Ilhabela, Brazil

Ilhabela: After Horror, the Atlantic Beauty


Gentle Coast
I figure on the beach at Curral, on the west coast of Ilhabela.
Castelhanos beach
One of the most emblematic beaches in Ilhabela, for its beauty and its terrible past.
White water
Água Branca waterfall, one of the most visible and gentle in Ilhabela.
Ilhabela
Pedregoso islet off the west coast of Ilhabela.
Brazil, Brazilian
A patriot-painted schooner anchored off Jabaquara beach.
Waterfall orientation
Arrows indicate the direction of two of the most popular waterfalls in Ilhabela.
to the line
Fishermen try their luck on Corral beach.
Crustacean Lookout
Crab alert on a dark sand of Ilhabela.
Amphibious crossing
Jeep crosses a shallow stream on its way to Castelhanos beach.
fearless business
"Borrachudo" Sandwich Shop sign honors the most hated insect in Ilhabela.
Marine Prospecting
Children catch bivalves near the Ilhabela Nautical Center.
tight sand
Beach with narrow sand, on the west coast of Ilhabela.
elegant threat
Coral snake, one of the most photogenic and dangerous species in the Atlantic Forest of Ilhabela.
bathing twilight
Silhouette on a terrace at Praia do Curral.
Furious speed
Speedboat travels through the calm waters of the São Sebastião channel.
Nautical Shelter
Vessels anchored around the Ilhabela Nautical Center.
Minimal Lighthouse
The Ponta das Canas lighthouse, which guides navigation in the Northwest of Ilhabela.
Golden Coast
Praia do Curral, with the mountains of the interior of Ilhabela in the background.
Bathing reunion
The Ades family lives together on the sandy beach of Jabaquara beach.
Atlantic and Atlantic Forest
One of Ilhabela's many wild beaches.
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.

As the jeep struggled up the muddy road, Alexandre underlined in a genuine Brazilian caiçara: “This is nothing now. You would have to see Ilhabela in the summer. Sometimes there is a line of vehicles stuck and no one else can go forward.”

This is just one of the rebellious facets of Ilhabela. Above the height of 200 meters, the luxury villas, like any other type of housing, are left behind and give way to a steep wilderness and dense vegetation where anything is possible.

The demarcation of the State Park protected the forest from human invasion, with the exception of the caravans of 4WD vehicles that take visitors to the Atlantic side, to the Baía dos Castelhanos, a painful crossing of first up and then down which is made in approx. two hours.

Jeep crosses river, Ilhabela, Brazil

Jeep crosses a shallow stream on its way to Castelhanos beach

A Beautiful and Vast Island

It's May. The charged clouds pass at great speed over Pico de São Sebastião (1378m), the highest elevation on Ilhabela. Despite this, the sun had room to shine and it has been a long time since the tropical rains of December, January and February, responsible for the chaos of off-road traffic described by the guide, have fallen.

With an area of ​​340 km2, Ilhabela is the largest island off the coast of the Brazil. It is part of a homonymous archipelago to which the islands of Búzios, Vitória, and the islets of Pescadores, Sumítica, Serraria, Cabras, Figueira, Castelhanos, Lagoa and Anchovas belong.

Its volcanic origins are clearly marked in a majestic and abrupt topography which, due to its position, just below the Tropic of Capricorn, is covered by a lush green mantle that hides dozens of crystalline streams and around 360 waterfalls.

Água Branca Waterfall, Ilhabela, Brazil

Água Branca Waterfall, one of the most visible and gentlest of Ilhabela

From Tupi-Guarani to Portuguese settlers

In pre-discovery times, these lands were the domain of Tupi-Guarani tribes, as evidenced by the proliferation of Indian place-names such as Pacoíba, Baepí, Pirabura, Pirassununga (exactly, the famous cachaça!), Jabaquara, Perequê, Itaquanduba, Itaguaçu, Cocaia , Guarapocaia, Piava, Piavú, Pequeá, Parrot, Itapecerica, Sepituba etc. etc. etc.

The colonial history of Ilhabela began when the members of the first expedition sent by Portugal to the Land of Santa Cruz arrived in Maembipe on January 20, 1502, the day consecrated by the Church to São Sebastião. It was this expedition that renamed the island of Maembipe with the name of the saint, but changed little else.

It was only in 1608, 106 years later, that the first colonists and slaves were established, transported there to feed an intense slave traffic or to work in the cultivation of sugar cane and the consequent production of cachaça.

Both activities made the fortune of the overseers and lords of Ilhabela, a wealth that can be witnessed, even today, in the size and sumptuousness of some manor houses, such as the one on the Fazenda do Engenho d'Água.

Since its discovery by the Portuguese until the XNUMXth century, the waters around Ilhabela were intensively patrolled by European and, later, Argentine adventurers, corsairs and pirates. Among the most famous were the English Francis Drake, Thomas Cavendish and Anthony Knivet.

Another regular customer was the French Duguay Trouin.

Schooner off Jabaquara Beach, Ilhabela, Brazil

A patriot-painted schooner anchored off Jabaquara beach.

The Horrific History of Ilhabela

As a result of attacks or due to a treacherous sea that the ancient sailors said had a magnetic field that deceived the instruments of course, the area became known as the Bermuda Triangle of South America.

Dozens of sunken vessels of the most varied types lie around Ilhabela, many of which are victims of shipwrecks as recent as the luxury liner “prince of Asturias”, in 1916, or the English “Crest“In 1982. 

The very beach where we were heading now – Castelhanos – as well as two others located right next to it, were named according to one of the many maritime terror stories that, contrary to its name, were associated with the island.

As the locals say, the Castilians were the castaways who washed ashore after the sinking of the boat they were following. As if that wasn't enough, the blood they shed when they were thrown against the rocks gave rise to Praia Vermelha and, some time later, most of the decomposing bodies were found in what is now Praia da Caveira.

Currently, if we leave out the oil tankers that visually pollute the São Sebastião channel and the caiçara fishermen's canoes, most of the boats that circulate around Ilhabela are recreational. They provide moments of pure leisure, not drama.

Ilhabela Nautical Center, Brazil

Vessels anchored around the Ilhabela Nautical Center

A popular refuge from São Paulo

Thanks to the strong wind that runs through the São Sebastião Channel, Ilhabela is the Brazilian capital of sailing. Every year, it hosts several national and international competitions of this sport and hosts hundreds of sailboats in its marina, as well as many motorized boats of all sizes and shapes.

Ilhabela is a kind of insular playground of the Paulistas with more possessions. From time to time there is seen, over the São Sebastião channel, another helicopter of a VIP, such as the famous presenter Ana Maria Braga and the actress Regina Duarte who have vacation mansions on the island.

The couple who accompanied us, jolting, in the back of the jeep were much better off and from the poor surroundings of São Paulo, but, using the savings and hospitality of some local friends, they also had the right to a few days at one of the divine retreats of the state. 

The two hours passed with the most varied conversations including explanations about the local fauna. As always happens in Brazil, once again, we hear legends of jaguars and ocelots that roam the local jungle, seeing them is no way to think.

The winding road, this one, already on its descending route, finally revealed, through the mesh of vines, the emerald waters of the bay.

Praia dos Castelhanos, Ilhabela, Brazil

One of the most emblematic beaches in Ilhabela, for its beauty and its terrible past.

From there to the white sand it only took a few minutes and, in a short time, we were climbing to a makeshift viewpoint on one of the bay's slopes to appreciate and photograph the so famous heart shape of the beach.

This was followed by a dip, with a few strokes of the mix and, soon after, a simple but rewarding lunch in one of the humble local restaurants.

The next day, we exchanged the jeep's jolts for the rocking of a schooner. In the relaxed fashion of Brazil, the departure, which was scheduled for 9.30, was delayed.

The reason: “the guy who had been bringing the drinks never showed up again”.

The Adés Family Reunion

Fortunately, at the village dock, the Adés family – who were in a kind of diaspora for professional reasons and had chartered the boat for a trip to commemorate their reunion – was as late or later than the guy in charge of the drinks.

Family reunion at Jabaquara beach, Ilhabela, Brazil

Family together live on the sandy beach of Jabaquara

So, the only ones to wait were us and the crew, but considering that Commander Marcos took advantage of the dead time to unwind his inexhaustible knowledge about Ilhabela, navigation in general and the local weather, no one was left to lose.

Once the drinks and the little ice that was left there, we took the Adés family and headed north, along the coast, towards another of the island's scenic charms: Jabaquara beach.

Along the way, some of the key points of the northern part of the island followed one another, such as Praia da Armação, the Ponta das Canas lighthouse and Praia da Pacuíba.

The scenery became greener and more natural as we advanced along the north coast and, after skirting an imposing rocky inlet, we came across the small cove that protects the beach.

With its brownish-yellow sands and a leafy row of coconut trees, Jabaquara left the Adés so pleased with their return that some family members (the younger ones, of course) didn't even wait for the schooner to drop anchor and the boat to take them to the beach, to kill their nostalgias. . They simply dove and went swimming.

Jabaquara is a beach that delights any visitor but, as with the other 38 and other natural attractions of Ilhabela, it charges a high price, in bites.

Rubber sandwich shop sign

“Borrachudo” Sandwich Shop Sign pays homage to Ilhabela's most hated insect

The rubbery - a tiny but persistent vampire insect – it is a constant in life in Ilhabela, to the point where, in the village, there is a sandwich shop named in its honor.

During any visit to the island, either one reinforces the repellent layer with unerring regularity, or prepares the mind for days of itching and more itching.  

The natives have long opted for the second option and are so prepared that they no longer care. Don't think about achieving this karma within a few days of visiting. It's something you conquer over time. A long time.

South Coast: Interior Beauty but Mainly the Coast

Since we were staying on the coast facing Brazil, the only one with a paved road (which we traveled more than once a day) and after the tours we had already done, we clearly needed to explore the south of Ilhabela. That was the next plan to carry out.

The next day, we left early and went to take a look at the section that was from the ferry port down. With a much nicer look than the area to the north, there are small beaches or mere coves without sand: Praia da Feiticeira, Praia do Julião, Praia Grande, Praia do Curral.

Figure at Praia do Curral, Ilhabela, Brazil

I figure on the beach at Curral, on the west coast of Ilhabela.

To the opposite side, the scenery is grand. Imposing peaks that give way to long slopes lined with majestic trees.

Interestingly, the grandiose is also harmonious in this area of ​​the island. Something that not only the haughty domain of the lush mountains explains.

There are also the chapels overlooking the sea, the narrow road that seems to be swallowed up by vegetation at any moment and the discreet but friendly presence of Ilha das Cabras.

It's all this but so much more. We would still have to walk to the nearby fishing village of Bonete.

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

In Ilhabela, on the way to Bonete

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.
Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique, Wildlife, lions
Safari
NP Gorongosa, Mozambique

The Wild Heart of Mozambique shows Signs of Life

Gorongosa was home to one of the most exuberant ecosystems in Africa, but from 1980 to 1992 it succumbed to the Civil War waged between FRELIMO and RENAMO. Greg Carr, Voice Mail's millionaire inventor received a message from the Mozambican ambassador to the UN challenging him to support Mozambique. For the good of the country and humanity, Carr pledged to resurrect the stunning national park that the Portuguese colonial government had created there.
Young people walk the main street in Chame, Nepal
Annapurna (circuit)
Annapurna Circuit: 1th - Pokhara a Chame, Nepal

Finally, on the way

After several days of preparation in Pokhara, we left towards the Himalayas. The walking route only starts in Chame, at 2670 meters of altitude, with the snowy peaks of the Annapurna mountain range already in sight. Until then, we complete a painful but necessary road preamble to its subtropical base.
shadow vs light
Architecture & Design
Kyoto, Japan

The Kyoto Temple Reborn from the Ashes

The Golden Pavilion has been spared destruction several times throughout history, including that of US-dropped bombs, but it did not withstand the mental disturbance of Hayashi Yoken. When we admired him, he looked like never before.
Era Susi towed by dog, Oulanka, Finland
Adventure
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.
Jumping forward, Pentecost Naghol, Bungee Jumping, Vanuatu
Ceremonies and Festivities
Pentecost Island, Vanuatu

Pentecost Naghol: Bungee Jumping for Real Men

In 1995, the people of Pentecostes threatened to sue extreme sports companies for stealing the Naghol ritual. In terms of audacity, the elastic imitation falls far short of the original.
Executives sleep subway seat, sleep, sleep, subway, train, Tokyo, Japan
Cities
Tokyo, Japan

Tokyo's Hypno-Passengers

Japan is served by millions of executives slaughtered with infernal work rates and sparse vacations. Every minute of respite on the way to work or home serves them for their inemuri, napping in public.
Meal
Markets

A Market Economy

The law of supply and demand dictates their proliferation. Generic or specific, covered or open air, these spaces dedicated to buying, selling and exchanging are expressions of life and financial health.
Bolshoi Zayatski Orthodox Church, Solovetsky Islands, Russia.
Culture
Bolshoi Zayatsky, Russia

Mysterious Russian Babylons

A set of prehistoric spiral labyrinths made of stones decorate Bolshoi Zayatsky Island, part of the Solovetsky archipelago. Devoid of explanations as to when they were erected or what it meant, the inhabitants of these northern reaches of Europe call them vavilons.
4th of July Fireworks-Seward, Alaska, United States
Sport
Seward, Alaska

The Longest 4th of July

The independence of the United States is celebrated, in Seward, Alaska, in a modest way. Even so, the 4th of July and its celebration seem to have no end.
Manatee Creek, Florida, United States of America
Traveling
Florida Keys, USA

The Caribbean Stepping Stone of the USA

Os United States continental islands seem to close to the south in its capricious peninsula of Florida. Don't stop there. More than a hundred islands of coral, sand and mangroves form an eccentric tropical expanse that has long seduced American vacationers.
Cobá, trip to the Mayan Ruins, Pac Chen, Mayans of now
Ethnic
Cobá to Pac Chen, Mexico

From the Ruins to the Mayan Homes

On the Yucatan Peninsula, the history of the second largest indigenous Mexican people is intertwined with their daily lives and merges with modernity. In Cobá, we went from the top of one of its ancient pyramids to the heart of a village of our times.
Sunset, Avenue of Baobabs, Madagascar
Got2Globe Photo Portfolio

days like so many others

Estancia Harberton, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
History
Tierra del Fuego, Argentina

A Farm at the End of the World

In 1886, Thomas Bridges, an English orphan taken by his missionary foster family to the farthest reaches of the southern hemisphere, founded the ancient homestead of Tierra del Fuego. Bridges and the descendants surrendered to the end of the world. today, your Estancia harberton it is a stunning Argentine monument to human determination and resilience.
Palm trees of San Cristobal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Canary Islands
Islands
Tenerife, Canary Islands

East of White Mountain Island

The almost triangular Tenerife has its center dominated by the majestic volcano Teide. At its eastern end, there is another rugged domain, even so, the place of the island's capital and other unavoidable villages, with mysterious forests and incredible abrupt coastlines.
Correspondence verification
Winter White
Rovaniemi, Finland

From the Finnish Lapland to the Arctic. A Visit to the Land of Santa

Fed up with waiting for the bearded old man to descend down the chimney, we reverse the story. We took advantage of a trip to Finnish Lapland and passed through its furtive home.
Couple visiting Mikhaylovskoe, village where writer Alexander Pushkin had a home
Literature
Saint Petersburg e Mikhaylovkoe, Russia

The Writer Who Succumbed to His Own Plot

Alexander Pushkin is hailed by many as the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. But Pushkin also dictated an almost tragicomic epilogue to his prolific life.
Northern Lights, Laponia, Rovaniemi, Finland, Fire Fox
Nature
Lapland, Finland

In Search of the Fire Fox

Unique to the heights of the Earth are the northern or southern auroras, light phenomena generated by solar explosions. You Sami natives from Lapland they believed it to be a fiery fox that spread sparkles in the sky. Whatever they are, not even the nearly 30 degrees below zero that were felt in the far north of Finland could deter us from admiring them.
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.
Braga or Braka or Brakra in Nepal
Natural Parks
Annapurna Circuit: 6th – Braga, Nepal

The Ancient Nepal of Braga

Four days of walking later, we slept at 3.519 meters from Braga (Braka). Upon arrival, only the name is familiar to us. Faced with the mystical charm of the town, arranged around one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist monasteries on the Annapurna circuit, we continued our journey there. acclimatization with ascent to Ice Lake (4620m).
Forested Peaks, Huang Shan, China, Anhui, Yellow Mountain Floating Peaks
UNESCO World Heritage
Huang Shan, China

Huang Shan: The Yellow Mountains of the Floating Peaks

The granitic peaks of the floating yellow mountains of Huang Shan, from which acrobat pines sprout, appear in artistic illustrations from China without count. The real scenery, in addition to being remote, remains hidden above the clouds for over 200 days.
Ooty, Tamil Nadu, Bollywood Scenery, Heartthrob's Eye
Characters
Ooty, India

In Bollywood's Nearly Ideal Setting

The conflict with Pakistan and the threat of terrorism made filming in Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh a drama. In Ooty, we see how this former British colonial station took the lead.
Surf Lesson, Waikiki, Oahu, Hawaii
Beaches
Waikiki, OahuHawaii

The Japanese Invasion of Hawaii

Decades after the attack on Pearl Harbor and from the capitulation in World War II, the Japanese returned to Hawaii armed with millions of dollars. Waikiki, his favorite target, insists on surrendering.
Bride gets in car, traditional wedding, Meiji temple, Tokyo, Japan
Religion
Tokyo, Japan

A Matchmaking Sanctuary

Tokyo's Meiji Temple was erected to honor the deified spirits of one of the most influential couples in Japanese history. Over time, it specialized in celebrating traditional weddings.
End of the World Train, Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
On Rails
Ushuaia, Argentina

Last Station: End of the World

Until 1947, the Tren del Fin del Mundo made countless trips for the inmates of the Ushuaia prison to cut firewood. Today, passengers are different, but no other train goes further south.
In elevator kimono, Osaka, Japan
Society
Osaka, Japan

In the Company of Mayu

Japanese nightlife is a multi-faceted, multi-billion business. In Osaka, an enigmatic couchsurfing hostess welcomes us, somewhere between the geisha and the luxury escort.
Women with long hair from Huang Luo, Guangxi, China
Daily life
Longsheng, China

Huang Luo: the Chinese Village of the Longest Hairs

In a multi-ethnic region covered with terraced rice paddies, the women of Huang Luo have surrendered to the same hairy obsession. They let the longest hair in the world grow, years on end, to an average length of 170 to 200 cm. Oddly enough, to keep them beautiful and shiny, they only use water and rice.
savuti, botswana, elephant-eating lions
Wildlife
Savuti, Botswana

Savuti's Elephant-Eating Lions

A patch of the Kalahari Desert dries up or is irrigated depending on the region's tectonic whims. In Savuti, lions have become used to depending on themselves and prey on the largest animals in the savannah.
Full Dog Mushing
Scenic Flights
Seward, Alaska

The Alaskan Dog Mushing Summer

It's almost 30 degrees and the glaciers are melting. In Alaska, entrepreneurs have little time to get rich. Until the end of August, dog mushing cannot stop.
PT EN ES FR DE IT