Ilha Grande

Vila do Abraão is the ‘capital’ of Ilha Grande, an island off the coast near Rio that is known for harbouring some of the best remaining tracts of Brazil’s biodiverse Atlantic rainforest ecosystem. In the conservation world this particular habitat is recognised as having been decimated more than most, due to its limited original extent and the speed of development along Brazil’s coastline.

From a town on the coast called Angra dos Reis, we caught a lancha (speedboat) to Vila do Abraão and checked into a pousada (guesthouse). The island has a lovely vibe and has everything a traveller needs without being over-developed and containing hassle-y elements such as someone screeching ‘massage, massage, massage’ at you every two minutes. Some enterprising characters have taken to extreme baking and wheeling around of their goods in mobile glass cabinets. These prove extremely tempting when you round a corner and are confronted by strawberry pie or chocolate fudge.

An evening of food, a spot of beer and some live music which sprung up two metres from where we were sitting. We’re already thinking of extending our stay here so we can enjoy more of the forest trails and boat rides to beautiful spots around the island.

The image is of the cute church in the centre of Vila do Abraão, set in an equally cute praça (square), in which people cluster to eat the above-mentioned cake and drink Brazilian Itaipava lager.