São Paulo · Brazil
In the destination São Paulo North Coast.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
The city
Ilhabela sits on a mountainous island off the São Paulo coast and preserves large areas of Atlantic Forest. A trip here combines beaches, strolls around the town center and paths through waterfalls and forest.
11 places to stay in Ilhabela.
3 places picked to eat.
What to know before you go.
The local experience
A wild beach on the ocean side of the island, reached by a dirt road passable only by 4x4, by trail or by boat. From the viewpoint above, the cove looks like a heart.
Discover Praia de Castelhanos e Mirante do Coração
In the south of the island, it is reached by boat or by a long trail in the Parque Estadual de Ilhabela that passes the Laje, Areado and Saquinho waterfalls. It is home to a traditional caiçara (coastal) community and has waves sought after by surfers.
The island's colonial core, with old mansions, the 17th-century church of Nossa Senhora D'Ajuda and the Museu Náutico, on narrow streets that come alive at night. It is the starting point for schooner trips.
Discover Vila de Ilhabela e Igreja Nossa Senhora D'Ajuda
A group of falls inside the Parque das Cachoeiras, with trails, swimming pools and the first wheelchair-accessible route to a waterfall in Brazil. The upper falls reach dozens of meters.
Discover Cachoeira da Água Branca
At the far north of the island, it is reached by a road whose last stretch is dirt, and it has light sand and clear sea, surrounded by the forest of the state park. At the right end, a stream forms a freshwater lagoon separated from the sea by sand and rocks.
