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Voykit pocket guide · Brazil
Ilhabela
Go for 2–3 nights if you want beaches, trails and sailing; skip if you only have a day — the ferry queue and 1-road island eat the time.
Ilhabela is an island municipality off São Sebastião, reached by a 15-minute ferry. Almost everything sits on one west-coast avenue, so you sleep near the Vila or along the beaches and move by bus, car or boat. Two to three nights covers the accessible beaches, a waterfall walk and a boat trip; the wild east coast (Castelhanos, Bonete) needs a full day each.
- Country
- Brazil
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Dec–Feb (crowds, ferry queues, rain), Jul school holidays
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- BRL
- Money
- Currency is the Brazilian real (BRL, R$). About R$5–5.8 per US dollar in 2026 — check. Cards and tap-to-pay are accepted almost everywhere, even at beach kiosks.
- Daily spend
- Budget R$180–320 excl. bed · Mid R$350–650 excl. bed · High R$700+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vivo, Claro and TIM cover the country; buying a prepaid SIM needs a passport and sometimes a CPF — an eSIM before you fly is easier.
- Emergency
- Police 190 · Ambulance 192 · Fire 193
- Plugs
- Types N, C · 127 V (Rio, São Paulo) or 220 V (Brasília, much of the Northeast) · Check the voltage on the socket; most chargers are dual-voltage.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% service (serviço) usually on the bill; optional but normal.; Beach kiosk / bar: Often included; round up.; Taxi / Uber: Not expected; round up.; Guide: US$5–15 per person per day.; Hotel staff: Small tip for porters.
- Water
- Do not drink tap water; filtered water is provided in most homes and hotels.
- Toilets
- Put toilet paper in the bin, not the toilet, in most places.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | R$8–15 |
| Self-service lunch by weight | R$50–90 per kg |
| Moqueca or seafood plate | R$70–140 |
| Beer: draught / can at a shop | R$12–20 / R$5–8 |
| Island bus ride | R$4 |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | R$40–80 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GRU · São Paulo–Guarulhos
- About 3.5–4.5 h by road to São Sebastião ferry, then the crossing
- CGH · São Paulo–Congonhas
- Closer to the coast road; same onward drive
- SJK · São José dos Campos
- About 2–2.5 h by road to the ferry
Typical fares
- Ferry São Sebastião → Ilhabela, foot passenger
- free, about 15 min, every 30 min 06:00–00:00free, about 15 min, every 30 min 6:00 AM–12:00 AM
- Ferry, car
- R$11–17 each way
- Island bus, one ride
- about R$4
Get around
One main avenue runs the west coast; buses cover its length (about R$4 one-way, less with an IC card). A car helps for the north beaches and the Castelhanos track. The Castelhanos road is unpaved and one-way by time of day: west-to-east in the morning, east-to-west in the afternoon, controlled at the park entrance. The east and south coasts are boat or trail only.
See and do
Known for
- Beaches along the west coast
- Sailing and kitesurf
- Castelhanos beach and state park
- Rainforest trails and waterfalls
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Castelhanos beach | 4WD or car on the unpaved park road, or a boat from the Vila | 1.5–2.5 h each way by road |
| Bonete | 12 km trail from the south of the island (4–5 h) or a boat from the Vila7.5 mi trail from the south of the island (4–5 h) or a boat from the Vila | Half a day or more |
| São Sebastião | Ferry to the mainland, then bus or car | About 1 h |
| Ubatuba | BR-101 north by car or bus | 2–3 h |
Sleep
- Vila (Ilhabela centre)
- Ferry landing, restaurants, shops; walkable, good for a first night without a car.
- Perequê and Barra Velha
- South of the Vila along the main avenue; pousadas and hostels, bus stops on the road.
- Northwest beaches (Siriúba, Armação, Pedra do Sino)
- Quieter, calmer water; you need a car or bus and each beach is a short walk off the avenue.
- Castelhanos and Bonete
- Reached by trail or boat only; simple camping and pousadas, no cars in Bonete.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Com licença / Desculpekong lee-SEN-sah / des-KUL-pee |
| Thank you | Obrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah |
| How much is it? | Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOS-tah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagar com cartão?POH-soo pah-GAR kong kar-TOWN |
| Where is the beach? | Onde fica a praia?ON-jee FEE-kah ah PRY-ah |
| I need help | Preciso de ajudapreh-SEE-zoo jee ah-ZHOO-dah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake, hug or cheek kiss (one in São Paulo, two in Rio); avoid: Being stiff with new acquaintances
- Gestures: Use thumbs-up freely; avoid: The OK hand sign (it is rude)
- Language: Try Portuguese; say obrigado/obrigada; avoid: Defaulting to Spanish
- Time: Expect relaxed social punctuality; avoid: Being late for tours and flights
- Beach: Bring only a towel, cash and a copy of your ID; avoid: Leaving things unattended
Scams and watch-outs
- Sand flies (borrachudos) on many beaches: cover up and use repellent, especially at dusk.
- Ferry queues for cars can reach an hour or more in high season; foot passengers and cyclists cross free.
- Some northwest beaches get mainland pollution after heavy rain; check local advice before swimming.
- The Castelhanos track is one-way by time of day — miss the window and you wait.
- Trails are slippery when wet; the Bonete trail is 12 km and takes 4–5 h on foot.
Ilhabela is calm by Brazilian city standards; the real risks are slippery trails, sand flies, strong surf on the east coast and swimming after heavy rain. Keep valuables out of sight on beaches and use the 190 police line if needed.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Ilhabela yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Beaches along the west coast
- Sailing and kitesurf
- Castelhanos beach and state park
- Rainforest trails and waterfalls
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Ilhabela, revision 5287679 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5287679
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Ilhabela
Para este endereço, por favor
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies on the island; consulates-general are in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
Ferry runs 24 h; last buses on the island are early — check times before a late beach.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/ilhabela). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.