creatures were being slaughtered there, she began to take care of them. Now known as Maria dos Jacarés, she named each of the animals after a soccer player or coach. It also makes sure they recognize your calls.
Curitiba, Brazil

The High-Quality Life of Curitiba

It is not only the altitude of almost 1000 meters at which the city is located. Cosmopolitan and multicultural, the capital of Paraná has a quality of life and human development rating that make it a unique case in Brazil.
Sheets of Bahia, Brazil

The Swampy Freedom of Quilombo do Remanso

Runaway slaves have survived for centuries around a wetland in Chapada Diamantina. Today, the quilombo of Remanso is a symbol of their union and resistance, but also of the exclusion to which they were voted.
Goiás Velho, Brazil

A Gold Rush Legacy

Two centuries after the heyday of prospecting, lost in time and in the vastness of the Central Plateau, Goiás esteems its admirable colonial architecture, the surprising wealth that remains to be discovered there.
Brasilia, Brazil

Brasília: from Utopia to the Capital and Political Arena of Brazil

Since the days of the Marquis of Pombal, there has been talk of transferring the capital to the interior. Today, the chimera city continues to look surreal but dictates the rules of Brazilian development.
Sheets of Bahia, Brazil

Lençóis da Bahia: not Even Diamonds Are Forever

In the XNUMXth century, Lençóis became the world's largest supplier of diamonds. But the gem trade did not last as expected. Today, the colonial architecture that he inherited is his most precious possession.
Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Power Plant, Brazil

Itaipu Binational Hydroelectric Power Plant: Watt Fever

In 1974, thousands of Brazilians and Paraguayans flocked to the construction zone of the then largest dam in the world. 30 years after completion, Itaipu generates 90% of Paraguay's energy and 20% of Brazil's.
Marajó Island, Brazil

The Buffalo Island

A vessel that transported buffaloes from the India it will have sunk at the mouth of the Amazon River. Today, the island of Marajó that hosted them has one of the largest herds in the world and Brazil is no longer without these bovine animals.
Iguazu/Iguazu Falls, Brazil/Argentina

The Great Water Thunder

After a long tropical journey, the Iguaçu River gives a dip for diving. There, on the border between Brazil and Argentina, form the largest and most impressive waterfalls on the face of the Earth.
Chapada Diamantina, Brazil

Gem-stone Bahia

Until the end of the century. In the XNUMXth century, Chapada Diamantina was a land of immeasurable prospecting and ambitions. Now that diamonds are rare, outsiders are eager to discover its plateaus and underground galleries
Goiás Velho, Brazil

The Life and Work of a Marginal Writer

Born in Goiás, Ana Lins Bretas spent most of her life far from her castrating family and the city. Returning to its origins, it continued to portray the prejudiced mentality of the Brazilian countryside
Pirenópolis, Brazil

Brazilian Crusades

Christian armies expelled Muslim forces from the Iberian Peninsula in the XNUMXth century. XV but, in Pirenópolis, in the Brazilian state of Goiás, the South American subjects of Carlos Magno continue to triumph.
Pirenópolis, Brazil

A Ride of Faith

Introduced in 1819 by Portuguese priests, the Festa do Divino Espírito Santo de Pirenópolis it aggregates a complex web of religious and pagan celebrations. It lasts more than 20 days, spent mostly on the saddle.
Manaus, Brazil

Meeting the Meeting of the Waters

The phenomenon is not unique, but in Manaus it has a special beauty and solemnity. At a certain point, the Negro and Solimões rivers converge on the same Amazonas bed, but instead of immediately mixing, both flows continue side by side. As we explore these parts of the Amazon, we witness the unusual confrontation of the Encontro das Águas.
Host Wezi points out something in the distance
Beaches
Cobue; Nkwichi Lodge, Mozambique

The Hidden Mozambique of the Creaking Sands

During a tour from the bottom to the top of Lake Malawi, we find ourselves on the island of Likoma, an hour by boat from Nkwichi Lodge, the solitary base of this inland coast of Mozambique. On the Mozambican side, the lake is known as Niassa. Whatever its name, there we discover some of the most stunning and unspoilt scenery in south-east Africa.
Jabula Beach, Kwazulu Natal, South Africa
safari
Saint Lucia, South Africa

An Africa as Wild as Zulu

On the eminence of the coast of Mozambique, the province of KwaZulu-Natal is home to an unexpected South Africa. Deserted beaches full of dunes, vast estuarine swamps and hills covered with fog fill this wild land also bathed by the Indian Ocean. It is shared by the subjects of the always proud Zulu nation and one of the most prolific and diverse fauna on the African continent.
Aurora lights up the Pisang Valley, Nepal.
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 3rd- Upper Banana, Nepal

An Unexpected Snowy Aurora

At the first glimmers of light, the sight of the white mantle that had covered the village during the night dazzles us. With one of the toughest walks on the Annapurna Circuit ahead of us, we postponed the match as much as possible. Annoyed, we left Upper Pisang towards Escort when the last snow faded.
Alaskan Lumberjack Show Competition, Ketchikan, Alaska, USA
Architecture & Design
Ketchikan, Alaska

Here begins Alaska

The reality goes unnoticed in most of the world, but there are two Alaskas. In urban terms, the state is inaugurated in the south of its hidden frying pan handle, a strip of land separated from the contiguous USA along the west coast of Canada. Ketchikan, is the southernmost of Alaskan cities, its Rain Capital and the Salmon Capital of the World.
Passengers, scenic flights-Southern Alps, New Zealand
Adventure
Aoraki / Mount Cook, New Zealand

The Aeronautical Conquest of the Southern Alps

In 1955, pilot Harry Wigley created a system for taking off and landing on asphalt or snow. Since then, his company has unveiled, from the air, some of the greatest scenery in Oceania.
good buddhist advice
Ceremonies and Festivities
Chiang Mai, Thailand

300 Wats of Spiritual and Cultural Energy

Thais call every Buddhist temple wat and their northern capital has them in obvious abundance. Delivered to successive events held between shrines, Chiang Mai is never quite disconnected.
Hué, Communist City, Imperial Vietnam, Imperial Communism
Cities
Hue, Vietnam

The Red Heritage of Imperial Vietnam

It suffered the worst hardships of the Vietnam War and was despised by the Vietcong due to the feudal past. The national-communist flags fly over its walls but Hué regains its splendor.
Beverage Machines, Japan
Lunch time
Japan

The Beverage Machines Empire

There are more than 5 million ultra-tech light boxes spread across the country and many more exuberant cans and bottles of appealing drinks. The Japanese have long since stopped resisting them.
Djerbahood, Erriadh, Djerba, Mirror
Culture
Erriadh, Djerba, Tunisia

A Village Made Fleeting Art Gallery

In 2014, an ancient Djerbian settlement hosted 250 murals by 150 artists from 34 countries. The lime walls, the intense sun and the sand-laden winds of the Sahara erode the works of art. Erriadh's metamorphosis into Djerbahood is renewed and continues to dazzle.
Sport
Competitions

Man: an Ever Tested Species

It's in our genes. For the pleasure of participating, for titles, honor or money, competitions give meaning to the world. Some are more eccentric than others.
Seljalandsfoss Escape
Traveling
Iceland

The Island of Fire, Ice and Waterfalls

Europe's supreme cascade rushes into Iceland. But it's not the only one. On this boreal island, with constant rain or snow and in the midst of battle between volcanoes and glaciers, endless torrents crash.
Native Americans Parade, Pow Pow, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States
Ethnic
Albuquerque, USA

When the Drums Sound, the Indians Resist

With more than 500 tribes present, the pow wow "Gathering of the Nations" celebrates the sacred remnants of Native American cultures. But it also reveals the damage inflicted by colonizing civilization.
ice tunnel, black gold route, Valdez, Alaska, USA
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio
Got2Globe Portfolio

Sensations vs Impressions

Bathers on the threshold between the Natural Pools and the Atlantic Ocean, Porto Moniz
History
Porto Moniz e Ribeira da Janela, Madeira

A Life of Hillside, Ocean and Lava

We explore lands that are said to have been colonized, back in the 15th century, by the Algarvian Francisco Moniz, the Elder. After almost half a millennium, Porto Moniz became a popular bathing area, largely due to its pools contained in a labyrinth of lava rock.
Islands
São Nicolau, Cape Verde

Photography of Nha Terra São Nicolau

The voice of the late Cesária Verde crystallized the feeling of Cape Verdeans who were forced to leave their island. who visits São Nicolau or, wherever it may be, admires images that illustrate it well, understands why its people proudly and forever call it their land.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Winter White
PN Oulanka, Finland

A Slightly Lonesome Wolf

Jukka “Era-Susi” Nordman has created one of the largest packs of sled dogs in the world. He became one of Finland's most iconic characters but remains faithful to his nickname: Wilderness Wolf.
Baie d'Oro, Île des Pins, New Caledonia
Literature
Île-des-Pins, New Caledonia

The Island that Leaned against Paradise

In 1964, Katsura Morimura delighted the Japan with a turquoise novel set in Ouvéa. But the neighboring Île-des-Pins has taken over the title "The Nearest Island to Paradise" and thrills its visitors.
Sampo Icebreaker, Kemi, Finland
Nature
Kemi, Finland

It's No "Love Boat". Breaks the Ice since 1961

Built to maintain waterways through the most extreme arctic winter, the icebreaker Sampo” fulfilled its mission between Finland and Sweden for 30 years. In 1988, he reformed and dedicated himself to shorter trips that allow passengers to float in a newly opened channel in the Gulf of Bothnia, in clothes that, more than special, seem spacey.
Mother Armenia Statue, Yerevan, Armenia
Autumn
Yerevan, Armenia

A Capital between East and West

Heiress of the Soviet civilization, aligned with the great Russia, Armenia allows itself to be seduced by the most democratic and sophisticated ways of Western Europe. In recent times, the two worlds have collided in the streets of your capital. From popular and political dispute, Yerevan will dictate the new course of the nation.
Traveler above Jökursarlón icy lagoon, Iceland
Natural Parks
Jökursarlón Lagoon, Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland

The Faltering of Europe's King Glacier

Only in Greenland and Antarctica are glaciers comparable to Vatnajökull, the supreme glacier of the old continent. And yet, even this colossus that gives more meaning to the term ice land is surrendering to the relentless siege of global warming.
Cambodia, Angkor, Ta Phrom
UNESCO World Heritage
Ho Chi Minh a of Angkor, Cambodia

The Crooked Path to Angkor

From Vietnam onwards, Cambodia's crumbling roads and minefields take us back to the years of Khmer Rouge terror. We survive and are rewarded with the vision of the greatest religious temple
View from the top of Mount Vaea and the tomb, Vailima village, Robert Louis Stevenson, Upolu, Samoa
Characters
Upolu, Samoa

Stevenson's Treasure Island

At age 30, the Scottish writer began looking for a place to save him from his cursed body. In Upolu and the Samoans, he found a welcoming refuge to which he gave his heart and soul.
amazing
Beaches

Amberris Caye, Belize

Belize's Playground

Madonna sang it as La Isla Bonita and reinforced the motto. Today, neither hurricanes nor political strife discourage VIP and wealthy vacationers from enjoying this tropical getaway.

Solovestsky Autumn
Religion
Solovetsky Islands, Russia

The Mother Island of the Gulag Archipelago

It hosted one of Russia's most powerful Orthodox religious domains, but Lenin and Stalin turned it into a gulag. With the fall of the USSR, Solovestky regains his peace and spirituality.
Chepe Express, Chihuahua Al Pacifico Railway
On Rails
Creel to Los Mochis, Mexico

The Barrancas del Cobre & the CHEPE Iron Horse

The Sierra Madre Occidental's relief turned the dream into a construction nightmare that lasted six decades. In 1961, at last, the prodigious Chihuahua al Pacifico Railroad was opened. Its 643km cross some of the most dramatic scenery in Mexico.
Society
Military

Defenders of Their Homelands

Even in times of peace, we detect military personnel everywhere. On duty, in cities, they fulfill routine missions that require rigor and patience.
Daily life
Arduous Professions

the bread the devil kneaded

Work is essential to most lives. But, certain jobs impose a degree of effort, monotony or danger that only a few chosen ones can measure up to.
Sheep and hikers in Mykines, Faroe Islands
Wildlife
Mykines, Faroe Islands

In the Faeroes FarWest

Mykines establishes the western threshold of the Faroe archipelago. It housed 179 people but the harshness of the retreat got the better of it. Today, only nine souls survive there. When we visit it, we find the island given over to its thousand sheep and the restless colonies of puffins.
The Sounds, Fiordland National Park, New Zealand
Scenic Flights
Fiordland, New Zealand

The Fjords of the Antipodes

A geological quirk made the Fiordland region the rawest and most imposing in New Zealand. Year after year, many thousands of visitors worship the sub-domain slashed between Te Anau and Milford Sound.