Ilhabela and Abraao, Brazil

As we continued south along the coast of Brazil, we stopped at two beautiful ports that are popular weekend getaway destinations for Brazilian tourists due to their close proximity to the large cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

When we arrived at the island of Ilhabela, we packed plenty of foul weather gear for the day since we experienced the drenching at our last stop and the forecast called for more rain. Of course, having prepared for the worst, the weather turned out to be absolutely perfect for our day in this resort town.  We spent the day walking around Ilhabela Village enjoying the colonial buildings, historic churches and natural beauty of the area near the waterfront.  We also strolled along several nice beaches near the pier.  Like all of our fellow passengers, we were content to walk around in the fresh air and sunshine mixing with the Brazilian tourists.  We finished our visit with a cold Brahma beer at a popular beach bar.

Ilhabela waterfront

Ilhabela waterfront



The pier at Ilhabela

Historic cannons that once protected Ilhabela

Historic colonial church

Beautiful day in Ilhabela

Popular beach with Brazilian tourists

Good spot for a cold Brahma beer and people watching

The next day, we stopped at the lush tropical port of Abraao located on the island of Ilha Grande.  The densely forested hills drop dramatically down to the coastal resort town that is renowned for its hostels and backpackers' campgrounds.  There are no roads into Abraao.  Access is by hiking trails and sea taxis.  There were young backpackers all around town.  The hostels are called "pousadas" and many had small gardens, cafes and bars that were very charming.  It looks like a town with a cool laid back nightlife scene.  We enjoyed wandering along the tree lined beaches, active waterfront and unpaved back streets that lead to the hiking trails up the hills and through the thick rainforest.  There are no cars through the town, just dirt roads.  The day's drizzly weather made the lush green rainforest even more vivid and intriguing.  We enjoyed the energetic, backpacker vibe of this coastal retreat.

Drizzly day at Abraao Beach

Beautiful lush jungle along the coastline



A view of the beach

Lush landscape leading to the hiking trails

View of the forested hills from the beach

 

Wandering along the unpaved streets in Abraao

Signage to the many pousadas (hostels)



Typical pousada (hostel) in Abraao

Historic village church

Beautiful hummingbirds outside a pousada

The last three stops along the coast of Brazil (Buzios, Ilhabela and Abraao) enabled us to experience a different side of Brazil from the big cities.  Our next stop will be in the big city of Rio de Janeiro.