Ilhabela

Ilhabela is an archipelago and a municipality in the North Coast of São Paulo.

Understand
Ilhabela is considered one of the natural paradises of the São Paulo coast, along with Ubatuba (Ilhabela means literally "beautiful island" in Portuguese). It is known for its forest-covered mountains, its amazing beaches, its savage trails - and difficult not to mention, also its vicious sand flies.

In pre-colonial times, the largest island of the archipelago, São Sebastião, was called Maembipe by Native Brazilians, who used the island for trade and prisoner exchange. The island was discovered in 1502 by the Portuguese, and although settlement began shortly thereafter, the village of the island was officially founded only in 1806, with the name of Vila Bela da Princesa ("Beautiful Village of the Princess"). The municipality would finally be named "Ilhabela" in 1945. In 1977, the majority of the archipelago's area was declared a state park and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Get in
To get to Ilhabela it is necessary first to go to São Sebastião (the city on the coast, not the island), where a ferry boat, located at the end of Al. São Sebastião (downtown) departs. The bus from São Paulo is about R$70, and ride sharing about R$35-40. There are buses from São Paulo that stop at the ferry boat point, if you are not up to walk 1 km from the São Sebastião intercity bus terminal.



Get around
Since construction in Ilhabela is mostly restricted to the West coast of the São Sebastião island, there is really just one avenue and getting around, by bus or by car, should be simple. The coast has many slopes, making cycling not a very attractive option. Walking is fine, as there are plenty of sidewalks and other infrastructure for pedestrians, but the occasionally long distance between towns can be a problem.

Additionally, the municipality operates several bus services that run the length of the island (one-way R$4 without / $R2.50 with IC card). While not as comfortable as traveling by car, the bus provides a cheaper alternative for those looking to get around the island.

There are also a couple of non-pavimented roads that give access to remote points of the island, like the Castelhanos beach in the East coast. To reach the other side of the coast, you do not necessarily need a 4WD&mdash;the road is a proper but unpaved track. Note that only in the morning you are allowed to go west to east, and in the afternoon to go east to west on the Ilhabela-Castelhanos road, which is controlled by the national park staff at the entrance.

The rest of Ilhabela can only be reached by boat or by trails in the rainforest.

Northwest beaches
The beaches of the Northwest coast are easily accessible using the main avenue and the non-pavimented road in the north. Most have calm waters and are adequate for nautical sports. They occasionally suffer from pollution originated in the mainland.

Southeast beaches
The beaches of the Southeast Coast are difficult to access and mostly desert. Many have strong waves, being indicated for surfing.

Trekking and mountain biking
Besides the full south, east, west jungle Bonete Trail, the island offers many shorter hikes, e.g. Pico do Baepi. Also, inside the island, trekking and mountain biking shall give plenty of adventure for those who seek it.

Sleep
Camping, serviced and backcountry, is possible on the eastern side of the island. To find appropriate sites, checkout OpenStreetMap, which is used by many mobile Apps like OsmAnd or Mapy.cz. If you additionally find good spots to put up a tent, help other hikers by marking the place on OpenStreetMap.

Stay healthy
Ilhabela is, without doubt, a natural paradise, which can also mean hell for humans. The rainforest in the archipelago is well known for the borrachudos, a sand-fly-like insect whose bites will give you an excruciatingly itchy experience. Use a good quality repellent all the time, in every exposed part of your body including the bottom of your feet, in case you are wearing sandals or flip-flops. Or just wear long clothes to cover your body, instead of using all those chemicals.

Beach pollution problems have started to appear in the west coast of Ilhabela, and at some times of the year, some beaches may not be suitable for swimming. The water quality is weekly monitored by the state water agency (CETESB), so if you see a red flag of CETESB in the beach, don't go swimming. Before you go, you can also check the map of the latest weekly beach quality bulletin (in Portuguese, boletim de qualidade das praias) of the state's Environment Department (CETESB).

Connect
Some bus stations in the center provide free WiFi. But just walking around will reveal other open and free WiFi spots.

Go next
Hostels and private rooms are offered:

in the west:

 * São Sebastião – The beaches of São Sebastião are a mixture of rustic paradisiac nature with first class night life. Contains one of the most famous beaches of the São Paulo coast, Maresias.
 * Camburi and Boicucanga – 40 km. It is considered by Paulistas as one of the best beaches on their coastline. There are also quite a few small restaurants and bars along the road going through Camburi. Camburizinho beach is right next door. There are lots of beaches all along this stretch of coastline.
 * Bertioga – 90 km. A laid-back sea-side town with excellent beaches. It's one of the safest towns of the São Paulo coast. From there to Guarujá, Santos or São Paulo.

in the north(-east):

 * Caraguatatuba – 30 km. It is the largest city of São Paulo's north shore. Caraguatatuba is located near the Serra do Mar and is home to the Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar.
 * Ubatuba – 80km. Beautiful beaches are the main attraction of this place, as well as its well-preserved nature. You can do mountain biking and trekking. One of the best places in Brazil to practice surf, nautical sports, diving and birdwatching.
 * Paraty – 150 km. A fully-conserved 18th-century colonial town by the ocean, hidden by tall jungle-covered mountains which used to be a hideout for pirates after the Portuguese ships; a must-see for people interested in history and culture; also good for rainforest hiking and kayaking.