Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
1
BOAT TRIPS FROM ANGRA DOS REIS
Numerous leisurely
boat and fishing trips
are on offer to the thirty or so local islands in the bay
or to swim at beaches penned - in between clear waters and tropical forest. Various companies
offer excursions, but check that the boat owners are authorized to carry tourists. Most trips leave
around 10am and return in the late afternoon; on average, you'll pay around R$50 a head.
ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
ANGRA DOS REIS
By bus
The bus station is 1.5km east of the Estação Santa
Luzia boat station, but buses to Paraty (22 daily; 2hr), and
the Rio bus that connects with the ferry, stop in front of the
boat station anyway.
Tourist office
Av Ayrton Senna, equidistant between
the bus station 700m to its east, and the boat station
(Estação Santa Luzia) 700m west (daily 7am-7pm;
T
24 3369 7704). There is also a tourist office branch at
the boat station.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Acropolis Marina
Av Jair Toscano de Brito 500 (near
the bus station)
T
24 8812 6711.
If you need a place with
a pool, this is it, and the rooms aren't ba
d, but i
it's overpriced
and the staff aren't exactly on the ball.
R$450
Cheiro Verde
Rua Coronel Carvalho 450
T
24 3365
0677.
Three blocks off the quayside near the boat station,
serving Portuguese and some Arabic dishes, including
bajedo
(bass) with vegetables (R$54), and
pratos executivos
(R$22.80).
Mon-Sat noon-4pm & 6pm-midnight.
Cherry
Rua
Pereira Peixoto 64
T
24 3365 0567.
Simple
little hotel in the centre of town, not far from the boat
station, whose rooms (all with bathroom) are bright, airy
and good value, so l
ong as
you make sure you get one with
an outside window.
R$140
Fogão de Minas
Rua Julio Maria 398
T
21 3365 4877.
A decent
por quilo
restaurant offering a good choice of fish,
meat and salad dishes (R$41.90/kg), near the quayside
east of the boat station.
Daily 11am-4pm.
Ilha Grande
ILHA GRANDE
comprises 193 square kilometres of mountainous jungle, historic ruins
and beautiful beaches, excellent for some scenic tropical rambling. The island is a state
park and the authorities have been successful at limiting development and maintaining
a ban on motor vehicles. The main drawback is the ferocity of the insects, especially
during the summer, so come equipped with repellent.
Ilha Grande offers lots of beautiful
walks
along well-maintained and fairly well-
signposted trails, but it's sensible to take some basic precautions. Be sure to set out as
early as possible and always inform people at your
pousada
where you are going - in
writing if possible. Carry plenty of water with you, and remember to apply sunscreen
and insect repellent at regular intervals. Darkness comes suddenly, and even on a night
with a full moon the trails are likely to be pitch-black due to the canopy formed by the
overhanging foliage; it's best to carry a flashlight - most
pousadas
will be happy to lend
you one. Whatever you do, avoid straying from the trail: not only could you easily get
hopelessly lost, but there are also rumours of booby traps primed to fire bullets, left
over from the days when the island hosted a high-security prison.
Carnaval
is well celebrated in Ilha Grande and much more relaxed than the
Rio experience. Also watch for the
Festival of São João
(Jan 20), and the February
Pirate Regatta
.
Brief history
According to legend, the pirate
Jorge Grego
was heading for the Straits of Magellan
when his ship was sunk by a British fleet. He managed to escape with his two daughters
to Ilha Grande, where he became a successful farmer and merchant. In a fit of rage,
he
murdered the lover of one of his daughters, and shortly afterwards, a terrible storm
destroyed all his farms and houses. From then on, Jorge Grego passed his time roaming
the island, distraught, pausing only long enough to bury his treasure before his final
