During our 3 weeks in Rio we decided to have a short break and head to Ilha Grande, a tropical island just South West of Rio. Despite the bad weather we had on our bus and ferry from Rio to Ilha Grande the island made a great first impression on us as we sailed past numerous other tropical islands and into the main bay of Ilha Grande. No vehicles are allowed on the island with the exception of one community tractor, giving the whole place a calm and remote feel that was really relaxing. Our 3 days were spent exploring the beautiful beaches local to our hostel and taking a boat trip around the island to a gorgeous clear water lagoon called Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon) where we got to dive off the boat and swim with lots of fish. The beaches were all really clean and unpolluted with white sand and calm, clear water.

The island was a relaxing getaway from Rio as everything was so quiet and laid back with only the animals making noise after nightfall every evening and despite being a little boring at night it was a wonderful experience.