Blogs from Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 18

Finally a little ray of sunshine after a 2 hour bus journey from Rio to the coast line, a town called Angra, where we waited all day on the port for a ferry to the Island of Ilha Grande. High mountains, Atlantic rain forest, breath taking beaches with only 3 areas of settlement on the entire island it didn´t take long to realise everyone knows everyone in this place and so long the sun stayed shining we were going to love our time here. After celebrating Chelsea´s 27th birthday like a local, which saw 2 bottles of Brazils most potent spirit, Cassacha, polished off in just a few hours with some fellow Irish and English travellers, the night ended with some people struggling to find their way back to the hostel and others performing their own ... read more

Illah Grande is an island off the coast or Rio. We caught a ferry over and enjoyed the views on the way.. this is where we were going to camp!! -- although i was not looking forward to it i promised Kate i would try my best!! The first morning i woke up extremely cross but it got easier over a few days......still put my foot down and said i wouldnt sleep in it again! It is a really beautiful island with many beaches, little stalls and fish restaurants. Usually it would be quiet here but we arrived on brazillian bank holiday weekend so it was packed! We got a little boat to a beach and had lunch on a floating restaurant! The beach was huge with white sand and huge waves..its known as the nicest ... read more

Så er vi kommet hjem igen efter turen til Ilha Grande. Helt igennem en fantastisk ø og tilmed med en spændende historie. Ø'en, der ligger en times sejlads fra provinsen Rio de Janeiros fastland, har tidligere været skueplads for indianeres kamp om de gode fiskeområder. Efterfølgende har øens mange små bugter i 1600-tallet været brugt at pirater til at gemme sejlskibe og en masse tyvekoster, og myterne om endnu gemte skatte lever stadig. Senere blev øen brugt som første stop i Brasilien for slaveskibe fra Afrika, som en del af den berømte slaverute. Øen begyndte senere at blive beboet, og var efter sigende et livligt sted, indtil det brasilienske retsvæsen i 1940'erne oprette et topsikret fængsel på øen for at huse nogle af landets farligste kriminelle - frygten for fanger på flugt fik hurtig lokalbefolkningen til ... read more

Ilha Grande So we left Rio for the short jouney to Ilha Grande 2 hours away by bus and then a 1 and a half hour ferry. Well what can we say about Ilha Grande - pure paradise! Our hostel (Aquario) was located right on the beach and each day a boat came to take us on various tours. On our first full day we went on a tour of Blue lagoon and 3 beaches. The snorkelling was excellent with many different coloured fish and the water crystal clear. Fresh fruit and coconuts were given out, bar service was to our beach, and generally life was good! The vibe in the village centre was very relaxed. We ate in a small Brazilan restaurant and tried a few of the local dishes. There were no cars on ... read more

Ilha Grande (pronounced eee-la graaanjee), literally the ´big island´is indeed a big island, off the coast of brazil about halfway between Rio and Sao Paulo. The island is covered in Atlantic Rainforest, mountains, and few howler monkeys (which can scare the hell out of you when youre hiking alone through the jungle and youve never heard a howler monkey before). The entire island is accesible by trial (and only trail), leading to freezing cold natural springs and secluded beaches, one of which still has the remains of a prison..the island has been at times a leper colony and a prison island (its where they sent the, ahem, political prisoners). Man, if that´s how they treat the criminals and the lepers you know life is good in Brazil. The hostel was about the best thing I´ve ever ... read more